March 17, 2024 | By Ben Deatherage

Cole Macedo captures wild Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway

CHICO, Calif. — Cole Macedo battled his way to an impressive Mini Gold Cup triumph at Silver Dollar Speedway, when he recaptured the lead with only two laps remaining in a wild 40-lap NARC 410 sprint car finale that featured multiple lead changes. Macedo pocketed a stout $10,000 payday for this first ever victory at the quarter-mile oval driving the Tarlton & Son/Complete Parts and Equipment Solutions #21 Maxim.

“I worked really hard for that,” said a happy Macedo in victory lane. “The track was super demanding, and I’ve been in the gym all winter, and that prepared me for a race like this. I can’t say enough about this Tarlton Motorsports team: Drew (Warner, Crew Chief), Nate, Koby, Landon, Marv, and everyone who helps! We struggled this whole weekend and me and Drew kept putting our two cents into each other and put our best foot forward and he got me going really good there.”

The main event began with the Bates-Hamilton Racing #42X, driven by Justyn Cox, putting the Lippert Construction Maxim to the point at the opening green flag. Unfortunately, three race stoppages occurred while he reigned supreme, keeping the competition close.

Chase Johnson maneuvered his Toyota of Marin, Walnut Creek, and Sunnyvale/Price Family Dealership #24 Maxim to the point after a lap eight restart to pace the field. As the race developed, Johnson came under attack by a shadowing Macedo, but the leader managed to hold off the repeated challenges. But on the 31st circuit, Macedo finally overtook Johnson for the top spot.

Just when it looked like Macedo was going to cruise to the victory, Ryan Robinson, who started 18th, recovered from an early race tip-over to blast by Macedo.  But in a strange turn of events with the white flag waving, Robinson flipped violently down the back straightaway, giving the lead back to Macedo.  Luckily Robinson was unhurt in the accident.

Macedo would inherit the lead to and hold back the NOS Energy Drink/Matt Wood Racing entry, driven by Shane Golobic, to claim his second career NARC 410 Sprint Car Series victory.

Caeden Steele, who was also involved in a mid-race accident wowed the crowd with his first career NARC podium in third.  He was driving the BCCR Racing/Cen-Cal Demolition Services #121 Maxim.  The Vertullo Racing Starr Property Management/Air 1 Racing #83V Maxim of Dylan Bloomfield held on to fourth while the 2017 champ Bud Kaeding rallied to finish fifth in the Kaeding Performance Center/Alviso Rock #29 Maxim.

Tanner Carrick was credited with sixth, while Sean Becker won hard charging honors by piloting the Don Bjork-owned entry to a seventh place finish after starting 22nd. Nick Parker, Justyn Cox and rookie Gauge Garcia rounded out the top ten.   Only ten cars survived the entire distance.

Andy Forsberg set quick time in ARP Qualifying while heat winners were 2019 title winner D.J. Netto, Johnson, Justin Sanders, and Max Mittry.

Gauge Garcia was upside down in the heat race action. During the caution plagued main event, Max Mittry, Justin Sanders, and DJ Netto were involved in red flag incidents.  There were no injuries reported.

Cole Macedo earned his second career NARC win at the Mini-Gold Cup. It was worth $10,000.


RESULTS

HOOSIER A-FEATURE (40 Laps): 1. 21-Cole Macedo [12]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic [13]; 3. 121-Caeden Steele [14]; 4. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [10]; 5. 29-Bud Kaeding [9]; 6. 83T-Tanner Carrick [17]; 7. 7B-Sean Becker [22]; 8. 15-Nick Parker [16]; 9. 42X-Justyn Cox [1]; 10. 2K-Gauge Garcia [23]; 11. 16A-Ryan Robinson [18]; 12. 24-Chase Johnson [4]; 13. 2X-Justin Sanders [3]; 14. 88N-D.J. Netto [7]; 15. 92-Andy Forsberg [2]; 16. 68-Jayson Bright [21]; 17. 17-Kalib Henry [8]; 18. X1-Michael Faccinto [6]; 19. 21P-Robbie Price [20]; 20. 2XM-Max Mittry [5]; 21. 26-Billy Aton [11]; 22. 0-Tim Kaeding [15]; 23. 3-Kaleb Montgomery [19]; 24. 12-Jarrett Soares [24]

METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Justyn Cox 1-7; Chase Johnson 8-30; Cole Macedo 31-36, 39-40 ; Ryan Robinson 35-38

WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER: Sean Becker +15

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 Laps): 1. 88N-D.J. Netto [1]; 2. 17-Kalib Henry [4]; 3. 121-Caeden Steele [5]; 4. 0-Tim Kaeding [2]; 5. 3-Kaleb Montgomery [3]; 6. 75-Bill Smith [8]; 7. 7X-RC Smith [7]; 8. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez [6]

KIMO’S TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (8 Laps): 1. 24-Chase Johnson [2]; 2. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield [1]; 3. X1-Michael Faccinto [4]; 4. 83T-Tanner Carrick [3]; 5. 21P-Robbie Price [7]; 6. 68-Jayson Bright [5]; 7. 16J-Jacob Johnson [8]; 8. 4-Burt Foland Jr. [6]

LIFELINE USA HEAT THREE (8 Laps):  1. 2X-Justin Sanders [1]; 2. 29-Bud Kaeding [2]; 3. 21-Cole Macedo [3]; 4. 15-Nick Parker [6]; 5. 92-Andy Forsberg [4]; 6. 7B-Sean Becker [5]; 7. 21M-Michael Ing [8]; 8. 2K-Gauge Garcia [7]

KAEDING PERFORMANCE CENTER HEAT FOUR (8 Laps):  1. 2XM-Max Mittry [2]; 2. 26-Billy Aton [7]; 3. 17W-Shane Golobic [5]; 4. 42X-Justyn Cox [4]; 5. 16A-Ryan Robinson [1]; 6. 10-Dominic Gorden [3]; 7. 12-Jarrett Soares [6]; 8. 551-Angelique Bell [8]

STARR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT B-FEATURE (12 Laps): 1. 68-Jayson Bright [3]; 2. 7B-Sean Becker [2]; 3. 2K-Gauge Garcia [9]; 4. 12-Jarrett Soares [5]; 5. 21M-Michael Ing [7]; 6. 87-Ashlyn Rodriguez [10]; 7. 16J-Jacob Johnson [8]; 8. 551-Angelique Bell [12]; 9. 75-Bill Smith [4]; 10. 4-Burt Foland Jr [11]; 11. (DNF) 10-Dominic Gorden [1]; 12. (DNS) 7X-RC Smith

BEACON WEALTH STRATEGIES & RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL TROPHY DASH (6 Laps): 1. 42X-Justyn Cox [2]; 2. 92-Andy Forsberg [1]; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders [3]; 4. 24-Chase Johnson [8]; 5. 2XM-Max Mittry [4]; 6. X1-Michael Faccinto [6]; 7. 88N-D.J. //Netto [7]; 8. 17-Kalib Henry [5]

ARP QUALIFYING QUICK TIME: Andy Forsberg, 11.407 (32 Cars)