-Getting back in his Tanner Carrick Racing No. 83T machine over the weekend in Chico, CA and Placerville, CA, Tanner Carrick would record a 10th place finish during Silver Dollar Speedway’s weekly season opener.
“I’d say it was a pretty decent weekend for us being back at home and back in the 360ci Sprint Car,” Tanner Carrick said. “Friday was going really well until we had a right front go down, and Saturday we just got buried in time trials and had to try and play catch up.”
Checking in at Silver Dollar Speedway Friday evening, Carrick timed the CVC/Cemex/Interstate Oil backed No. 83T machine in eighth quickest in qualifying time trials.
Lining up in the second row of his heat race, the Lincoln, CA driver would record a second place finish and punch his ticket directly into the 25-lap feature event.
Taking the green flag from the 10th starting position, Carrick would get hung up when cars bottlenecked off of turn two and he would slip back to the 12th position. Back up to speed, the 2017 USAC National Midget Series Rookie of the Year would make up for lost time as he worked back into the ninth position on the fourth lap.
Lap five would see Carrick come up slow with a flat right front tire, and it would force him to give up his Top-10 position and go the work area. Restarting from the 18th starting position, Carrick would continue to charge as he jumped up into 15th before taking over 13th on the 11th lap.
Moving into 11th one lap later, Carrick would work his way back into the Top-10 on the 15th circuit as he took over 10th in the running order. Continuing to run hard, Carrick would work his way up as high as the eighth spot with tow laps to go in the race, but amidst traffic would take the checkered flag with a 10th place finish.
Saturday night saw Carrick and the TCR team make their way to Placerville Speedway for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour’s opening event of the season.
Timing in eighth fastest in his time trial group, Carrick would jump into sixth as he chased after Gio Scelzi for the fifth and final lock in position to the ‘A’. Unable to get the position, Carrick’s sixth place finish placed him in the second row of the 15-lap ‘B’ Main event.
Needing to stay inside the Top-Four to advance to the ‘A’, Carrick would feel pressure for fourth all race long as he battled with Justyn Cox, Justin Sanders, and Dustin Golobic.
Late in the race, Justyn Cox would get around him and it would knock Carrick out of a transfer position as a fifth place finish in the semi ended his night.
“It was tough to dig out of a hole on Saturday, but Clark really gave me a strong car,” Carrick said. “Good to get back in the sprint car and have some fun close to home.”
Tanner Carrick would like to thank CVC, Cemex, Interstate Oil, Conti, Harris and Sloan, Emerald, Timberworks Construction, Arai, and Spike Chassis for their support.