Auburn, CA — One of the best weeks of the year for West Coast sprint car fans is here, as the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series invades the Pacific Northwest for the annual Fastest Five Days in Motorsports, part of the “Road to the Dirt Cup.”

Five consecutive nights of action at as many tracks across two states are on tap, gradually moving north up the I-5 corridor. For most of the tracks, it will represent their only 410 Sprint Car races of the season. All of this is ahead of the $100,026-to-win Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway, June 19-21. 

It all begins Wednesday, June 11 at Southern Oregon Speedway outside of Medford. The next night sees the series visit the Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, followed by a visit to Cottage Grove Speedway, a short drive from Eugene. The final Oregon stop on Saturday, June 14 is Willamette Speedway in Lebanon, near Salem. The final day, Sunday the 15th, sees the NARC sprint cars cross the Columbia River into Washington and head to Elma for the annual Father’s Day Timber Cup at Grays Harbor Raceway.

Drivers from up and down the West Coast have committed to running all or at least part of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. And many fans will be traveling with them for the ultimate sprint car “road trip.”

Dominic Scelzi, the two-time NARC champion from Fresno and one of the most popular with Northwest race fans, is among those expecting to compete the entire week, and hoping for some good luck to come his way after some recent difficulties. Scelzi won last year’s Timber Cup at Grays Harbor Raceway, one of his 23 career NARC triumphs, and hopes for more of that in this year’s Fastest Five Days aboard the Gary Scelzi Motorsports No. 41.

Reigning NARC champion Justin Sanders of Aromas has had the very meaning of an “up and down” season but has two NARC victories this season and is a still a threat to win on any given night. The 2024 “King of the West” is coming off a recent Top 5 finish at the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial and wants to stay on the “up” side of things aboard the Mittry Motorsports No. 2x during the Fastest Five Days.

Dominic Gorden of Clovis is riding high with momentum himself aboard the Fortitude Driver Development No. 10, coming off a lucrative victory at the Dave Bradway Jr Memorial. The winner of two NARC events in his short sprint car career, the young driver is hoping that momentum from the Bradway continues, and he adds to his win total during the Fastest Five Days.

One big name arriving in the U.S. this week is Australian superstar James McFadden, who will be piloting the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21 entry for the Fastest Five Days and the Dirt Cup at Skagit. McFadden, the winner of 12 World of Outlaws and three High Limit Racing events, was also the winner in January of the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic, Australia’s largest sprint car race. Having previously won a NARC event; McFadden is anticipated to immediately compete with the Tarlton team. This team has already experienced success this season with Tanner Holmes as the driver, including securing a NARC victory at Thunderbowl Raceway in May.

Many more drivers from California will be making the trip to the Northwest, including former NARC Rookie of the Year Caeden Steele, who recently won his first NARC feature, and 2025 rookie candidate Mariah Ede, both from the Fresno area, along with former NARC champions DJ Netto of Hanford, Bud Kaeding of Campbell, and Sean Becker of Oroville.

Benicia’s Billy Aton, winner of one NARC feature in his career, is expected also along with a number of drivers who are strong candidates for their first NARC wins, including Lemoore’s Gauge Garcia, Rio Oso’s Landon Brooks and Tucson’s Nick Parker. Angelique Bell from Sacramento, Redding’s Max Mittry, John Clark of Windsor, and Laton’s Geoffrey Strole are all also expected to join.

NORTHWEST DRIVERS DEFENDING THEIR TURF

Speaking of Tanner Holmes, the young driver from Jacksonville, Oregon has been looking forward to this stretch of races in his home state and region. After racing for the Tarlton team, Holmes will jump into his family’s No. 18T for this week’s races and looks to perform well in front of friends and family. Southern Oregon Speedway will always be a special place to Holmes as last year’s Fastest Five Days opener saw Holmes win his first NARC race. Holmes has won sprint car features at all four of the Oregon tracks NARC is visiting, including already this season at Cottage Grove, and hopes that it translates to more NARC success.

