PETALUMA, Calif. – Kaleb Montgomery broke through in a big way Saturday night at Petaluma Speedway by earning his first Sprint Car Challenge Tour triumph.
Montgomery’s win came in a 35-lap contest that very nearly went non-stop, only to see a caution flag wave with a couple circuits remaining. The main event showcased some tremendous Winged Sprint Car racing on the multi-groove three-eighths-mile gumbo track prepared by promoter Rick Faeth.
“It feels great to get my first Sprint Car Challenge Tour win here in Petaluma tonight,” said Montgomery. “We’ve been plugging away all season long and have been there in the mix, but the races out here in California are always tough. I need to thank everyone that has supported this team and my career thus far in general. What an exciting main event that was as well.”
At the waving of the green flag it was Auburn veteran Andy Forsberg who jumped into the lead and held command over much of the race. The action behind him was extremely hot and heavy however, with Montgomery, High Sierra Industries Dash winner Colby Johnson, Bianchi Farms Fast Qualifier Ryan Robinson and a host of others going at it back and forth. Forsberg did a tremendous job through the thick lapped traffic as laps ticked away fast and furious.
With less than 10 laps remaining though things closed up while Forsberg’s front wing had come loose in the waning circuits. Montgomery found himself running second at that point and roped in Forsberg, before taking the lead with a move in turn three on lap 30. The chance at a non-stop race came to a slowdown when the yellow waved for Johnson, whose outstanding run came to a halt with 33 down.
On the restart calamity ensued off turn two when the slightest of contact between Becker and Forsberg resulted in the F&F Racing X1 making hard contact with the backstretch wall. On the final restart Montgomery rocketed away from the pack to accept the Scott Irwin checkered and become the seventh different winner in seven Sprint Car Challenge Tour events this year. Robinson was able to get around Becker and nip him at the line on the final lap to score second.
Becker, Tanner Carrick and Blake Carrick completed the top-five. The top-10 in the main event was rounded out by Chase Majdic, Justyn Cox, Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Award winner Colby Copeland who carved his way from 19th to eighth, Dylan Bloomfield and Johnson.
The finish:
1. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[3]; 2. 14W-Ryan Robinson[5]; 3. 35-Sean Becker[4]; 4. 83T-Tanner Carrick[8]; 5. 38B-Blake Carrick[9]; 6. 2X-Chase Majdic[6]; 7. 7C-Justyn Cox[7]; 8. 5V-Colby Copeland[19]; 9. 33-Dylan Bloomfield[12]; 10. 38-Colby Johnson[1]; 11. 88B-Brad Bumgarner[10]; 12. 88-Kyle Offill[11]; 13. 24-Justin Henry[13]; 14. 43-Bradley Terrell[17]; 15. 83SA-Isaiah Vasquez[16]; 16. 78-Bret Barney[15]; 17. X1-Andy Forsberg[2]; 18. 12J-John Clark[18]; 19. 27T-Jason Toft[20]; 20. 55A-Angelo Cornet[14]; 21. 551-Angelique Bell[21]; 22. (DNS) 1F-DJ Freitas