By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA…Andy Forsberg is always a favorite when he signs in at Petaluma Speedway and on Saturday the 46-year-old veteran reminded everyone of that, executing a late pass of Ryan Robinson to collect his initial SCCT win of 2022.
It marked the third career Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards triumph for the Auburn racer, who earned the victory aboard the Pacific Highway Rentals/ Wilkie Masonry No. 92 machine. It was his 199th overall Sprint Car win, moving him closer to that distinguished 200 milestone. It also allowed him to stretch his SCCT point lead to 61-markers with six events remaining.
“We’re happy to be standing up here tonight and I hope all the fans enjoyed that one,” Forsberg said following the race. “I always talk about how these main events have different stages and play out so random at times. At one point Tony Gomes got by me, but the caution saved us. That completely changed the complexion of the race and gave me a shot at Ryan Robinson after the restart. Thank you to everyone for coming out and packing these stands at Petaluma Speedway. It’s great to see the support and be sure to come back for the SCCT Adobe Cup on September 24th.”
The 35-lap SCCT feature started out with Forsberg jumping into the lead ahead of Gomes. As often is the case at Petaluma the laps ticked off fast and furious with excellent racing prevalent throughout the field. Foresthill’s Ryan Robinson quickly became the man to watch however, as he manhandled the Mike Phulps owned Metal Works No. 56 around the 3/8 mile oval in thrilling fashion.
Following a lap eight restart the defending SCCT champion made his move, blasting around Gomes and then went to work on Forsberg for the top spot.
Robinson rocketed around the outside of Forsberg to narrowly lead lap nine, before edging ahead down the back stretch. He then had his way with things out front as Gomes and Forsberg ran close together for the runner up position. Gomes would charge to the inside and claim second momentarily with 12 laps to go, only to have a caution negate the pass. On the restart Forsberg found new life and hounded Robinson for the point, before slicing to his inside for the lead on lap 27.
Forsberg then drove off to accept the Scott Erwin checkered flag for the victory, becoming the eighth different winner in 10 SCCT main events contested this season. Penngrove’s Chase Johnson piloted the Quinn Motorsports/ Our Heroes Dreams No. 28 from eighth to second in the main event. It marked his second consecutive runner up effort with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour at Petaluma. Tony Gomes continued his consistent season by rounding out the podium in the Menne Motorsports/ North Forty Films No. 75 mount.
Yuba City’s Landon Brooks came home fourth in the Van Lare Steering Repair No. 5v, while San Jose’s Tim Kaeding carved his way from 13th to fifth at the helm of the Bates-Hamilton Racing No. 42x entry. Penngrove’s Colby Johnson claimed the Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award with a drive from 16th to sixth, while the remainder of the top-10 was filled out by Robinson, who had a reported mag issue late in the going, Suisun City’s Chance Grasty, Sebastopol’s Bradley Terrell and Roseville’s Sean Becker.
Forsberg captured the High Sierra Industries Dash and the Tiner-Hirst Ent. heat race during the night. Hanford’s Michael Faccinto won the BR Motorsports heat, while Chance Grasty pocketed the King Racing Products heat race. Ryan Robinson started out the night by narrowly setting the Bianchi Farms fast time with a lap of 13.236, just 0.001 ahead of Gomes.
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards will have a couple weeks off, before resuming action with the 62nd “Johnny Key Classic” at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway on Saturday August 20th.
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SCCT Petaluma Speedway Results July 30th- 18 Entries
A Feature 35 Laps
1. 92-Andy Forsberg[1]; 2. 28-Chase Johnson[8]; 3. 75-Tony Gomes[4]; 4. 5V-Landon Brooks[10]; 5. 42X-Tim Kaeding[13]; 6. 38-Colby Johnson[16]; 7. 56-Ryan Robinson[3]; 8. 1-Chance Grasty[2]; 9. 43-Bradley Terrell[9]; 10. 35-Sean Becker[15]; 11. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[5]; 12. 9-Tyler Brown[18]; 13. 78-Bret Barney[14]; 14. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[7]; 15. 9L-Luke Hayes[11]; 16. 7H-Jake Haulot[12]; 17. X1-Michael Faccinto[6]; 18. 8JR-Brian McGahan Jr[17]
Dash 6 Laps
1. 92-Andy Forsberg[1]; 2. 1-Chance Grasty[2]; 3. 56-Ryan Robinson[3]; 4. 75-Tony Gomes[5]; 5. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[6]; 6. X1-Michael Faccinto[4]
Heat 1 10 Laps
1. 92-Andy Forsberg[2]; 2. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[1]; 3. 75-Tony Gomes[4]; 4. 5V-Landon Brooks[3]; 5. 42X-Tim Kaeding[5]; 6. 8JR-Brian McGahan Jr[6]
Heat 2 10 Laps
1. X1-Michael Faccinto[2]; 2. 28-Chase Johnson[3]; 3. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[4]; 4. 9L-Luke Hayes[1]; 5. 78-Bret Barney[6]; 6. 9-Tyler Brown[5]
Heat 3 10 Laps
1. 1-Chance Grasty[1]; 2. 43-Bradley Terrell[3]; 3. 56-Ryan Robinson[4]; 4. 7H-Jake Haulot[5]; 5. 35-Sean Becker[6]; 6. 38-Colby Johnson[2]
Qualifying 1
1. 75-Tony Gomes, 00:13.237[3]; 2. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez, 00:13.308[2]; 3. 92-Andy Forsberg, 00:13.326[1]; 4. 5V-Landon Brooks, 00:13.343[4]; 5. 42X-Tim Kaeding, 00:13.377[5]; 6. 8JR-Brian McGahan Jr, 00:13.438[6]
Qualifying 2
1. 33-Dylan Bloomfield, 00:13.329[4]; 2. 9L-Luke Hayes, 00:13.416[2]; 3. X1-Michael Faccinto, 00:13.437[1]; 4. 28-Chase Johnson, 00:13.470[6]; 5. 9-Tyler Brown, 00:13.499[3]; 6. 78-Bret Barney, 00:13.528[5]
Qualifying 3
1. 56-Ryan Robinson, 00:13.236[6]; 2. 1-Chance Grasty, 00:13.252[1]; 3. 38-Colby Johnson, 00:13.296[4]; 4. 43-Bradley Terrell, 00:13.536[3]; 5. Jake Haulot; 6. 35-Sean Becker, 00:13.755[5]