Sprint Car Challenge Returns to Antioch Speedway Saturday Night

Antioch, CA — On the heels of the successful Figure 8 event last Saturday night, Antioch Speedway is bringing something even bigger this Saturday. It’s the return of the Sprint Car Challenge Tour. These are the fast Winged 360 Sprint Cars, and they will put some of the fastest laps on the track that you will see. Joining them will be the Pacific Coast General Engineering Hobby Stocks.

For about 30 years, the leader in the touring Winged 360 Sprint Car effort in California was the Civil War Series. As the decade of the 2010s neared an end, however, all was not right with that tour. Drivers were asking questions, and new leadership emerged to create something that revitalized the Winged 360 Sprint Car movement. With some really good sponsorship, the Sprint Car Challenge Tour was born in 2017.

Nobody knew exactly what to expect. They knew there would be lots of support. Long time Antioch Speedway Promoter John M Soares cleverly booked the very first date, believing he would get the best. He was right. Over 60 competitors showed up to support the very first race. That was the good news.

The bad news was it didn’t run as smoothly as would have been liked. Cory Eliason is on record as being the first winner in the series that night. Antioch’s relationship with this series didn’t go very far after that.

Enter Promoter Chad Chadwick and Race Director Chris Bennett. Bennett began working on mending fences with the various Sprint Car tours, which has resulted in a more rounded schedule this year. Last year, he initiated the Sprint Car Showcase, which will again happen in November.

Though it was not a sanctioned event, Sprint Car Challenge officials and drivers came in and supported, while also offering constructive criticism on how things could be handled even better. Colby Copeland of Roseville picked up the win that night.

There’s an anticipation in the air as July 1st will see the return of this thrilling Sprint Car Series. The drivers will get around in possibly even record times on the 3/8 mile clay oval, and some of the best of the best will be here to do battle.

Last season, highly decorated Winged 360 Sprint Car champion Andy Forsberg won the series title to go along with his latest championship in Placerville. Andy has won over 30 championships combined in his illustrious career.

Forsberg finds himself in a battle for the point lead. The race is currently being led by Justyn Cox of Sacramento, but he’s just 37 points ahead of Dylan Bloomfield of Oakley in the battle. Bloomfield came up through the ranks of the Junior Sprint division at Stockton and Dixon, but he’s better known at Antioch as the runner-up to DJ Johnson in the Wingless Spec Sprint championship battle of 2020. The rising young star could emerge as the SCCT champion this year.

The tour rolls through such towns as Placerville, Chico, Petaluma, Hanford, Stockton and Watsonville and always makes a big impression with car counts sometimes in the ’40s or ’50s. Trailing Cox and Bloomfield in third is Kaleb Montgomery of Templeton, 54 points out of the lead.

Forsberg is 82 points out in fourth as the balance of the Top 10 is made up of such notables as Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford, Justin Sanders of Aromas, rookies Chance Grasty of Susuin City and Dominic Gorden of Clovis, Luke Hayes of Dunnigan and Shane Golobic of Fremont. Fans will not want to miss the exciting Sprint Car show that is about to take place.

Meanwhile, the Hobby Stock battle at Antioch Speedway continues to shape up. Following his third win of the season, Brentwood’s Grayson Baca has a 30 point lead over Colten Haney of Brentwood. Haney impressed with a career best second last time out. He has finished in the Top 5 four times so far. One-time winner Ken Johns of Antioch is 42 points behind Baca and two ahead of Oakley’s Kevin Brown as these four drivers are very much in the title chase.

Following a night in which he won his very first heat race, 2020 Mini Stock champion Jess Paladino of Brentwood is now tied with Jared Baugh of Pittsburgh for fifth in the standings. They are two points ahead of another rising young star, Aidan Ponciano of Oakley. Aidan ended up third in the most recent race. He has a pair of Top 5 finishes so far, while Paladino is on the cusp of getting his first podium. He now has five Top 10 finishes in his six starts.

The Sprint Car racing will be lightning quick with plenty of thrills and excitement, and the Hobby Stocks offer a brand of slam-bang action that regular fans have come to enjoy at the speedway. Saturday will be a night you won’t want to miss.

The gates will open at 4:00 with the first race starting at 6:00.

Adult tickets are $25, Senior/Military $20 Kids (5-12) $15 and kids five and under free.

For further information, go to www.antiochspeedway.com or check out the Antioch Speedway by PROmotions Facebook page.