By: Chris Santos
10/3/22…Chico California: Friday night Rickey Sanders and his team would take the family car up to Silver Dollar Speedway to run the 2022 fall nationals. A strong field of 67 Winged 360 sprint cars would pack the Silver Dollar Speedway pit area for night one of a very good weekend of racing.
Rickey would roll off for qualifying in the final of four big groups. Rolling out that late in qualifying Rickey was able to lay down a very good lap that would put him fifth quick out of the 16 winged 360 sprint cars that were in his group.
That would put him in the fifth starting position on the inside of row three in heat race number four. He would just need to stay inside of the top 5 to make the Friday night feature event. Rickey would do just that as he was able to barely hang on and grab the fifth and final transfer position.
He would roll off from the 18th starting position, looking to have a solid feature. Early on Rickey would roll right around where he started the feature. However, he would end up spinning in 3 & 4 and bringing out the first yellow. Rickey would continue on and would start to battle up towards the top 15. He would end up bringing out another yellow and have too much damage to continue.
Saturday night Rickey and his team would once again return to Silver Dollar Speedway for Night 2 of the 2022 Fall Nationals. Another very strong field of 67 winged 360 sprint cars would pack the Silver Dollar Speedway pit area for the final night of the Fall Nationals.
Rickey would get his Saturday started with qualifying where he would be in the third of four groups. he would end up going out and would go 6th quick out of the 16 Winged 360 sprint cars that were in group number three.
In the heat race, Rickey would start on the outside of row number four in the eighth position. Starting eighth Rickey showed some good speed in this heat race as he quickly got to sixth. Unfortunately, he would just run out of time as he would end up finishing in the sixth position and going to the B-main.
He would start on the inside of row two in the third position in a very tough B-main. Early on he would have the final transfer spot before falling backwards and losing the position. when the checkered flag would fall he would finish seventh and that would end his Fall Nationals.
It was a solid weekend for Rickey as that was the first time he brought the family car to Chico. He would make the feature on Friday and just narrowly miss out on a transfer spot on Saturday ending his first Fall Nationals.
Rickey would like to thank his sponsors; Andy’s Construction, North County Plastering, Fk rod ends, Winning attitude, Sandblast service, and XXX race Co.