CHICO, Calif. — The anticipation is growing as the 69th “Gold Cup Race of Champions” approaches next week at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway.
The Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards will launch on Wednesday, Sept. 6.
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 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 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.