STOCKTON, Calif. — Justin Sanders and Colby Copeland won their respective features during the 37th annual Gary Patterson Tribute at the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday night.
Sanders won the season-ending NARC-King of the West feature, leading the entire distance in Larry Antaya’s white No. 16a mount. He took the lead from polesitter Chase Johnson, who went flipping off the third turn on the opening lap to bring out the race’s first red flag.
Craig Stidham and Sanders led the remaining 15 cars to the restart, with Sanders motoring away on the backstretch. Buddy Kofoid would bring out the caution on lap two when he slowed to a stop in the second turn.
Kofoid, driving the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21, would go to the work zone and return to tag the rear of the field.
On the restart, Kofoid would again bring out a caution, this time when he stopped coming out of the fourth turn.
Sanders led Rico Abreu, Blake Carrick, D.J. Netto and Shane Golobic on the restart. The next slowdown came when J.J. Ringo pulled off the track in the fourth turn. Stidham retired with a poor-handling car.
Bud Kaeding moved his black No. 69 into the fifth position as Carrick would pass Abreu for the second spot. No sooner did Carrick make his pass than he went sailing upside down off the second turn to bring out the race’s second red flag.
With only nine cars left running on track, Sanders’ only threat came from Abreu, who would only get close once Sanders hit the lapped cars. The race would slow only once more then Justyn Cox spun in the second turn.
Sanders completed the 25-lap affair with no more obstacles and did wheelies on the back stretch in celebration after the checkered flag.
Copeland won the 25-lap open competition for the 360 motored cars after starting from the pole. Copeland survived a plethora of caution flags and restart challenges from Tristan Guardino.
Both Tanner Carrick and Cole Macedo made late race charges to complete the top three.
The finish:
Justin Sanders, Rico Abreu, D.J. Netto, Bud Kaeding, Austin McCarl, Justyn Cox, Matt Streeter, Mark Barroso, Shane Golobic, Blake Carrick, J.J. Ringo, Craig Stidham, Stephen Ingram, Kyle Offill, Buddy Kofoid