PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Tanner Carrick won the 35-lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour opening Spring Fever Frenzy at Placerville Speedway on Saturday night.
The Lincoln, Calif., 19-year-old led the entire distance from his front row starting spot in his familiar No. 83t.
Sean Becker recovered to claim the runner-up spot ahead of Chase Majdic. Willie Croft and Kalib Henry filled out the top five.
Carrick had to survive three red flag periods and a number of caution slowdowns. The excessive amount of race stoppages resulted in an open red situation for fuel on the race’s 28th circuit.
The unusually long race also saw a number of different challengers to pace setter Carrick. First polesitter Becker dogged the youth but he fell victim to a miscue on a lap 8 restart and went from second to fourth. It would be the rim riding Justyn Cox who would move up to threaten Carrick. Justin Sanders moved into the third spot, but he would give up that position when he spun in the second turn.
But it would be Cox who also would make a mistake by spinning in the third turn on the 16th lap, giving up his well-earned second position.
Ryan Bernal, subbing for regular Shane Golobic in the Matt Wood Racing No. 17w, charged up to the second spot by taking the high side around the track. He too got bitten by the second-place jinx when he drove over the cushion on the 24th lap, bringing out yet another caution and putting another one of Carrick’s challengers to the rear of the field.
With only 14 of the original 24 starting field on the track, it would be Becker who moved to the high side in an attempt to catch and pass Carrick, but his No. 83t continued to hit his marks and run the low side of the track and took the double checkered flags for the SCCT season opening race.
The finish:
Tanner Carrick, Sean Becker, Chase Majdic, Willie Croft, Kalib Henry, Jodie Robinson, Justyn Cox, Greg Decaires V, Tristan Guardino, Colby Copeland, Michael Ing, Ryan Bernal, Andy Forsberg, Nick Larson, Kyle Hirst, Max Mittry, Ryan Robinson, Justin Sanders, Chris Masters, Blake Carrick, Andy Gregg, Joel Myers Jr., Trent Canales, R.C. Smith