8/20/26
Santa Maria Speedway
Santa Maria, CA
High Limit
27 cars
Cool temperatures were a relief to all returning from the Midwest and last week’s Knoxville Nationals. Santa Maria was packed for its first national sprint car event in some time.
Brent Marks (26th car out to time) set quick time on the 1/3, mile oval at 11.369 seconds. Aaron Reutzel (2nd car out) was second quick, followed by Tim Kaeding (13th), Tanner Holmes (24th), James McFadden (17th), Kaleb Montgomery (22nd), Sye Lynch (16th), Giovanni Scelzi (14th), Tanner Thorson (9th) and Jett Yantis (8th).
Heat one (started): 1. 13, Tanner Holmes (1); 2. 42, Sye Lynch (2); 3. 19, Brent Marks (4); 4. 88N, DJ Netto (5); 5. 14, Corey Day (6) 6. 10, Dominic Gorden (7) / 7. 31, Jett Yantis (3); 8. 9, Daison Pursley (9); 9. 121, Caeden Steele (8)
8-lap heats took the top six to the feature. Heat winners and the fastest qualifier (starting fourth) who finished in the top six, mad ethe dash. Holmes led Lynch and Marks for the distance. Netto passed Yantis, making his first ever 410 start, for fourth on lap two. Day followed him into fifth. Steele went up in smoke late in the race and was done for the night. Gorden used the restart to snatch the final transfer from Yantis.
Heat two (started): 1. 21, James McFadden (1); 2. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (2); 3. 87, Aaron Reutzel (4); 4. 7BC, Tyler Courtney (3); 5. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (6); 6. 26R, Levi Hillier (7) / 7. 26, Justin Peck (5); 8. 5, Dominic Scelzi (9); 9. 55, Kerry Madsen (8)
Contact with Hillier sent Madsen flipping into the turn one fence. He walked away. The rest of the race saw McFadden go wire to wire in a mostly single-file affair.
Heat three (started): 1. 3, Kaleb Montgomery (1); 2. 88, Tanner Thorson (2); 3. 21L, Landon Brooks (3); 4. 0, Tim Kaeding (4); 5. 4, Kasey Kahne (5); 6. 24, Rico Abreu (6) / 7. 9R, Chase Randall (7); 8. 2K, Jake Andreotti (8); 9. 24D, Danny Sams III (9)
Montgomery led the distance, much to the local crowd’s pleasure. Kahne passed Abreu for fifth on lap two in the only real pass.
Dash (started): 1. 87, Aaron Reutzel (1); 2. 13, Tanner Holmes (2); 3. 21, James McFadden (4); 4. 19, Brent Marks (3); 5. 0, Tim Kaeding (5); 6. 3, Kaleb Montgomery (6)
The 7-lapper set up the starting lineup for the first three rows and the fast track saw a mostly single-file race.
B main (started): 1. 31, Jett Yantis (1); 2. 26, Justin Peck (2); 3. 9R, Chase Randall (3); 4. 9, Daison Pursley (4); 5. 5, Dominic Scelzi (5); 6. 2K, Jake Andreotti (6) / 7. 55, Kerry Madsen (7); 8. 24D, Danny Sams III (8); DNS - 121, Caeden Steele
Young Yantis looked good in leading all 12 laps of the B, which took the top six to the A. They finished the way they started on a track tough to pass on. High Limit regulars Madsen and Sams were shut out and did not take provisionals.
A main (started): 1. 87, Aaron Reutzel (1); 2. 21, James McFadden (3); 3. 13, Tanner Holmes (2); 4. 0, Tim Kaeding (5); 5. 19, Brent Marks (4); 6. 42, Sye Lynch (7); 7. 88, Tanner Thorson (9); 8. 77, Giovanni Scelzi (8); 9. 7BC, Tyler Courtney (12); 10. 21L, Landon Brooks (10); 11. 26, Justin Peck (20); 12. 9R, Chase Randall (21); 13. 10, Dominic Gorden (16); 14. 5, Dominic Scelzi (23); 15. 4, Kasey Kahne (15); 16. 26R, Levi Hillier (17); 17. 24, Rico Abreu (18); 18. 9, Daison Pursley (22); 19. 88N, DJ Netto (11); 20. 2K, Jake Andreotti (24); 21. 17GP, Brock Zearfoss (14); 22. 31, Jett Yantis (19); 23. 3, Kaleb Montgomery (6); 24. 14, Corey Day (13)
The 35-lapper saw Yantis have throttle issues and assume a starting spot at the back. Holmes was strong early and took the lead over Reutzel, McFadden, Montgomery and Marks. Holmes was into traffic on lap seven. 11 laps in, Netto suffered a flat right rear. Holmes took the inside line on the double-file restart, ahead of Reutzel, McFadden, Montgomery, Marks and Kaeding. Day flipped into turn one on the restart. Montgomery didn’t see the red in time and got into the back of Reutzel, and backed it into the wall. He was done for the night. At the same time, Abreu went to the work area with a flat left rear tire after Pursley and Yantis got into him when he slowed for the red. The next start was single-file and Holmes took off again. On lap 13, Lynch passed Kaeding for fifth. Holmes slowed a bit approaching traffic on lap 19 and Reutzel pounced, passing him on the low side of turn four for the lead. McFadden followed him a lap later. On lap 21, McFadden continued his momentum and took the lead from Reutzel. Reutzel charged back by a circuit later, as Kaeding claimed fifth back from Lynch. Reutzel was into lappers with 11 to go and never looked back. Kaeding passed Marks for fourth with eight to go. It was a big points night for Reutzel, who trailed Abreu by nine heading in.