By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – April 27, 2021…Enthusiasm is radiating through the air as the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards gets set to converge at Silver Dollar Speedway for the first time ever this Saturday night.
The event marks the eighth David Tarter Memorial, which pays tribute to former Sprint Car driver David Tarter, who lost his life in a pit area accident during a race at Silver Dollar Speedway in June of 2012. David was an up and coming racer that never had a large budget and worked hard for everything he had in the sport. The night we lost him was certainly an emotional one for all.
This weekend also happens to be the grand reopening of Silver Dollar Speedway with fans in the stands and dubbed as the “Spring Nationals,” which showcases two nights of Winged 360 racing. The $3,000-to-win/ $250-to-start “Bill Brownell Memorial” launches everything on Friday, while the SCCT sanctioned David Tarter Memorial caps it all off Saturday, handing out $3,500-to-win/ $400-to-start the 24-car feature.
Camping is available on the fairgrounds during the much-anticipated weekend. Please stop by the fair office on your way in to pay. All race teams please be advised that you need to enter the facility through the Costco side entrance off Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway.
“I can’t tell you how excited we are to finally have fans back in the stands at Chico,” commented Silver Dollar Speedway Announcer and CEO Troy Hennig. “Paying tribute to Bill Brownell, David Tarter and welcoming in the Sprint Car Challenge Tour for the first time is huge. It should be an amazing weekend for old friendships to be rekindled at the track. It’s been over 400 days since we’ve had fans in these stands and they will have a great show to watch on Friday and Saturday.”
For the first time in his career Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox goes into Saturday as the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards point leader. The driver of the C&M Motorsports No. 7C ran fourth last Saturday in Petaluma and brings a six-point advantage over Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick into the David Tarter Memorial. Carrick captured the SCCT opener in March and has claimed a couple of victories in his career at Silver Dollar Speedway.
Ryan Bernal, four-time Chico champion Andy Forsberg and Jodie Robinson complete the top-five in points. With two rounds complete the remainder of the top-10 is comprised of Colby Copeland, Chase Majdic, Sean Becker, Tristin Guardino and Kalib Henry. Becker, a seven-time Silver Dollar Speedway track champion, ranks as one of the heavy favorites going into Saturday. The “Shark” raced to victory during the inaugural David Tarter Memorial in 2013.
All cars that competed at both Sprint Car Challenge Tour events held thus far are eligible for the $500 Kyle Larson Racing Bonus if they win at Silver Dollar Speedway on Saturday. If they can do so, it will make for a $4,000 total payday. This Saturday’s Bianchi Farms qualifying will also receive an extra $500 boost from Kyle Larson Racing to make overall Fast Time worth $600.
Adult tickets for this Saturday May 1st cost $23, juniors 12-15 and seniors 62+ are $20, kids 6-11 are $8, while five and under are free. The pit gate for competitors opens at approximately 3pm, while the front gate for spectators opens at 5pm.
Race fans are directed to purchase tickets online by visiting https://www.eventsprout.com/event/silver-dollar-speedway
The Silver Dollar Speedway is located on the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, a half-mile west of SR 99 on Park Ave in Chico, California. For directions and a map visit http://www.silverdollarspeedway.com/fan-info/directions/
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour would like to thank Elk Grove Ford, Abreu Vineyards, Hoosier Racing Tires, Kyle Larson Racing, Pit Stop USA, Bianchi Farms, Bullard Construction, D&D Roofing, Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services and High Sierra Industries for their support this season.
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.