Sugar Shane Shines Over SCCT Field
The Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards came to the Petaluma Speedway adobe for the first of two shows in 2019 Saturday night and brought 26 fire breathing 360 sprint cars with it on Napa Auto Parts Night.
Sebastopol resident Geoff Ensign paced qualifying with a 12.772 lap and heat races were won by Paradise, CA’s Kyle Hirst, Tracy’s Kyle Offill, Roseville’s Willie Croft and Fremont’s Shane Golobic.
After the dash and pole spot was secured by Fremont’s Golobic, the 24 car field took green under flagman Ed Entz and it was outside pole starter Kalib Henry who led the field over the first two laps until Golobic took the point on lap 3. Fast qualifier Ensign, racing with a 12 year old chassis and a car just finished building the night before, came from 6th starting to fourth early on, and was the car on the move prior to Tracy’s Offill bringing out the yellow with a spin in turn 3. Upon the restart, Golobic streaked away in the NOS Energy Drink/Elk Grove Ford 17w with Ensign’s open trailered car #44 on the chase, running the bottom line on the Rick Faeth prepared surface gaining momentum. Ensign would pass Golobic on the bottom for the lead and increase his advantage until hitting lapped traffic, a staple of Petaluma Speedway. Ensign would stay patient in lapped traffic a little too long as Golobic would take advantage of Ensign’s patience and pass him back for the lead around lap 16. From there Golobic would increase his advantage with Penngrove’s Chase Johnson joining the fray as Ensign backpedaled behind Johnson and Henry. Another yellow flag brought the field back together and Golobic stayed loyal to the bottom line and momentarily, Johnson took the point away from Golobic with Ensign and Henry waging war for the third spot. Golobic would pass Johnson when Johnson lost the front end on a Petaluma turn 4 rut, and hit all the right spots until a late race caution brought the field back together. Upon the restart, Golobic would prove best this night, winning over Chase Johnson and Ensign, with Henry and a hard charging Tim Kaeding fifth.
The support group Santa Rosa Auto Body 600s showed up with a 15 car field.
Heat races were won by Nick Robfogel and Justin Adiego. The field went green for the 20 lap feature and it was Auburn’s Cody Gray who established superiority early and led the field over 15 of the 20 lap main event before a yellow flag would slow the race. When the race went back to green, second place Nick Robfogel slid under Gray for the lead and set up a five lap flurry for the win. Robfogel never wavered in front while Gray tried to get by over the last five laps, with Robfogel proving best over Gray, third place Kyle Grissom, fourth place Justin Adiego, and fifth place Carrol Mendenhall.
Racing resumes next weekend with the PitStopUSA Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Wingless Sprints, and the Lumberjacks Restaurant Super Stocks and the Jake’s Performance Hobbies Mini Stocks.
See you there!
