By Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA – October 8, 2019…With the season nearing its conclusion the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards will venture south to the Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford for the 34th annual Penny Newman Grain Cotton Classic this Saturday October 12th.
The event has been one of the long-standing and prestigious showcases in the Central Valley over the years. Apart from 2014, the Cotton Classic has been held at the Keller Auto Speedway at Kings County Fairgrounds venue every season since the mid-1980’s. This Saturday’s event also features the King of the West-NARC 410 Sprint Car Series and the POWRi-BCRA Midgets, making it a must attend for open wheel dirt track fans.
The Penny Newman Grain Cotton Classic is the start of a big two weekends in Central, California with the Abreu Vineyards 26th annual Trophy Cup presented by Rudeen Racing taking place on October 17-19 at nearby Thunderbowl Raceway. Over the years numerous fans have come down a week early to take advantage of catching the final tune-up for teams prior to the Trophy Cup. The Kings County Fairgrounds offers plenty of great camping options for those that want to stay the weekend in Hanford for the Cotton Classic.
This Saturday is the first Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards event that has been contested since August 3rd. With a pair of races remaining in the season, two-time and defending Sprint Car Challenge Tour champion Kyle Hirst holds a 17-point lead over recent Fall Nationals winner Tim Kaeding. Hirst utilized a podium finish at the most recent event to overtake Kaeding for the lead, as he attempts to make it a three-peat in 2019.
The ultra-competitive Sprint Car Challenge Tour campaign has kept both Hirst and Kaeding winless through the first 10 events, but both have been consistent front runners at many events. Overall there have been seven different winners throughout the season, with Roseville’s Jodie Robinson the most recent victor. During the visit to Keller Auto Speedway in June it was Hanford’s own DJ Netto who picked up his second career tour triumph.
Recent Adobe Cup winner Sean Becker of Roseville, Tracy’s Kyle Offill and Hollister’s Tony Gualda round out the top-five in points heading into Saturday’s 34th Cotton Classic. Completing the top-10 are Lemoore’s Cole Macedo, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox and Auburn’s Andy Forsberg. The top-15 drivers and teams at season’s end will share in the $60,000 cash point fund.
Other possibilities on Saturday include Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Mather’s Kalib Henry, Lincoln’s Blake Carrick, Hanford’s Zane Blanchard and Michael Faccinto, Riverdale’s Grant Duinkerken and Landon Hurst, Coalinga’s Tucker Worth, Tipton’s Danny Faria Jr., Fresno’s Steven Kent, Concord’s Joey Ancona and more. The Sprint Car Challenge Tour portion of the night will be the final co-sanctioned outing of the year with the locally based Kings of Thunder Winged 360 Sprinters.
Adult pre-sale grandstand tickets for the 34th annual Penny Newman Grain Cotton Classic cost $35, while bleacher tickets are $30. Prices will go up $5 on the day of the race. Students ages 6-18 cost $15 and those five and under are free. All seating is general admission during the night. To purchase your tickets ahead of time and take advantage of the savings visit https://market.myracepass.com/store/tickets/?i=1170342&store=11977&fbclid=IwAR1riyvRsdaHH3AlI2vdR7f2Pf0gxLVsHYrvwW48lYSnRch2CeGpXdh4AT8
The front gate will open at 4pm with a pre-party featuring the Good Ol’ Boys and Happy Hour taking place in the midway from 4pm-5:30pm.
The Keller Auto Speedway is a 3/8-mile clay oval and is located on the Kings County Fairgrounds in Hanford, California. The physical address is 801 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, Ca 93230. More info can be found at www.kellerautospeedway.com
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour is proudly sponsored by Elk Grove Ford, Abreu Vineyards, Hoosier Racing Tires, Kyle Larson Racing, All Star Performance, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, Pit Stop USA, Auto Meter, ADCO Driveline and Custom Exhaust, Bullard Construction, Bullet Impressions Inc., Chris Kenner Racing Specialties, CLT Logging, CRV Carbon Solutions, D&D Roofing, Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services, High Sierra Industries, Keizer Wheels, Kevin Sharrah Designs, Moto Wear, Metal Works, PT Shocks, Quick Time Mortgage and Solar, SprintCarUnlimited.com, Ti 22 Performance and Walker Performance Filtration.
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour is operated under the Russell Motorsports Inc. banner, which also manages the Placerville Speedway in Placerville, California. For sponsorship opportunities and inquiries, RMI can be reached at 530-344-7592 or office@sprintcarchallengetour.com
More information on the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards can be found at our official website www.sprintcarchallengetour.com – Be sure to also like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sprintcarchallengetour and follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/360SCCT for the latest breaking news regarding SCCT. You can also find us on Instagram by searching scct360.