By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA…The 2021 Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards campaign encompassed 13 events at eight different championship facilities throughout the Golden State of California.
Parity was the name of the game this past season, as 10 different drivers made a trip to victory lane, led by Fremont’s Shane Golobic who accumulated three triumphs during the year. Among Golobic’s victories were the Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway and the Tribute to Gary Patterson in Stockton.
A total of 10 different competitors also earned a Bianchi Farms Fast Time Award, with eventual tour champion Ryan Robinson being the only repeat driver to set the standard. Keeping with the theme of 10, it also matched the number of various drivers to tally a High Sierra Industries Dash win.
Robinson and the Weiher Racing team put together a remarkably consistent season by earning top-10 finishes in all but one race. The combination also earned eight top-five finishes, including their first career SCCT victory on October 16th at Petaluma Speedway.
The 21-year-old now joins his father David as a Northern California touring 360 champion. His dad, affectionately known as Powerfeed, captured the California Civil War 360 Sprint Car title in 1999 and 2004. The younger Robinson also became just the second champion ever of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour, after Kyle Hirst earned top accolades in 2017, ’18 and 19.
If it weren’t for Robinson having a career year, then it very well may have been Roseville’s Colby Copeland who won the title. The 29-year-old also constructed what could be considered the best season of his career, which ended with a runner up result in the SCCT standings while driving for owners Jim and Annette Van Lare.
Copeland brought home seven top-five finishes, which included four very close second place efforts. His highlight, however, came at Merced Speedway on July 31st when he claimed his initial Sprint Car Challenge Tour win.
Justyn Cox and C&M Motorsports also earned their best ever point finish with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour this season. Cox piloted the familiar No. 7C Sprinter to his first career SCCT win during the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on June 12th at Placerville Speedway. The Cody Geaney and Mandi Davis led team continued to be the only combo who have not missed a single SCCT event since the tour debuted in 2017.
A pair of veterans rounded out the top-five in the standings, with Roseville’s Sean Becker driving the Dan Monhoff No. 35 to a fourth-place finish, while Andy Forsberg ended up fifth, running most of the season for Steve Tuccelli and Alan Bradway in the familiar X1.
Completing the top-10 in the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards standings were Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick, Rio Linda’s Isaiah Vasquez, Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, Redding’s Chase Majdic and Shane Golobic.
Vasquez captured the Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services Rookie of the Year Award, which also comes with $1,000 cash. The 17-year-old tallied a Bianchi Farms Fast Time Award during a season best night at Merced in July, which also saw him finish sixth in the feature.
A total of 140 different drivers competed in at least one Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards event this past season.
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.
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Bianchi Farms Fast Time Award winners:
Ryan Robinson- 3
Blake Carrick
Sean Becker
Steven Kent
Tyler Thompson
Justin Sanders
DJ Netto
Isaiah Vasquez
Andy Forsberg
JJ Hickle
High Sierra Industries Dash winners:
Colby Copeland- 2
Ryan Robinson- 2
Shane Golobic- 2
Sean Becker
Geoff Ensign
Justyn Cox and Justin Sanders at Chico
Dominic Scelzi
Kalib Henry
Colby Johnson
SCCT A-main winners:
Shane Golobic- 3
Dominic Scelzi- 2
Tanner Carrick
Justin Sanders
Andy Forsberg
Justyn Cox
Kaleb Montgomery
DJ Netto
Colby Copeland
Ryan Robinson