Tyler Thompson, piloting the Main Motorsports No. 35km, is also racing on home soil this week. The Harrisburg, Oregon driver is a former track champion at Cottage Grove Speedway. Chasing NARC Rookie of the Year honors and sitting third in point standings, Thompson is hoping his familiarity with the Oregon tracks can be a spark, as he is one of the drivers pursuing his first NARC feature victory.

It would also surprise absolutely none of the Oregon sprint car fans if Tyler Thompson and Tanner Holmes wound up racing each other with a victory on the line at any of the four races in the Beaver State. Whether it’s in their family cars or racing for others, Thompson and Holmes have always seemed to find themselves racing around each other, going back to their younger days racing limited sprint cars. It’s continued in the 410 ranks as the young men have found themselves racing each other for position multiple times in NARC competition this year.

Drivers from Washington state and British Columbia are expected to venture down for all or part of the Fastest Five Days in Motorsports. One will be Cobble Hill, B.C.’s Robbie Price, a former Dirt Cup winner who won his first NARC race at last year’s Willamette Speedway event.

Jesse Schlotfeldt of Arlington, Washington will be a driver from the Evergreen State to watch. Schlotfeldt is a 410 winner at Skagit this season and also has wins this spring at both Douglas County Dirt Track and Grays Harbor Raceway in non-NARC competition to his credit. Schlotfeldt had indicated his plan to run the entire week and hopes to be a first-time NARC winner sometime during the week.

Levi Klatt from British Columbia, a former Skagit Speedway track champion, has said he will run at least the first three races in Oregon, and depending on how things go sticking around for the last two races are a possibility for him.

Medford, Oregon’s Camden Robustelli, a standout from dwarf cars who has been finding success in limited and 360 sprint cars, has gotten his feet wet in 410 sprint cars and plans to get seat time against the stars of NARC. Robustelli indicated his plans to run at least four Oregon races, but if things go well, he may continue north to Elma for the Timber Cup and to Skagit for Dirt Cup.

Medford’s Blaine Cory, who made his NARC debut at April’s Mini-Gold Cup, is expected to get more seat time against the best of NARC and run the entire week.

Puyallup, Washington’s Trey Starks, twice a NARC winner in the past and a High Limit Racing winner last year, is anticipated to appear at a couple of races towards the end of the week. Starks is a former NARC winner at Grays Harbor Raceway and already has numerous Skagit Speedway wins this season. While regularly racing Skagit Speedway, Starks is usually a contender wherever he goes and same goes for when he shows up at a NARC race.

FAN INFO

Southern Oregon Speedway – June 11

Wednesday at Southern Oregon Speedway, the pit gate will open at 3:00 pm with the front gate opening at 5:00 pm. Qualifying is scheduled for 6:00 pm and opening ceremonies at 7:00. Tickets can be purchased on the track’s MyRacePass.com page. General admission tickets will be $30, kids ages 6 to 11 are in for $15, or a family pass for two adults and three kids can be purchased for $90.

Southern Oregon Speedway is located at 6900 Kershaw Rd, White City, Oregon 97502. For more information, visit http://www.southernoregonmotorsports.com/ or call 458-220-6272.

Douglas County Dirt Track – June 12

Thursday at the Douglas County Dirt Track, the pit gate opens at 2:00 pm and the front gates at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are at 6:00 pm with racing following at 7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased on the track’s MyRacePass.com page. Adult general admission will be $30, with seniors 55+, military and kids aged 12 to 15 getting in for $25. Kids ages 6 to 11 will be admitted for just $5.

The racetrack is located at the Douglas County Fairgrounds Complex at 2110 SW Frear Street, Roseburg, OR  97471. For more information, log on to www.douglascountydt.com.

