HANFORD, Calif. — Justin Sanders and car owner Dale Miller continued their fantastic season on Friday at Kings Speedway, as the Aromas driver captured an entertaining Cotton Classic with the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour.
It marked the sixth win in eight SCCT starts for Sanders this year and was his initial triumph in the Penny Newman Grain Cotton Classic. He also began the evening by earning the Sierra Foothills Wine Services Fast Time Award.
“It feels great to get another win for Dale and Tara Miller here tonight at Kings Speedway,” Sanders said. “This track was perfect tonight and that made for some great racing. Luckily, I was able to get by Dominic Gorden there and score the win.”
Gorden was shot out of a cannon at the beginning of the SCCT feature, as he blasted under Tanner Holmes and Dominic Scelzi to grab the lead by the time one lap had been completed.
Sanders moved into second not long after and began to pace Gorden as lapped traffic came into play. A multiple groove surface was given to drivers in the main event and made for outstanding competition all throughout the field.
Gorden did a great job out front fending off Sanders, until traffic bunched up the leaders around the halfway point. Dominic Scelzi also moved in and joined the party, making it a ferocious three-car battle up front.
With 21 laps complete Sanders finally made the move to charge out front, as Gorden and Scelzi then fought for the runner up position. Scelzi had the opening to grab the spot but hopped over the right rear of lapped car Dylan Bloomfield in turn two, which put a tough end to his race.
Sanders led the remainder to bring home his 14th career Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour win.
Gorden crossed the stripe in second, followed by Pit Stop USA Hard Charger Cole Macedo, who started from position number 13.
Tanner Holmes and D.J. Netto completed the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps): 1. 4SA-Justin Sanders[5]; 2. 10-Dominic Gorden[4]; 3. 21T-Cole Macedo[13]; 4. 18T-Tanner Holmes[2]; 5. 88N-DJ Netto[1]; 6. 73-Kaleb Montgomery[12]; 7. 92-Andy Forsberg[6]; 8. 94TH-Braden Chiaramonte[11]; 9. 2-Brooklyn Holland[17]; 10. 21-Shane Hopkins[18]; 11. 121-Caeden Steele[9]; 12. 18-Grant Champlin[16]; 13. 25S-Seth Standley[7]; 14. 38N-Kyle Rasmussen[20]; 15. 67G-Grant Duinkerken[10]; 16. 23T-George Tristao Jr[15]; 17. 4J-Tuesday Calderwood[23]; 18. 21E-Evan Burrola[14]; 19. (DNF) 41S-Dominic Scelzi[3]; 20. (DNF) 5R-Ryan Rocha[19]; 21. (DNF) 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[21]; 22. (DNF) 54-Michael Faccinto[22]; 23. (DNF) 88-Austin McCarl[8]; 24. (DNS) 15-Cody Key