By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA…One of the most consistent drivers as of late with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour has certainly been Kaleb Montgomery. After earning a trio of top-five finishes in the last four races the Templeton driver broke through in a big way on Saturday at Petaluma Speedway to claim his first career SCCT triumph.
Montgomery’s win came in a 35-lap contest that very nearly went non-stop, only to see a caution flag wave with a couple circuits remaining. The main event showcased some tremendous Winged Sprint Car racing on the multi-groove 3/8 mile gumbo prepared by Promoter Rick Faeth.
“It feels great to get my first Sprint Car Challenge Tour win here in Petaluma tonight,” commented the driver of the Luxton Real Estate/ David Crye Inc. No. 3 machine. “We’ve been plugging away all season long and have been there in the mix, but the races out here in California are always tough. I need to thank everyone that has supported this team and my career thus far in general. What an exciting main event that was as well.”
At the waving of the green flag it was Auburn veteran Andy Forsberg who jumped into the lead and held command over much of the race. The action behind him was extremely hot and heavy however, with Montgomery, High Sierra Industries Dash winner Colby Johnson, Bianchi Farms Fast Qualifier Ryan Robinson and a host of others going at it back and forth. Forsberg did a tremendous job through the thick lapped traffic as laps ticked away fast and furious.
With under 10-laps remaining though things closed up while Forsberg’s front wing had come loose in the waning circuits. Montgomery found himself running second at that point and roped in Forsberg, before taking the lead with a move in turn three on lap 30. The chance at a non-stop race came to a slowdown when the yellow waved for Johnson, whose outstanding run came to a halt with 33 down.
On the restart calamity ensued off turn two when the slightest of contact between Becker and Forsberg resulted in the F&F Racing X1 making hard contact with the backstretch wall. On the final restart Montgomery rocketed away from the pack to accept the Scott Irwin checkered and become the seventh different winner in seven Sprint Car Challenge Tour events this year. Robinson was able to get around Becker and nip him at the line on the final lap to score second.
Becker, Tanner Carrick and Blake Carrick completed the top-five. The top-10 in the main event was rounded out by Chase Majdic, Justyn Cox, Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award winner Colby Copeland who carved his way from 19th to eighth, Dylan Bloomfield and Johnson.
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards will head next for the “Tribute to Roy Van Conett” on Saturday July 3rd at the Stockton Dirt Track. Going into the upcoming show the championship battle has tightened up even more with Justyn Cox on top by just six points over Tanner Carrick and seven markers over Ryan Robinson. The full point standings can be viewed at https://www.sprintcarchallengetour.com/current-points
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Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards Results – Round 7 Petaluma Speedway
A Feature 35 Laps:
1. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[3]; 2. 14W-Ryan Robinson[5]; 3. 35-Sean Becker[4]; 4. 83T-Tanner Carrick[8]; 5. 38B-Blake Carrick[9]; 6. 2X-Chase Majdic[6]; 7. 7C-Justyn Cox[7]; 8. 5V-Colby Copeland[19]; 9. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[12]; 10. 38-Colby Johnson[1]; 11. 88B-Brad Bumgarner[10]; 12. 88-Kyle Offill[11]; 13. 24-Justin Henry[13]; 14. 43-Bradley Terrell[17]; 15. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[16]; 16. 78-Bret Barney[15]; 17. X1-Andy Forsberg[2]; 18. 12J-John Clark[18]; 19. 27T-Jason Toft[20]; 20. 55A-Angelo Cornet[14]; 21. 551-Angelique Bell[21]; 22. (DNS) 1F-DJ Freitas
High Sierra Industries Dash:
1. 38-Colby Johnson[1]; 2. X1-Andy Forsberg[3]; 3. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[2]; 4. 35-Sean Becker[5]; 5. 14W-Ryan Robinson[6]; 6. 2X-Chase Majdic[4]
Heat 1 10 Laps:
1. 14W-Ryan Robinson[4]; 2. 38B-Blake Carrick[3]; 3. X1-Andy Forsberg[2]; 4. 88B-Brad Bumgarner[5]; 5. 55A-Angelo Cornet[6]; 6. 43-Bradley Terrell[7]; 7. (DNF) 5V-Colby Copeland[1]; 8. (DNF) 551-Angelique Bell[8]
Heat 2 10 Laps:
1. 35-Sean Becker[1]; 2. 7C-Justyn Cox[5]; 3. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[4]; 4. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[6]; 5. 24-Justin Henry[3]; 6. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[2]; 7. (DNS) 1F-DJ Freitas
Heat 3 10 Laps:
1. 38-Colby Johnson[1]; 2. 83T-Tanner Carrick[2]; 3. 2X-Chase Majdic[4]; 4. 88-Kyle Offill[3]; 5. 78-Bret Barney[7]; 6. 12J-John Clark[5]; 7. 27T-Jason Toft[6]
Bianchi Farms Qualifying:
1. 14W-Ryan Robinson[8]; 2. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[11]; 3. 5V-Colby Copeland[3]; 4. 2X-Chase Majdic[19]; 5. 35-Sean Becker[15]; 6. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[9]; 7. 38-Colby Johnson[21]; 8. X1-Andy Forsberg[7]; 9. 24-Justin Henry[13]; 10. 7C-Justyn Cox[14]; 11. 83T-Tanner Carrick[16]; 12. 38B-Blake Carrick[2]; 13. 88B-Brad Bumgarner[5]; 14. 88-Kyle Offill[20]; 15. 55A-Angelo Cornet[1]; 16. 43-Bradley Terrell[4]; 17. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[12]; 18. 12J-John Clark[18]; 19. 551-Angelique Bell[6]; 20. 27T-Jason Toft[17]; 21. 78-Bret Barney[22]; 22. (DNS) 1F-DJ Freitas