Column: WoO Sprints Go Two More Rounds This Weekend With Cali Clique At Kings, Placerville

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Column By: ALEX NIETEN / WORLD OF OUTLAWS – HANFORD, CA – One more weekend of California Dreamin’ awaits the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars in 2023.

The Greatest Show on Dirt will carry a hotly contested points battle into a pair of “Golden State” facilities to wrap up this year’s west coast swing. First up is a Friday, Sept. 15 stop at Hanford, CA’s Kings Speedway for the Tom Tarlton Classic. As a nod to the longtime California car owner, the race will again award $21,00 to the winner.

The next night takes the tour north where Placerville Speedway is waiting and ready to host the World of Outlaws for the first time in four years at the Federated Auto Parts 49er Gold Rush Classic.

The World of Outlaws full-timers head into the weekend looking to rebound after being kept off the podium at Silver Dollar Speedway. And the Cali Clique aims to defend home turf at two more facilities.

Let’s look at the weekend’s top storylines:

 

HOME IN HANFORD: Carson Macedo’s hometown of Lemoore, CA is a mere 10 miles down the road from Hanford, making Friday’s race as close to a home game as you can get for the World of Outlaws competitor. On top of the significance of racing where he’s from, the man that the race salutes – Tom Tarlton – played a major role in Macedo’s career.

The father-son duo of Tom and Tommy Tarlton own the Fresno based Tarlton Motorsports, and Tom happens to be Macedo’s uncle while Tommy is his cousin. When Macedo was struggling early in his career, the two stuck behind him and helped him arrive at where he is today. The 27-year-old’s first World of Outlaws win came behind the wheel of the Tarlton #21 in 2014.

Macedo has brought out his best talents each year for this event. The first wasn’t World of Outlaws sanctioned in 2020, but he was able to be in attendance and held off Kyle Larson for the triumph. The next year he went back-to-back. Last season his bid for a third straight $21,000 check fell a little short as he lost the lead late, so he’ll be hungry to climb back atop the podium this Friday.

On a relevant note, it’ll be Carson’s brother – Cole – owning the honors of driving the Tarlton machine this weekend.

 

SLIDIN’ INTO THE CENTRAL VALLEY: Friday’s race in Hanford is close to home for another team on the tour, too.

Roth Motorsports brings a two-car stable to Kings Speedway, which is less than an hour south from their Fresno shop. James McFadden and Buddy Kofoid will pilot the pair of #83 machines with hopes of grabbing the trophy for Dennis and Teresa Roth.

McFadden has competed five times at the Hanford oval, three times with the World of Outlaws and twice with the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC), and been on the podium four times but is still chasing a win. Kofoid has never competed there with the World of Outlaws but has been in the top five with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour (SCCT) 360 Sprints.

 

RETURN TO P-VILLE: Circumstances outside of Series and track control caused the cancelation of the Placerville Speedway date over the last three years, but the World of Outlaws are set to return to the bullring on Saturday for the first time since 2019.

The night will mark the World of Outlaws’ 10th visit to the El Dorado County quarter mile since the first trip back in 1985. Through nine Placerville races to date, seven different drivers have gone to Victory Lane. The most recent five have yielded no repeat winners.

Four years ago, when the World of Outlaws last rolled into Placerville, it was a California local claiming the checkered flag in the form of Shane Golobic. The Rocklin, CA driver is fresh off a sixth place showing at Gold Cup and will finally get the chance to defend his win this weekend.

 

THE BIG CAT’S BACK: One driver especially looking forward to the return to Placerville is Brad Sweet. The four-time Series champion is originally from Grass Valley, CA and now calls the Placerville area home. Sweet has a hand in helping promote this Saturday’s race.

Sweet has been stout recently at his home state bullring. In his last four Series starts at Placerville, he’s finished no worse than sixth and picked up a 2018 victory.

“The Big Cat” rolls into the weekend with the points lead and looks to add more cushion to the 82-marker margin that separates him and David Gravel.

 

OUTLAWS VS. CALI CLIQUE: The Cali Clique was clicking this past weekend in Chico, and the World of Outlaws hope to regain the upper hand on the rivalry with the “Golden State” gassers this weekend.

At Kings, Logan Schuchart stands out as a prime candidate to score one for the World of Outlaws. He’s topped two of the last four Series visits including a wild charge from 19th in 2017. Donny Schatz and David Gravel are also former Hanford winners. The locals typically haven’t excelled at Kings, but Tim Kaeding did claim one for California in 2003.

Over at Placerville, Donny Schatz (2015), David Gravel (2017), and Brad Sweet (2018) have won as World of Outlaws competitors and will be looking to do so again this Saturday.

Corey Day leads the California locals fresh off topping Gold Cup for his first career World of Outlaws win. Now he heads to Kings, where he’s already won four times with NARC in his young career. The Clovis, CA native has bested NARC at Placerville as well.

As previously stated, Shane Golobic is the most recent Series winner at Placerville. Since that 2019 triumph, the pilot of the NOS Energy Drink #17W has collected six Placerville wins in 360 Sprint Car competition.

After bagging a pair of runner-ups at Gold Cup, Justin Sanders is hungrier than ever for that first World of Outlaws win. The Aromas, CA native owns a stout résumé at Placerville with 10 Sprint Car triumphs at the quarter mile since the beginning of 2021.

 
 
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