PLACERVILLE, CA (9-5-09) - For the past two seasons, Rohnert Park's Camron Mendes has made the long haul to Placerville Speedway to develop his open wheel racing career among some of the regions' top competitors. Saturday night, Mendes illustrated his has been taking notes all this time as he scored his first feature win of the year in the final Red Hawk Casino Championship race of the season.

For Mendes the win came just in time as the season was wrapping up, he avoided the long wait over winter to begin a new quest for that elusive first feature victory. For the 18 year-old former outlaw kart racer, Saturday's event started off in winning fashion with a victory in his heat race.

"We made a tiny mistake in qualifying which set us back to 7th," said Mendes, emotional in victory while track champions were celebrating all around him for their accolades. "But we ended up with a good starting position for the feature event and the car was perfect. I don't really know what to say right now I just have to thank everyone that works so hard to help me with this, my family, my crew and my sponsors. This is just awesome tonight."

Mendes started on the pole of Saturday's feature event and took the lead over second place starter Kenny Allen of Chico at the waving of the green flag. In the early laps of the race, Allen stayed within striking distance of Mendes until former two time track champion Mike Henry of Sacramento moved in to challenge for the lead along with fourth time Civil War Series Champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn.

For the first 22 laps of the race, Henry sliced and diced his way to the high and low sides of the track in an effort to gain a faster line than Mendes to no avail. On a final restart with three laps to go, Mendes pulled further ahead then he had all night to seal his first feature win of the season. Following his first congratulatory hand shake from director of competition Mike Andreeta, Mendes was greeted by a cheering crowd that is always supportive of a drivers' very first career win. He was trailed across the line by Henry, Forsberg, Allen and Mason Moore of Princeton.

Colby Wiesz of Colfax claimed the 2009 track championship in the sprint division. Wiesz finished 16th overall to finish the year with a 16-point lead over Placerville's CJ Humphreys and Scott Russell. (see related story)

In the Limited Late Model Pro Stock division, Dan Brown Jr. of Nevada City posted his third victory of the season. Brown started on the outside of the front row of the feature event and worked his way around heat race winner Forryst Carnett of Placerville in the early laps to take the lead.

Once in front, Brown was challenged in the later laps by season long rival Jerry Bartlett of Yuba City. Bartlett claimed the 2009 season title when the green flag waved in Saturday's race. At the checkered flag it was Brown with the win, Bartlett finished in second over Tom Arbogast of Auburn and sprint car driver Andy Forsberg of Auburn who drove Arbogast's second car to make his stock car racing debut with a top five finish. Jay Norton of Shingle Springs finished in fifth.

"It feels good to get another win here at the end of the year," said Brown, who has battled with Bartlett all season long and closed to within 9-points of the lead on this final night. "It was a tough year for us out here and hopefully we'll be back next year and give it another try."

In the Pure Stock division, Jason Englund of Citrus Heights took the lead at the start of the feature event. Englund broke away from the field while champion to be Tom Tilford of Citrus Heights drove from his third place starting position into second place where he battled with Rick Grunert and Heather Bartlett in the early laps. Tilford and Bartlett broke away from Grunert but were unable to close in on Englund who drove his way to his second win of the season followed by Tilford who claimed the track championship by 10-points over Bartlett.

"It was nice coming up here tonight and getting another with," said Englund. "Tom and I are good friends and I wasn't going to miss seeing him with the championship. I'd like to thank everyone that helps me and congratulate him and his family on the title. It takes a lot to win one of these deals and he earned it."

In the Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars, Patrick Weger of Grass Valley drove to the victory. Weger held off a last lap challenge by Mike Grenert in the final turn of the race but held on for the win. Grenert finished second followed by Austin Quilty, Sean Salisbury and Brett Barstow.

"I nearly lost this one in the last turn," said Weger. "We love racing here and it's been a fun year for us. We can't wait to come back next year for more."

Now that the championship season has concluded, Placerville Speedway will go dark until September 19 with Gene Romero's Flat Track Motorcycle Series returns followed by the Civil War Sprint Car Series on September 26. For further information visit www.placervillespeedway.com.