Just Winning: Justin Sanders Racks Up California Wins In Five Cars

Just Winning: Justin Sanders Racks Up California Wins In Five Cars

Justin Sanders has won a dozen sprint car races this season and counting. Even more impressive is the fact he's done it in five different cars.

Aug 2, 2018 by Tony Veneziano
Just Winning: Justin Sanders Racks Up California Wins In Five Cars

Only one sprint car driver in the country has more wins than Justin Sanders this season and that is nine-time and defending World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz. Sanders, who lives in Aromas, CA, is at an even dozen victories and counting. Making the feat even more impressive is the fact that the 25-year-old has won in a handful of different cars, five to be exact.

Among the wins for Sanders this year are four triumphs at his home track of Ocean Speedway. He also has visited victory lane twice with the King of the West-NARC Sprint Series, has a pair of Civil War Sprint Series wins, a couple of triumphs at Placerville Speedway as well as a visit to the winner’s circle with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour and at Marysville Raceway.

“We do look at the win total a little bit throughout the year,” said Sanders. “Though, we are just trying to get as many wins as we can and keep rolling in each different car we are racing in. We have to keep our cars fast, stay focused at the race track, keep up on our maintenance and keep rolling. We just go out there every night and do the best we can and try not to change what we are doing. That’s our main focus right now.”

For the last number of years, Sanders has filled the seat in a few different machines. He runs his own No. 17 in a number of events, including at his home track of Ocean Speedway in nearby Watsonville, CA. He also pilots the No. 121 for Joe Von Schriltz, as well as climbing aboard the No. 56 for Mike Phulps. Not to be outdone, the Californian also occasionally drives the No. 4sa for Dale Miller Motorsports at Placerville Speedway.

“The biggest thing, I think from jumping from car to car is the seat positioning is a tiny bit different,” he explained. “The steering wheel is in a little bit different spot. For me, it kind of takes me a couple laps to get assimilated with what I am driving. After that, I am pretty comfortable the rest of the night. 

“I am pretty fortunate to get to drive some really good race cars that are well-built. Working with good crew chiefs, makes me job easier as well. Throughout the years, I’ve bounced around in a couple of different cars, so it’s not that difficult bouncing back and force. I think my car is still the most comfortable, because I’ve had the most time to work on my positioning and getting everything perfect, because it’s in my own shop and I can go out and work on it whenever I want.”

Sanders recently made a spot-start aboard the famed Tri-C Machine, No. 3C for longtime owner Clyde Lamar, as regular driver Tanner Thorson was competing at Pocono Raceway in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Sanders promptly put the car in victory lane at Placerville Speedway in a King of the West/NARC Series event, after opening the night as the fastest driver in time trials. 

“Winning for Clyde (Lamar) was pretty special,” shared Sanders. “That was their first 410 win, since his wife Marion passed away. Clyde is a great guy and (Crew Chief) Lee Lingren was great to work with. They gave me a super-fast race car. They have good equipment. They have Rider Engines, Penske shocks and all that good stuff. The car was a pleasure to drive. I felt really acclimated when I got in it. It’s always cool to get a win the first night in a car. I think it shows how good the race team is.”

While drivers on the West Coast oftentimes are overshadowed for various reasons, Sanders points to a fellow Californian being on the road this season, making a name on the national scene, as being a benefit to the rest of the young drivers in the Golden State.

“Cory Eliason got out on the road this year and showcase his talent to more of a wide variety of people, by travelling around the United States,” Sanders noted. “That could help the West Coast and show that there is a lot of talent out here than what most people see. I think it’s kind of like Pennsylvania. They have their really good guys and here in California we have our really good guys. We look forward to when the Outlaws come out here, because we can see how we stack up against them at the couple of race tracks they come to.”

Sanders turned heads on the national scene himself last fall, when he led several laps and finished second in the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series. He ran fifth in opener of that two-night event and was one of just two home state drivers to be among the top-five both nights.

“Before the week, if you had told me I was going to run second and fifth, I may not have believed you,” commented Sanders of the 2017 Gold Cup. “After running fifth and then coming up just short on the second night, it was kind of heartbreaking. I had a really good shot at winning and made a mistake and I was really mad at myself for it. 

“Looking back at it now, it was pretty awesome. I hope we can go back and be in contention again this year at the Gold Cup and then at Placerville. If I can get in that same spot, I’ll have learned from my mistakes from last year to where I can maybe take it to close out the deal and get my first Outlaws win.”

With 410-sprint car racing in the Golden State limited to the King of the West Series and when the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series visit, Sanders will continue to bounce back and forth between 360 and 410-sprint cars for the foreseeable future. With a high level of competition in both disciplines, the young driver stays sharp with the variety his schedule affords.

“Everyone here in California runs both 360s and 410s,” he noted. “You have drivers such Kyle Hirst, Bud Kaeding, Shane Golobic and Willie Croft, running both. You are basically running against the same group of guys, just with different engines. The speeds in the 410 are more fun and you have more power, so they are more fun to drive. Of course, I would like to run all 410 stuff, but we run against the same group of guys, so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. There are some very good drivers here in California.”