Bring Out the Broom as Tarlton Sweeps Weekend Races at Santa Maria Speedway

By Gary Costa

Santa Maria, CA – (April 30 & May 1, 2010) --- “I can’t believe what just happened, this is unreal!” were the words that Sprint Car driver Tommy Tarlton echoed in disbelief after winning both of the Sprint Car races that were held at Santa Maria Speedway last weekend. To win one main event is tough in Sprint Car racing, but winning two, back-to-back, is an amazing feat. The week leading up to the races Tarlton quipped, “We’re going to win one here real soon, and I can feel it.” Tarlton is only the third driver in Santa Maria Speedway track history to sweep a Sprint Car racing weekend.

Tarlton’s premonition would prove to be correct. Tommy along with the Tarlton Motorsports team put together a weekend that they won’t soon forget, neither will the fans that witnessed the amazing achievement. Friday the team went on to win a wild 30-lap feature on the 1/3-mile clay oval during the second annual Doug Fort Memorial event while competing with the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo.

The 2009 Ocean Speedway 360 Sprint Car track champion would line up on the outside of the front row. When the green flag was unfurled on the 30 lap feature event, Tarlton immediately wheeled the potent Corporate American Lending, Tarlton & Son, Inc. No 21 to the front of the pack. Tarlton would lead the event while navigating the slick and slippery track surface. Things would turn bizarre after a lap-22 restart as Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, would close in and pass Tarlton after getting hung-up in heavy lapped traffic.

With the white flag waving, Tarlton gave it all that he had and drove the car hard into turns three and four. Coming to the checkered flag, Kaeding had the advantage, but contact was made with a lapped car and he flipped. After video review, it was determined that Kaeding stopped just short the start-finish-line, handing the lead and win to Tarlton. “That was a wild race and finish – I hope the fans enjoyed it,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight, and a huge thanks to everyone that has stuck with us this year.”

The victory propelled Tarlton from sixth in the point’s standings to atop the leader board.

After spending the day with friends and family, Tarlton was ready to wage war once again at the speedway. This evening he would compete with the high-powered 410 Golden State Challenge Series Sprint Cars. Tarlton has been knocking on the door this season and finally kicked it in by turning in a dominating performance that has left the Sprint Car community reeling.

Tarlton began his incredible evening by setting quick-time, winning his heat race, and the dash in the Paul Baines prepared mount. “I really felt good about our chances of winning the feature after going so good in the other races,” Tommy, who serves as vice president of Tarlton and Son, Inc. remarked. “We have a great starting spot and we will see if we can get one more win.”

The No. 21 was pushed out onto the speedway and anticipation was beginning to build as the cars got into formation for the start of the race. When the green flag dropped, Tarlton once again bolted out into the lead. Tarlton would begin to put distance between him and the rest of the field. A couple of restarts would bunch the field back-up, but Tarlton was never headed en route to his second victory of the weekend, and lead every lap in the feature event. “We swept the night….. This means so much to me and my team. There have been some awesome Sprint Car drivers that have raced at this place, and to have my name with them means so much to me,” said Tarlton. “We have one of our sponsors, Corporate America Lending with us tonight and I can’t thank them enough for coming out to watch us race. This is fantastic!”

 Tarlton became only the third driver to sweep a Golden State Challenge Series event.

 Tommy will have a double-header weekend. Friday, he will look to capture his second feature win in the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo this Friday at Ocean Speedway. Saturday, Tommy will make an appearance at Kings Speedway for the 360 Sprint Car race there.

Be sure to catch “Team Tarlton” on Facebook! For schedule information, please visit www.tarltonandson.com

Special thanks to: Corporate American Lending, The Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Ridgeline Framing, Shark Racing Engines, Matt & Glass, M & S Motorsports, Sharp Insurance, Elite Racing, BG Products, Pro Signs, VMAC, Kaeding Performance, Pro Shocks, Sander Engineering, Astro Titanium, Simpson, BR Motorsports, Willwood, and Brown & Miller Racing Solutions.