Cottage Grove Speedway – June 13

Friday at Cottage Grove Speedway, pit gates open at 2:00 pm and front gates at 4:30 pm, with hot laps at 6:00 pm and racing to begin around 7:00 pm. General admission tickets will be $35, while Seniors 62 and older, military, and kids ages 13 to 17 are in for $30. Kids aged 6 to 12 get in for $10, and children five and Under are FREE. Family passes for two adults and four kids can be purchased for $80. Tickets will be sold at the front gate or online on MyRacePass.com.

Cottage Grove Speedway is located at 2150 N Douglas Avenue, Cottage Grove, OR, 97424. For folks with transports, RVs, or camping trailers, please avoid using the railroad trestle bridge on Highway 99, as you will not have enough clearance to navigate underneath it. For more information, visit www.cottagegrovespeedway.com or call 541-942-7561.

Willamette Speedway – June 14

On Saturday at Willamette Speedway, the pit gate will open at 1:00 pm with the grandstands opening at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 4:30 pm with racing at 6:00 pm. Teams are welcome to stay in the pits. Fan camping is permitted on the grounds. Adult tickets will be $45. Seniors, military, and kids ages 13 to 17 will be admitted for $35. Younger kids are in for $20, and a family pass can be purchased for $130. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on MyRacePass.com.

Willamette Speedway is located at 36606 Airport Dr, Lebanon, Oregon 97355. For more information, visit http://www.trophymotorsports.com/ or send an email to willamettespeedway@hotmail.com.

Grays Harbor Raceway – June 15

Sunday at Grays Harbor Raceway, the pit gate will open at 2:00 pm with grandstands opening at 4:00 pm. Hot laps are scheduled for 5:00 pm with racing following at 6:00 pm. Adult general admission is $28 with seniors, military, and kids ages 7 to 17 in for $24. Kids six and under are in for only $5. Tickets can be purchased at the track or online at MyRacePass.com.

Grays Harbor Raceway is located at 30 Elma McCleary Rd, Elma, Washington 98541. For more information, visit https://www.graysharborraceway.com/ or call 360-482-4374.

Each night features qualifying, up to four 8-lap heat races, a six-lap trophy dash and a main event (30 laps at the four Oregon tracks and 25 at Grays Harbor). The Northwest Focus Midget Series will be NARC’s companions at each of the Oregon races, while IMCA modifieds will be the support class at Grays Harbor.

UPCOMING NARC 410 SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE 

June 11 – Southern Oregon Speedway – Medford, OR

June 12 – Douglas County Dirt Track – Roseburg, OR

June 13 – Cottage Grove Speedway – Cottage Grove, OR

June 14 – Willamette Speedway – Lebanon, OR

June 15 – Grays Harbor Raceway – Elma, WA (Father’s Day Timber Cup)

June 19, 20 & 21 – Skagit Speedway – Burlington, WA ($100,026-to-win Jim Raper Memorial Super Dirt Cup)

When NASCAR heads to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez for a historic race in Mexico City this weekend, the 39-car Xfinity Series field will feature three Mexican drivers.

It was previously announced that Cup Series star Daniel Suarez will drive for JR Motorsports in the No. 9 Chevrolet, while Truck Series regular and 2024 ARCA champion Andres Perez De Lara will make his debut in the No. 91 DGM Racing Chevrolet

Advertisement

But in a late addition to the entry list, Rubén Rovelo will take part in the event on Saturday, June 14. Rovelo will be driving the No. 35 Joey Gase Motorsports Chevrolet, making his first start in any of the three national levels of the sport. Despite this being his Xfinity debut, his name is one the local crowd will know well.

He will be sponsored by Agua Skarch, which is a bottled water brand available in Mexico. This will be the highest number of Mexican-born drivers in any NASCAR Xfinity Series race since 2008 when five Mexican drivers entered the last race in Mexico City.

