By Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA…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 a massive night of racing this Friday October 7th.
The event marks the 37th annual “Cotton Classic” and is the penultimate race of the season for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards. A campaign filled with close competition and immense parity has seen 10 different winners in the 14 features contested.
The Cotton Classic has been one of the long-standing and prestigious showcases in the Central Valley over the years. Apart from 2014, it has been held at the Kings County Fairgrounds venue every season since the mid-1980’s. This weekend’s two-step in Hanford also includes the “Morrie Williams Memorial” on Saturday night showcasing the NARC 410 Sprint Cars.
When the Sprint Car Challenge Tour last visited Keller Auto Speedway it was Fremont’s Shane Golobic who brought home the victory. The Fremont racer has been the hottest driver in California as of late and is fresh off a $5,000 score at the Fall Nationals in Chico this past weekend.
Fresno’s Dominic Scelzi is the defending winner of the Cotton Classic and is always a favorite at the Hanford venue. Going into Friday Scelzi has six career Sprint Car Challenge Tour wins, which ranks second all-time to Golobic’s 11. Three-time Cotton Classic winner Jonathan Allard is also expected to make his California return on Friday. Allard will be aboard the Williams Motorsports 0 mount, as he gets tuned up for Saturday’s Morrie Williams event.
After the most recent race this past Friday Auburn’s Andy Forsberg saw his SCCT point lead diminish just a bit. The veteran now posses a 44-point lead atop the standings going into Keller Auto Speedway. With only two events remaining Forsberg will look for solid finishes each time to fend off his nearest challenger Tony Gomes.
Like Forsberg, Gomes also has one SCCT victory on the season, but another on Friday would go a long way in elevating his title hopes heading into the Stockton finale on November 5th. Foresthill’s Ryan Robinson finds himself 74-markers back in third, with Rio Linda’s Isaiah Vasquez and Golobic rounding out the top-five.
Additional drivers expected Friday include Oakley’s Dylan Bloomfield, Yuba City’s Landon Brooks, Clovis’ Corey Day, Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto, Michael Faccinto and DJ Netto, Aromas’ Justin Sanders, Fresno’s Gauge Garcia, Lincoln’s Tanner and Blake Carrick, Sebastopol’s Joel Myers Jr., Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal and many more.
Tickets for this Friday’s Cotton Classic can be purchased online by visiting https://www.myracepass.com/events/394428/tickets/ or at the gate on race day. Adult tickets cost just $20, while seniors 62+ and juniors ages 7-17 are $15. Ages six and under are free. Military members with current ID receive free admission. The muffler rule will follow Keller Auto Speedway track procedures.
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.
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour would like to thank Elk Grove Ford, Abreu Vineyards, Hoosier Racing Tires, Flo Racing, Shop Kyle Larson, Pit Stop USA, Tiner-Hirst Enterprise, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Bianchi Farms, D&D Roofing, Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services, Quick Time Energy and Mortgage 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.