From Kami Arnold
PLACERVILLE, Cal. (December 20, 2017) — The Western United States will see a major new 360 sprint car series on the scene in 2017 as the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards is set to sanction races in California and Nevada. The winged fuel injected sprint cars will contest a 12 race schedule at five tracks, with very significant contingency awards, enhanced purses, and large point fund payouts available for race teams.
The Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards will have their inaugural event at Antioch Speedway on April 1. The bay area track will also see a return visit on June 17th. Placerville Speedway and Stockton Dirt Track will both host four races each. Placerville’s foothill facility holds series race number two on April 15th, another single event on May 6th, and the high paying two day Nor-Cal Shootout on September 22nd and 23rd. The Stockton Dirt Track presents its first race on May 27th, with the Jimmy Sills Classic on July 2nd, the Salute to Leroy Van Conett on August 26th and the inaugural season finale 34th Annual Tribute to Gary Patterson November 4th. Solo nights of racing at the beautiful Calistoga Speedway in the Napa Valley wine region will see the Wine Country Classic on June 24th, while Nevada’s Fernley 95A Speedway in the high desert area outside of Reno will have their race on July 29th.
Thanks to generous support from Matt Wood of Elk Grove Ford and David Abreu of Abreu Vineyards the initial champion of the series will be awarded $10,000 of an over $60,000 point fund. The top 15 teams following the series will also participate in the substantial year end fund, which is expected to be augmented considerably with other announcements forthcoming in the near future. Race team interest expressed during the creation of the new series should see a full complement of top teams gunning for their share of the prize money.
Basic purse payouts will see $2,500 to win and, and thanks to John Bianchi of Bianchi Farms, $400 to start the feature event. No matter the car count every team entered will be taking home a share of the monetary awards. NASCAR star and open wheel enthusiast Kyle Larson has also offered a $500 bonus to any full-time team who wins a feature event, allowing the winner’s share to potentially grow to $3,000. Additional race dates, such as the above mentioned Nor-Cal Shootout, will offer purses greater than the standard payouts, with details on those events available soon. Also, as an added benefit to race teams, the nightly purses will be paid out at the track when that night of competition is completed.
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour will also debut with a substantial contingency package that will provide over $20,000 in certificates and cash to racers over the course of the 12 race season. Awards at each event will include LRB Race Products $100 to fast time, $250 apiece from All Star Performance, ART, BR Motorsports, and King Racing Products for the top four in each heat, RacePartsTrader.com $100 to the dash winner, Bullard Construction $100 to 7th place in the B-main, Pit Stop USA $200 to the A-main Hard Charger, MW Metal Works $100 to the fastest lap in the A-Main, and Jocko’s Sprint Parts $100 to 6th place in the A-main. Also, Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services will provide a $1,000 prize to the series Rookie of the Year. Several more contingency sponsors will be announced as the season approaches.
Those seeking more information regarding the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards can visit the official online home at www.sprintcarchallengetour.com. Series updates and breaking news will be available in the coming weeks, including transparent point fund payouts, standard purse structures, and rules.
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2017 Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour Presented by Abreu Vineyards Schedule
Apr. 1 Antioch Speedway (Antioch, CA)
Apr. 15 Placerville Speedway (Placerville, CA)
May 6 Placerville Speedway (Placerville, CA)
May 27 Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA)
Jun 17 Antioch Speedway (Antioch, CA)
Jun 24 Calistoga Speedway (Calistoga, CA)
Jul 2 Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA)
Jul 29 Fernley 95A Speedway (Fernley, NV)
Aug 26 Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA)
Sep 22 Placerville Speedway (Placerville, CA)
Sep 23 Placerville Speedway (Placerville, CA)
Nov 4 Stockton Dirt Track (Stockton, CA)