SANDERS HOLDS OFF HOLMES TO CLAIM EPIC NARC MINI GOLD CUP THRILLER AT CHICO
2025-04-14 15:28
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(4/12/25 - Andrew Kunas) Chico, CA ... Fans at Silver Dollar Speedway were treated to a NARC 410 Sprint Car thriller and instant classic on Saturday night, as Justin Sanders fended off heavy traffic and a determined Tanner Holmes to win the Mini Gold Cup and a $10,000 payday.
Sanders, who led the final 19 laps of the 40-lap race after taking the lead from Tim Kaeding, encountered slower traffic in the closing laps, allowing Holmes to close in rapidly. On the final lap, in the second turn of the quarter-mile bullring, Sanders drifted up as he tried to navigate around slower cars with Holmes getting a run around the top. The two cars making light contact with Sanders getting into the loose clay at the top, allowing Holmes to move by.
Holmes, however, then had to deal with the slower cars, who were running in his preferred top and middle lines through the final two corners. Holmes made contact with one while Sanders, who favored the very bottom on that end of the racetrack, used it to get back by Holmes off of turn four to steal the win aboard the Yuba Sutter Aviation sponsored Mittry Motorsports No. 2x Fisher-powered Maxim. This finish sent the Silver Dollar Speedway crowd into a frenzy.
"I kind of floated up," explained Sanders. "I knew that was the 21 car was coming. That motor rips so I could hear it behind me. Tanner got by me, and I can't believe he didn't run the bottom in three and four, and maybe that won us the race. He was running the middle, maybe to block a slider. We're happy to get this win. They're so hard to come by. We had a great car."
Despite contact with the slower car, Holmes finished second aboard the American Rock & Rent sponsored Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 Kistler-powered Maxim and the driver from Jacksonville, Oregon received approval from the fans for his late efforts.
"It felt like all weekend we were searching and searching," said Holmes, "and finally we put together a great second half."
"I just made a mistake on my part (at the end)," Holmes continued. "If I could do it over, I'd do it over, but I'm proud of these 21 guys and we were right there at the end."
Kaleb Montgomery raced in the Top 10 throughout the headliner and made late moves to get on the podium aboard the Hansen Machine sponsored McColloch Racing No. 17 Don Ott-powered Maxim. He made a late race pass for third around D.J. Netto.
Netto, who won the season opening race at Stockton, ran as high as second before finishing fourth in the Penny Newman Grain sponsored Netto Ag No. 88N Rider-powered KPC. Tyler Thompson finished fifth aboard the HAM Construction sponsored Main Motorsports No. 35km Kistler-powered Maxim.
Tanner Carrick, Shane Golobic, Tim Kaeding, Sean Becker, and Ryan Bernal rounded out the Top 10. Bernal earned the Williams Roofing Hard Charger nod, moving up seven positions to finish tenth.
Bud Kaeding won the Winters Performance Last Chance Qualifier. Heat races were claimed by Montgomery, Holmes, Netto and Landon Brooks.
Tyler Thompson set overall fast time in qualifying with a 11.698 second lap around the ¼-mile clay oval.
Hoosier Racing Tires Feature (40 laps): 1. 2x Justin Sanders (3), 2. 21 Tanner Holmes (2), 3. 17 Kaleb Montgomery (3), 4. 88n DJ Netto (4), 5. 35km Tyler Thompson (5), 6. 83t Tanner Carrick (8), 7. 17w Shane Golobic (11), 8. 0 Tim Kaeding (7), 9. 7b Sean Becker (13), 10. 73 Ryan Bernal (7), 11. 83v Dylan Bloomfield (15), 12. 41 Dominic Scelzi (12), 13. X1 Chance Grasty (14), 14. 29 Bud Kaeding (21), 15. 21L Landon Brooks (7), 16. 10 Dominic Gorden (16), 17. 7p Jake Andreotti (23), 18. 121 Caeden Steele (9), 19. 94th Braden Chiaramonte (24), 20. 92 Andy Forsberg (10), 21. 7 Ashton Torgerson (18), 22. 26 Billy Aton (19), 23. 2xm Max Mittry (22), 24. 2k Gauge Garcia (20).
Williams Roofing Hard Charger: Ryan Bernal, +7 (17th to 10th)
Mettec Titanium Lap Leaders: Tim Kaeding 1-21, Sanders 22-40.
ARP Fast Qualifier (32 cars): Tyler Thompson, 11.698 seconds
Brown & Miller Racing Solutions First Heat Race (8 laps): 1. 17 Kaleb Montgomery (2), 2. 121 Caeden Steele (1), 3. 35km Tyler Thompson (4), 4. X1 Chance Grasty (5), 5. 2k Gauge Garcia (7), 6. 29 Bud Kaeding (3), 7. 94th Braden Chiaramonte (6), 8. 73x Kyle Beilman (8).
Kimo's Tropical Car Wash Second Heat Race (8 laps): 1. 21 Tanner Holmes (2), 2. 92 Andy Forsberg (1), 3. 7b Sean Becker (3), 4. 83v Dylan Bloomfield (5), 5. 0 Tim Kaeding (4), 6. 12j John Clark (7), 7. 5k Blaine Cory (6).
WEDG High Performance Karts Third Heat Race (8 laps): 1. 88n D.J. Netto (2), 2. 41 Dominic Scelzi (3), 3. 83t Tanner Carrick (4), 4. 73 Ryan Bernal (6), 5. 7 Ashton Torgerson (1), 6. 2xm Max Mittry, 7. 7w Dennis Scherer (8), 8. 76 Jennifer Osborne (7).
Winter Performance Fourth Heat Race (8 laps): 1. 21L Landon Brooks (1), 2. 17w Shane Golobic (2), 3. 2x Justin Sanders (4), 4. 10 Dominic Gorden (5), 5. 26 Billy Aton (7), 6. 7p Jake Andreotti (6), 7. 14 Mariah Ede (8), 8. 5s R.C. Smith (7).
Beacon Wealth Strategies Trophy Dash (6 laps): 1. 0 Tim Kaeding (1), 2. 21 Tanner Holmes (8), 3. 2x Justin Sanders (6), 4. 88n D.J. Netto (7), 5. 35km Tyler Thompson (4), 6. 17 Kaleb Montgomery (5), 7. 21L Landon Brooks (2), 8. 83t Tanner Carrick (3).
Winters Performance Last Chance Qualifier (12 laps): 1. 29 Bud Kaeding (1), 2. 2xm Max Mittry (2), 3. 7p Jake Andreotti (3), 4. 94th Braden Chiaramonte (5), 5. 12j John Clark (4), 6. 7w Dennis Scherer (7), 7. 14 Mariah Ede (8), 8. 73x Kyle Beilman (11), 9. 76 Jennifer Osborne (9), 10. 5k Blaine Cory (6), 11. R.C. Smith (10).