Rovelo is a veteran of the NASCAR Mexico Series, winning the 2020 championship and earning 26 career wins. The 37-year-old has 175 starts in that series between 2008 and 2024, and along with his 2020 title, Rovelo spent six consecutive years in the top five in points.

Read Also:

Full entry list for NASCAR’s Mexico City race weekend revealed

Daniel Suarez supports NASCAR decision to use a podium for Mexico City race

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

When you think of the history and the legends of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, you think of the Unser family. Three generations of Unsers have earned 26 overall wins at The Race to the Clouds, and now a fourth-generation Unser, Loni, is looking to make her mark on the Colorado mountain, too. As she gets ready to ascend the 14,110ft peak for a fourth time on June 22, Loni joins the RACER Debrief to talk about her journey to racing at Pikes Peak, her 2025 program with BBI, Mobil 1 and Porsche, and the challenge of taking on one of motorsports’ most memorable and unique events.

Watch Pikes Peak on the RACER Network and the RACER+ app live on June 22.

CONCORD N.C. – Want an interesting fact you might not know? Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at inaugural points-paying events in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Across the 41 tracks that the tour has raced at in the modern era, no other team has as many wins as Hendrick Motorsports does on brand new circuits during points-paying events. With the Cup Series landing in Mexico for the first time this weekend, each of the four Hendrick Motorsport drivers will be looking to add another win to that total.

Since 1972, the organization has collected six points-paying wins at inaugural racetracks across the Cup Series. Those tracks include Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Auto Cub Speedway, Kansas Speedway, the Daytona Road Course, Circuit of the Americas and Nashville Superspeedway.

Jeff Gordon is credited with the first three inaugural wins for Hendrick Motorsports, starting with the first Brickyard 400 in 1994 at Indianapolis The eventual five-time winner of the event took home his first after holding off a charging Brett Bodine in the closing stages of the race.

RELATED: From Winner to Champion, Part 4: Execution, evolution and some radio magic

Gordon also scored the organization’s second inaugural win in 1997 at Auto Club Speedway. The California native got a chance to impress his home crowd when he cruised to victory with a sizeable gap between him and second place. Coincidentally, he started third in both this race and the previously mentioned ’94 Brickyard 400.

Gordon’s last inaugural track win for Rick Hendrick would come in 2001 at Kansas Speedway. Multiple cautions restacked and shuffled the field during the final stages of the race in America’s heartland. Despite the chaos around him, Gordon kept his foot to the floor and found himself in victory lane at the end of the race.

Jeff Gordon captures the first Kansas Speedway trophy at the 2001 race in Kansas

Chase Elliott picked up the mantle 19 years later when he won the first ever race at the Daytona Road Course. With the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling Watkins Glen International’s date on the calendar, the Cup Series ventured into the inner circuit of Daytona International Speedway to fill the road course void. 

Just like Gordon at Kansas, Elliott was tasked with holding off the field on a restart with three laps remaining in the event. Once the green flag flew, he did not look back and stayed ahead of the pack to win his second of five wins that season.

RELATED: Hendrick Motorsports completes 400 miles at Michigan

Elliott mastered the twists and turns of Circuit of The Americas that following year to get another inaugural race win for Hendrick Motorsports. Not only was it the first time the Cup Series ran at COTA, but it was also the first time the Cup Series ran at COTA… in the rain.

Heavy rain caused poor visibility, hard crashes, single-file restarts, and eventually a shortened race distance. Despite the challenges, Elliott kept his car afloat and won the first ever Cup race at COTA.

Hendrick Motorsports’ most recent inaugural Cup Series win came that same year, thanks to Kyle Larson at Nashville Superspeedway. While the lower divisions had visited the 1.3-mile oval occasionally since 2011, the Cup Series had never competed on the low-banked concrete track before. 

Even with plenty of unknowns, Larson showed off his driving prowess by dominating the race and cruised to a comfortable win in Music City.

This weekend’s race in Mexico City provides another shot at winning an inaugural event. You can watch all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers aim to achieve this goal on Sunday, June 15 at 3 p.m. on Prime Video.

