Abreu wins at Silver Dollar Speedway for 30th career High Limit Racing victory
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 29, 2026
Sanders opens
The 72nd Gold Cup Race of Champions opened at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California, and Justin Sanders claimed the first feature spotlight of the week. Sanders won the 30-lap Padjen Classic after starting third in his No. 2x car. Max Mittry started on the pole and finished second, giving the opening-night race a front-row battle before Sanders took control. The result put Sanders in the first winner’s circle of the event and set the tone for a program built around quick moves at the front. He did the job from a tough starting spot, moved past the pole starter and finished the race without giving the lead back. That mattered because the Padjen Classic served as the opening-night feature and handed the night’s first major result to a driver who had to earn it from behind the front row. Silver Dollar Speedway saw the field sort itself out early, but Sanders made his third-starting position count and turned it into a clean victory. Mittry stayed close enough to keep the race honest, yet Sanders completed the run and put the opening race on his side.
Abreu wins feature
Rico Abreu followed with a 30-lap Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing feature win at the same track. He started ninth and made the winning pass on Lap 28, then held the lead through the finish in a race that changed hands four times. Max Mittry, Bud Kaeding, Shane Golobic and Abreu all led at different points, so the feature stayed unsettled until the closing laps. Abreu’s late move gave him the edge when the race reached its final stretch. The drivers behind him also made the result stand out. Kaleb Montgomery finished second after starting sixth, and James McFadden climbed from 21st to third. That kind of rise from deep in the field gave the feature a strong top three from different parts of the grid. Abreu’s victory was his 30th career High Limit Racing win, and it also marked his fifth win of the season with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing. The night gave him another milestone and another top result for the team. It also showed how quickly a race can change when several drivers get a shot at the front. Abreu did not need the best starting spot to win. He needed the last decisive move, and he made it on Lap 28.
Abreu standings
Abreu entered the preliminary program second in the series standings, 35 points behind Aaron Reutzel, so the win mattered in the bigger picture of the season. The opening night at Silver Dollar Speedway produced two winners and a race card that stayed active from front to back. Sanders converted a third-place starting position into the Padjen Classic win. Abreu worked from ninth to win the High Limit Racing feature. Mittry appeared in both feature results, starting on the pole in the Padjen Classic and spending time among the leaders in the High Limit race before finishing second there. Montgomery and McFadden also turned in useful runs in the main event, with Montgomery advancing from sixth to second and McFadden moving from 21st to third. Those results gave the night a clear shape. The drivers who found position early stayed in the mix. The drivers who found speed late made up ground. Sanders and Abreu left Chico with the wins. Abreu also left with a 30th career series victory and a fifth triumph of the season for Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, a strong line for a night that opened the Gold Cup Race of Champions with two feature races and no shortage of movement at the front.
