By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA…The anticipation is growing as the 69th “Gold Cup Race of Champions” approaches next week at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway.
As fans get amped for the fastest four days in California racing, the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards is excited to launch the festivities on Wednesday September 6th.
The annual Pacific Sprint Cup will award $6,900-to-win and showcases only Winged 360 Sprint Cars, with no car count limit.
Bringing back tradition once again, the event serves as opening night of the famed Gold Cup Race of Champions week at Silver Dollar Speedway. Special guests Kyle Larson and Rico Abreu, both multi-time Gold Cup winners, will certainly add to the star power during the night.
A post-race concert presented by NOS Energy Drink is also set to take place in the Pavilion to entertain the masses afterwards.
The Pacific Sprint Cup gives SCCT teams an opportunity to compete before an audience that includes travelers from around the United States and beyond, who trek to the town of Chico for its annual week of speed. The evening of hard-hitting competition marks round number nine on the season for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour.
“Everybody at SLC Promotions has been working overdrive for Gold Cup and we’re thrilled to open it with the Pacific Sprint Cup,” said Silver Dollar Speedway Announcer, Communications Director and Reverend, Troy Hennig. “Bringing the World of Outlaws back for three nights and having the SCCT 360s kick it all off next Wednesday returns some of that tradition to the Gold Cup Race of Champions. It’s going to be a great week of racing, having fun, and enjoying the sport we all love.”
Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox continues to sit atop the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards standings. The driver of the Bates-Hamilton Racing No. 42x has put together a consistent campaign with SCCT, but no doubt wants to add a victory at the $6,900-to-win Pacific Sprint Cup on Wednesday.
Templeton throttle-masher Kaleb Montgomery has moved to second in the points, 45-markers behind Cox for the top-spot, while Oakley’s Dylan Bloomfield is 50-points back in third. With a large car count expected at Silver Dollar Speedway, it will make the Pacific Sprint Cup a critical race in the fight for the title.
Former Pacific Sprint Cup winners Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford and Fremont’s Shane Golobic round out the top-five going into Wednesday night. Completing the top-10 in the standings are Chance Grasty, Dominic Gorden, Luke Hayes, Justin Sanders and seven-time Silver Dollar Speedway champion Sean Becker.
On the car owner side of things Dale Miller continues to lead the competitor standings heading into Chico. Aromas driver Justin Sanders is expected to be back in the seat for the Pacific Sprint Cup. So far this year, Sanders has not finished outside of the top-five in his appearances with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour.
Tickets and Details:
Tickets for the Pacific Sprint Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway on Wednesday September 6th can be purchased online https://silverdollar.ticketspice.com/pacific-cup-gold-cup-2023 or at the gate.
The pit gate will open at 2pm, with the front grandstand gate opening at 5pm. The pit meeting is scheduled for 5:30pm with cars on track for wheel packing shortly after. Hot laps, Sierra Foothills Wine Services qualifying, and racing will follow.
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/
For those who can’t make it to the track CaliDirt.TV provides live coverage of every Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards race. Fans can purchase through a monthly membership or on a per race basis via https://calidirt.tv/
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour would like to thank Elk Grove Ford, Abreu Vineyards, Hoosier Racing Tires, CaliDirt.TV, Shop Kyle Larson, Pit Stop USA, Tiner-Hirst Enterprise, BR Motorsports, King Racing Products, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, D&D Roofing, Sierra Foothills Wine Services, Garth Moore Insurance and Financial Services and High Sierra Industries for their support this season.
More information on the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by 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.