One of the most anticipated events in NASCAR Cup Series history is now just days away. Mexico City began welcoming the haulers Tuesday as the escorted convoy from Laredo, Texas, where teams staged after leaving Michigan International Speedway Sunday night, has officially crossed the border.

Sunday will be the first Cup Series race held in Mexico. It will also be the first international points-paying Cup Series race since 1958.

“I hope it’s all worth it because it’s definitely a lot of work,” three-time and reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano said. “I was at the NASCAR building (recently) and they were having meetings with the truck drivers about how they’re going to get everything there. They don’t do that for any other race. This is a very specific thing. I think it could be great. I think NASCAR is doing a good job so far, from what I can tell, of covering their bases; making sure there are no surprises when we get down there. 

“We have to have our faith in them that they’re doing their job and it all ends up going well. I’m sure it will. I think everyone has been down there enough and talked about things enough that it will go well.”

Before the haulers were packed, teams were given instructions for what could and couldn’t be on the haulers (such as liquids), had to create manifests, and take other steps to ensure a smooth trip. Richard Childress Racing was among the teams that also had to remove alcohol or tobacco sponsors from the haulers and any apparel because local laws prohibit those items from being advertised in Mexico.

“I hope the fans enjoy it,” Logano said. “I hope it’s a good turnout. I think there is no doubt that a lot of times when you step outside your comfort zone, it’s uncomfortable. There is risk involved. But there is also high reward for our sport by doing this – stepping out of what we typically do in America and going international. It’s kind of a scary thing to do, let’s be honest. I think everyone … probably has some concerns of how are we going to get there? Where are we going to go? What do we do? 

“I don’t know how to speak Spanish. I’m going to be hanging out with [Daniel] Suarez as much as I can. I don’t know where to go. So, the unknown factor is at an all-time high when we go there.”

Logano won’t be alone if he does indeed stick by Suarez, who is making a grand return home to his native country. Suarez has been the face of the event, and NASCAR has used him to do promotional events in Mexico City as well as viral videos where he teaches his fellow drivers Spanish and about Mexican food.

“I really, honestly, don’t know what to expect other than Daniel has said a lot of great things about it,” said Ryan Preece. “I know going into Chicago I had an open mind because I had never traveled to Chicago, even though it’s in the United States. But I had a great experience there and it would be somewhere I would take my family or if we wanted to go sightseeing. So, going to Mexico, I have the same open mind. I hope it’s a great experience and something that is really good for not only myself but for NASCAR as a whole. From what I’ve heard, there are a lot of race fans there and they are very welcoming to us, so we’re excited about it.”

Alex Bowman hopes his Mexico trip results in a trophy. It is much-needed for his Hendrick Motorsports team, who has finished 29th or worse in the last three races. But Bowman also paid attention to what Suarez has said.

“I talked to Suarez and he swears it’s going to be more of a party than any other racetrack that I’ve been to, so I’m excited to see that,” Bowman said. “Hopefully, we all have a good time.”

Large, vocal and passionate crowds are a hallmark of the Mexican GP. NASCAR is hoping for a similar welcome. Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Bowman is also one of the drivers who admitted Mexico will be his first trip outside of the United States. Which means Bowman, Preece, and Josh Berry are among those who had to go through the process of getting a passport. Plenty of others had to renew their passports ahead of this season’s international race.

“It’ll be an experience in itself just to travel and get there,” Berry said. “The one thing I’m excited for, looking at Formula 1 races, is the number of fans there. I think it’s going to be a huge event with a ton of fans. The racetrack, the layout, looks pretty cool and I think that’ll be fun. But just taking in the whole experience is the biggest thing I’m looking forward to.”

Said Bubba Wallace of his hopes for the weekend: “I think just taking it all in. I have no expectations. It’s just going to be me; the family is not going. I have a couple of appearances there early in the week, so to get down there and see and officially say I’ve been to Mexico. And (eating) good food.”

