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Tanner Thorson Wins Chico

Silver Dollar Speedway
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Tanner Thorson Gets Second Career Main Event Win at Chico

Chico, CA (May 11, 2018) …. Tanner Thorson, the 2016 USAC National Midget Champion, led the final seven laps to pick up his second career winged sprint car main event at Silver Dollar Speedway Friday night. It was Thorson’s first win in the famed Lamar No. 3c at Chico. Thorson was fantastic when it came to passing cars on the slicked over speedway surface. Andy Forsberg led the 16 laps and was poised to win his fourth main of the year at Chico; however, Thorson had other plans. Forsberg was committed to the bottom of the speedway in turns one and two. Thorson was flying around the top of the track. On lap 17 Thorson officially became the leader by using the cushion in turns one and two. At this point lapped traffic was also making it hard for the leaders to maneuver. Yet, Thorson was like a magician and navigated his way through the slower cars.
Korey Lovell and Lucas Ashe crashed on lap twenty. This set up a five-lap dash to the finish. Forsberg’s night took a turn for the worse when he tried the high line going into turn one. Forsberg hit a hole, drifted off the track and lost 16 positions. Give him credit, he never gave up and raced back to an 11th place finish. Back up front, Thorson pulled away from now second place driver Kalib Henry. Andy Gregg was the B main event winner and did a fantastic job to avoid some wrecks and methodically move his way up to a third-place finish. For the second race in a row Mason Moore finished second. Consistency has always been Moore’s forte. Shawn Conde scored an impressive top five finish tonight. Conde has shown a competitive spirit that might lead to a win this season.
Another solid 30 sprint cars attended point race six sponsored by Shelby’s Pest Control. Forsberg was the only driver in the eleven second bracket during qualifying. His fast lap was 11.950.
Jeremy Langenderfer won his second main event of the season during the Earl’s Plumbing Hobby Stock series. Langenderfer had a spirited battle with Nick Vidovich for the first 12 laps. These two drivers ran side by side for most of the race. Then on lap 12, Vidovich hit the front straight wall and rode up on the top of it with the right side of his car. While it was spectacular it ruined Vidovich’s night and he didn’t finish. Chris McGinnis made a rare Chico start and finished second. McGinnis started third, fell back to seventh and then worked his way back to second. Mel Byers moved up to secure a third-place finish.
There is a new force in IMCA Sport Mods. His name is Andrew Peckham. In five starts this season, Peckham now has two wins and four top five finishes. Tonight’s win was particularly impressive. He started seventh and knew he had to go where the other cars couldn’t. Most drivers were locked down on the bottom of the speedway. Peckham went old school and found some moisture and traction running the top. As he picked off drivers one by one and still couldn’t get by race leader Matt Micheli. The two-time modified champion, Micheli is as good as it gets. Yet, Peckham continued to pound the top and on lap 15 made his move to take the lead. He led the final four laps with ease. In fact, he nearly held a two-second lead at the lap 20 checkered. Micheli came home second. Eighth place starting Brian Cooper had a great run. He moved up to a third-place finish. Tyler Rodgers finished fourth and Damian Merritt came home fifth.
Three-time track champion Phil Marino led the Street Stock field to the green flag. Marino would go on to lead the first 10 laps but unable to hold off Corey Hall. When it comes to Street Stocks, Hall is as good as anyone. Hall passed Marino and easily led the final nine laps to secure his second win of the season. Brent Lawrence is always consistent and finished second. Marino drifted back to third. Clinton Earl ran in the top five all night and finished fourth. Veteran Gary Newman rounded out the top five.
Tony Richards passed Ron LaPlant on lap seven to win the 15-lap wingless sprint main event. Brett Youngman beat Troy DeGaton in a photo finish for third. Richards now has won two of the three starts this season at Chico.
Full results of point race No. 6 can be found here speedhive.mylaps.com/Events/1523701
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