July 28, 2024 | By Ben Deatherage

NARC Santa Maria checkers to Chase Johnson

SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Chase Johnson survived a wild and unpredictable NARC 410 Sprint Car Series 31-lap open wheel slugfest at Santa Maria Speedway to score this fourth career series victory. His winning efforts came aboard his Toyota of Marin, Sunnyvale, and Walnut Creek #24 Maxim.

The headliner started with Johnson setting a frantic pace that took only four laps around the one-third-mile oval to reach heavy slower traffic, which played a factor throughout the show. NARC point leader Justin Sanders played cat and mouse with the leader and zigged when Johnson zagged in lap traffic and took the lead on the sixth circuit.

Sanders, who earned the ARP Fast Qualifier award, cut through traffic methodically, but a caution at the halfway point slowed the field. Before the race could resume, Sanders stopped on the track due to a broken steering box, ending his night prematurely.

Justyn Cox, aboard the Bates-Hamilton Racing-fielded Lippert Construction #42X Maxim inherited the top spot at that point. Two additional red flags for Cole Macedo and Burt Foland Jr. occurred during the next six laps, keeping everybody in close proximity. Luckily, nobody was injured.

When the race resumed with nine laps to go, Johnson began to apply pressure to take back the lead. Johnson got around Cox heading into the final set of corners, only for Cox to get upside down after colliding with a lapped car.

Johnson took care of business on the green-white-checkered restart for his first NARC victory at Santa Maria.

“That was some hard racing, these wins do not come easy,” said an absolutely jubilant Johnson in victory lane. “I will take them any way I can get them. We had a great car all night. Ivan (Worden, crew chief) had us dialed in all night long.”

A pair of local contenders filled the podium. The Luxton Real Estate #3 Maxim of Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery finished second, his best career NARC finish. Gauge Garcia drove the Paso Robles-based Keller Motorsports Monarch Ford XXX to third.

2017 NARC champion Bud Kaeding clawed the Kaeding Performance Center #29 Maxim to a hard-earned fourth, chased by Nick Parker in the Parker Automotive #15 Maxim. Parker’s efforts from the 14th starting spot earned him the Williams Roofing/Tear Off Heaven Photos Hardcharger honors, equaling his career-best NARC finish.

2019 NARC title winner D.J. Netto, Dylan Bloomfield, Billy Aton and Caeden Steele completed the rest of the finishers on the lead lap.

The heat winners were Macedo, Cox, and Netto.

HOOSIER RACING TIRES A-FEATURE (30 LAPS): 1. 24-Chase Johnson; 2. 3-Kaleb Montgomery; 3. 2K-Gauge Garcia; 4. 29-Bud Kaeding; 5. 15-Nick Parker; 6. 88N-D.J. Netto; 7. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield; 8. 26-Billy Aton; 9. 121-Caeden Steele; 10. 12B-Dawson Faria; 11. 12-Jarrett Soares; 12. 9-Dustin Freitas; 13. 88SR-Koen Shaw; 14. 09S-Geoffrey Strole; 15. 31-Kyle Beilman; 16. 42X-Justyn Cox; 17. 5E-Elexa Herrera; 18. 21-Cole Macedo;  19. 2X-Justin Sanders; 20. 4-Burt Foland Jr.; 21. OB1-Orval Burke Jr.

METTEC TITANIUM LAP LEADERS: Chase Johnson 1-5, 29-31; Justin Sanders 6-15; Justyn Cox 16-28

WILLIAMS ROOFING HARDCHARGER:  Nick Parkers +9 (14th to 5th)

BROWN AND MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS HEAT ONE (8 LAPS): 1. 21-Cole Macedo; 2. 2K-Gauge Garcia; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders; 4. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield; 5. 15-Nick Parker; 6. 12-Jarrett Soares; 7. 31-Kyle Beilman

KIMO’S TROPICAL CAR WASH HEAT TWO (8 LAPS): 1. 42X-Justyn Cox; 2. 9-Dustin Freitas; 3. 12B-Dawson Faria; 4. 3-Kaleb Montgomery; 5. 26-Billy Aton; 6. 09S-Geoffrey Strole; 7. 88SR-Koen Shaw

WINTERS PERFORMANCE HEAT THREE (8 LAPS): 1. 88N-D.J. Netto; 2. 24-Chase Johnson; 3. 29-Bud Kaeding; 4. 121-Caeden Steele; 5. 4-Burt Foland Jr.; 6. OB1-Orval Burke Jr.; 7. 5E-Elexa Herrera

BEACON WEALTH STRATEGIES TROPHY DASH (6 LAPS): 1. 24-Chase Johnson; 2. 2X-Justin Sanders; 3. 3-Kaleb Montgomery; 4. 42X-Justyn Cox; 5. 88N-D.J. Netto; 6. 21-Cole Macedo

ARP FAST QUALIFIER: Justin Sanders, 12.504 (21 Cars)