Oh, the food is on the list of many traveling to Mexico City. Kyle Larson spent time there doing promotion events the week before the race at Nashville Superspeedway, and could see how excited the community, including the local media, is about NASCAR bringing both of its national series to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.

“The venue looks amazing,” Larson said. “I love Mexican food, so I’m super pumped to go eat some authentic Mexican food. It’s going to be a great time and a great event. It’ll be cool to go race in a different country and in front of race fans who have maybe never seen us race in person.”

NASCAR does have local series that compete in other countries, including Mexico, but there is a push to bring its biggest stars international. Brazil was rumored to be the 2026 host of the Clash, but that now seems to be a way off, if it does happen at all. NASCAR perhaps sees how the NFL and MLB have taken their games international, and is trying to expand its footprint beyond the events in Mexico City that the Xfinity Series once ran (2005-2008), in Montreal (2007-2012) and the Craftsman Truck Series in Ontario (2013-2019).

There is a multiyear deal between NASCAR and Mexico City. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit is well known for the Formula 1 events it has hosted, however NASCAR will not run the same exact course but a 2.49-mile layout that has 14 turns.

Additionally, it will be the highest elevation race ever held for the Cup Series, with the altitude at 7,350 feet. Cup Series teams will be dealing with reduced horsepower because of the thin air, and some drivers have done attitude training to prepare for how different the conditions will be behind the wheel.

Brad Keselowski has raced internationally with NASCAR before (in Canada in the Xfinity Series). Once this weekend is complete, he knows he’ll be able to speak more about the Cup Series taking on Mexico City, but his expectations and thoughts are very much in line with many others. 

“It’s an interesting event and there are all kinds of sentiments, positive and negative,” he said. “I think it’s good for the Cup Series in general to see the schedule variability that has been driven over the last half a dozen years or so. An international race fits the bill with everything else we’ve been doing. 

“I’m really curious about the reception from the fans. I think the reception from our partners has been strong, which is always fun and great for the teams. But I’m really curious about the reception from the fans here and in Mexico. Will they turn out the way we think they are going to turn out? What will the fans here think?”

NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series events in Mexico City begin Friday, with each series getting two practice sessions. The NASCAR Mexico Series will be the companion event to the weekend, running a race on Friday afternoon and Saturday afternoon. The inaugural Cup Series event Sunday afternoon caps off the weekend.

In a move aimed at boosting the powersports industry, the National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) and the Powersports Rep Association (PRA) have announced a strategic partnership focused on supporting the nation’s powersports retailers.

The collaboration is built on the belief that a “rising tide floats all boats,” with both associations committing to work together for mutual success. Central to their plan is fostering stronger, more professional relationships between dealers, representatives, and vendors.

“By advocating for a healthy and personal partnership between the dealer, rep, and vendor, we will only strengthen our business relationship, resulting in a more professional, profitable powersports industry as a whole,” comments NPDA Chairman Bob Kee. “We are better together.”

Tim Calhoun, an industry veteran and spokesperson for PRA, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. “PRA couldn’t be more thrilled and excited to provide a collaborative approach with the NPDA for the greater good of the powersports industry,” he says. “An open communication pathway directly from rep and brand to the dealer network is something this industry has been missing for some time. We vow to make the effort in this collaboration to provide premier certified sales professionals in the powersports industry that will align with the dealerships’ values.”

The partnership will focus on enhancing relationships, ensuring strategic product placement, and creating a feedback loop from NPDA to PRA to improve the services provided by sales representatives.

Calhoun concludes, “It’s time we come together in difficult times to ensure support, resources, and productive communication. All of this will hopefully provide some stability and optimism moving forward between dealer, vendor/product, and representatives.”

This alliance marks a significant step toward uniting key players in the powersports industry, intending to drive growth and success for all stakeholders.