When High Limit swing west for the first time in 2025 a lot of the focus will understandably be on many of the series’ big names and the two new-to-the-schedule tracks on the week's itinerary.
The unknowns are palpable, it’s part of the allure of any national tour, afterall and High Limit’s deep California connection brings an exceptional level of interest. It’s no secret that California sprint car racing is a unique beast; the tracks, the dirt, the racing style; it's like nothing you’ll find anywhere else.
Ask any driver to describe California sprint car racing and you'll get a multitude of answers, but they’ll all tell you it's “different” in one way or another. If they can figure the nuances out then they better get their elbows up because things are going to get wild.
The point is, given the advantage of local knowledge an upset victory in California is far from out of the cards. In 2024 there were twelve nights of national 410 sprint car racing in California, split evenly between High Limit and World of Outlaws. Overall, things were not pretty for the regional full-timers.
They were thoroughly trounced and national regulars won every night of those twelve races, seemingly destroying my premise. That is until you scroll the results and realize it’s practically a west coast reunion.
Corey Day, Kyle Larson and Carson Macedo are obvious names at the top and there is no lack of California experience between Tyler Courtney, David Gravel, James McFadden and Tanner Thorson. Buddy Kofoid went on a tear with the Outlaws, winning three of the six races at tracks he cut his teeth on as a teenager.
Experience is everything in the Golden State and regardless of the most recent numbers it’s not unimaginable that a local steals a victory from the big names. So, who has the best shot?
Justin Sanders - Mittry Motorsports 2X
Sanders and Cole Macedo battled to the very last laps of last years NARC King of the West 410 series. Sanders’ six wins topped Macedo’s five and delivered a thrilling championship victory for the Mittry team. Sanders only had four top-10’s against the national teams but two of those were podiums. In fact the 2X was one of only four locals to podium at all and the only one with multiple trophies. Sanders was flat out unlucky in this years NARC opener, it’s hard to deny the Mittry 2X had the speed to pass eventual winner D.J. Netto. Unfortunately for Sanders he didn’t find a gap and Netto did. Sanders certainly isn’t afraid to put his elbows out. Fans either love him or hate him for it, but if you’re going to beat national teams you best be ready to bang some wheels. Justin was born ready.
Dominic Scelzi - Scelzi Motorsports 41
Dominic Scelzi, the fan favorite from Fresno, made it clear he struggled at times through 2024 and just one 410 win would back that up. Just three top 10’s on home soil against the visitors was well below his abilities but to be completely fair, the #41 outperformed many of their California peers during those periods. A +10 run to 9th against the High Rollers in last weekend’s Las Vegas season opener was a heck of a way for Scelzi to start his new season and, one hopes, a precedent for what’s to come in 2025. You can debate what one good run even means but what you can’t do is count Dom out in his own backyard.
Tanner Holmes - Tarlton Motorsports 21T
Holmes is not a Californian but several factors could make the Jacksonville, OR native a significant presence during this upcoming swing. Holmes has plenty of laps on California’s bullrings, and national experience to boot after a stint with Shark Racing and the Outlaws in 2023. But perhaps most telling of all will be how Holmes performs in his new gig with Tarlton Motorsports. So far so good for the pairing, a win in 360 competition on their very first outing together was quite the mic drop. The 410 program has had speed too but bad luck has put them on the backfoot every time they seem to get a good run going. The 21T was piloted to five wins by Cole Macedo on the way to that NARC runner up in 2024. Three top 5’s against the national cousins was impressive and a big part of why Macedo finds himself in a full-time Outlaw ride this year. The Tarlton Motorsports car can never be left out of the conversation and Holmes just may have the chops to make another upset happen.
Shane Golobic - Matt Wood Racing 17W
Shane Golobic might be fourth on this list but when putting all this together the NOS Energy 17W pilot was one of the first names at the top. Golobic is a driver that always seems to be in the hunt, a true go anywhere, drive anything kind of racer that let’s his results do the talking. And talk they do. While most of us don’t hear much from the man himself you definitely hear plenty of his name at the pointy end of the results every week. To be completely honest that’s Ithe only reason Golobic’s stats against the national teams in 2024 are surprising. You just always expect the 17W to be there. A second at Stockton against the Outlaws, and four top-5’s in twelve races is nothing to sneeze at, it far outperforms many other California locals, but Golobic has the potential to be a winner. Don’t be the least bit surprised if this is their week.
DJ Netto - Netto Ag #88
DJ Netto owns the only 410 sprint car win in California this season and his results against the big visiting teams last year bode well for further success this week. Four top-5’s, including three against the Outlaws. was very impressive and the 88N was unlucky to go winless in 410 competition last season. Despite this Netto is one of those guys right on the fringe who, given the right circumstances absolutely has all the pieces to get to victory lane. Netto is far from the only California local who could use some luck to go his way in order to win, but he is one of the few who can win on speed alone.
Conclusion
As I look around the numbers from 2024’s national tour visits it’s hard to pick another standout. There is a ton of potential in California’s full timers, but no one has really made their mark in a big way recently. Names like Montgomery, Bloomfield, Bernal, Becker, Forsberg and Kaeding all pepper the recent top-10’s but California is long overdue for one of it’s home state heroes to rise to the occasion on the big stage. From familiar dirt to unknown territory, fresh blossoming talent to salty veterans with pointy elbows, home track advantage is a big deal out west. There are few regions any national series will visit where the playing field is as level as that in California, if you're looking for a potential upset this weekend just might be it.