If you stayed up late to watch the two 410 sprint car races at Chico this weekend, you definitely got all of the entertainment you could ask for. On Friday, DJ Netto went cowboy up on the outside to pass Chase Johnson after a late race restart to bring home the $4,000 payday. Then, on Saturday at the Mini Gold Cup, Cole Macedo survived a race filled with bent race cars and inherited the lead on the final lap after Ryan Robinson went flipping down the backstretch just two turns away from a $10,000 victory. Macedo held off Shane Golobic on the final restart to win the first NARC 410 race of the season.
While the racing and track conditions were entertaining for the fans, it was a weekend filled with heartbreak for some drivers. Max Mittry returned to the the seat and looked like he was on his way to picking up the victory on night one. Mittry led the majority of the race and was still in contention for the win before his night ended with his car upside down. On Saturday, his night ended the same way. It was an unfortunate weekend for Mittry but it was also very encouraging when you look at the big picture. He looked comfortable and fast.
By far and away the most heartbreaking part of the weekend was Ryan Robinson wrecking while leading on the white flag lap. Robinson was putting on a show for the fans, ripping his car through the turns harder than anyone else on the track. He had a huge lead and clearly had no idea that he could have coasted to victory. It was devastating to watch, but again, his performance over the weekend was extremely encouraging.
Watching DJ Netto return to victory lane was a really cool sight. Netto drove a fantastic race and found the top side at the right time. Regardless if there was a late restart or not, that race was going to be won by Netto.
Overall, it was a very entertaining weekend for the California 410 drivers. The NARC championship battle is going to really fun to watch this year.
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