PLACERVILLE, CA (6-8-12) - Since the start of the season there has been much anticipation and hype surrounding the placement of the well decorated veteran Stephen Allard in the seat of the Kami Arnold and Scott Russell owned #14r sprint car at Placerville Speedway. For the first time in years, Russell stepped out of the cockpit to place a hired gun behind the wheel in Allard and local fans have been waiting to witness the results. Saturday night their anticipation reached its peak when Allard dethroned defending track champion Andy Forsberg from his recent win streak at Placerville.

Now a resident of Cameron Park, Allard is the first local winner of the 2012 season at Placerville Speedway. Saturday's victory was the third win as car owners for Arnold and Russell. From the way it appears the chemistry of this local team has united well and this recent victory surely will not be the last.

"I just have to thank everyone involved with this team, Scott and Kami and this entire crew and all the sponsors they have behind them," said Allard, who then took a moment to reflect on the loss of colleague, David Tarter, who was tragically killed in Chico just one night earlier. "I have to take this time to ask everyone to keep the Tarter family in your thoughts and prayers. I lost a very friend last night and we're thinking about him here tonight. He's really going to be missed."

As he spoke in victory lane, the grandstands remained full at Placerville Speedway as the fans stayed long after the checkered flag to cheer their newest local hero following his first win with the team. Not only was it a win, the task came with the added thrills of holding off the hard charging Forsberg to the finish line in the 25-lap feature event that had spectators screaming on their feet in to the final laps of what is being deemed as the most exciting race of the year of the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.

After qualifying fourth, Allard started Saturday's 25-lap Hoosier Racing Tires feature event in the fifth position. With the waving of the green flag, pole sitter Billy

Butler of Sacramento led the field to the starting line until Mason Moore of Princeton charged up from the fourth place starting position to take the lead. As he has done all year, Allard was hard on the gas and moving up quickly and pulled behind Moore into second place with just three laps complete as a red flag delayed the race for roll over victim Dennis Harvey of Orangevale.

When green flag racing resumed, Moore was well aware of who was pursuing him as Allard was seeking his prey, darting both high and low in an effort to find a faster line that that of Moore or to outwit the leader with a surprising pass. The study didn't take long for Allard as he went to the high side of track and overtook Moore for the lead he would never relinquish.

Although he made it look easy from afar, Saturday's win was far from a cakewalk for Allard. On the 11th lap, Forsberg had worked his way up from the sixth position and through lapped traffic to close in on the leader. With 15 laps down a caution flag tightened the field and it was then that Placerville's fans got to witness one of the most electrifying 10 laps all season.

While Forsberg gave it everything he had to overtake Allard, he didn't have enough to match the former Silver Dollar Speedway Champion. At the line Allard picked up the win followed by Forsberg, Moore, Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove was third over Placerville's Jimmy Trulli, all of which were well in the mix heading to the finish line Saturday night.

In the Pure Stock division, Orangevale's Matt Tilford continued his domination trophy toting at the track where his entire family is rich in victories and championships. This year, it is Matt Tilford's turn to chase the championship title much like his brothers, uncles and forefathers did. Saturday night, he won his seventh straight feature event, proving he is pretty serious about family traditions.

"Seven in a row….yes," screamed Tilford from victory lane. "I have to thank everyone who works hard on this car each week and my whole family. It seems like these wins are getting harder and harder each week. Getting around Dominic Stone tonight wasn't easy, he's been really fast all year long and he's not the only one. We did it, seven in a row. It's hard to believe."

Tilford started fifth in Saturday's race and used patience to work his way to the front. When one is the point leader and undefeated winner they must be cautious working their way to the front as everyone is gunning to be the hero to dethrone them. It took Tilford 16-laps to get to the front of the field. Once he passed Stone for the lead, he distanced himself from the group to safely claim his 7th straight win. Stone finished in second followed by Scott Grunert of Woodland, Chris Curtiss of Placerville and Rick Grunert of Woodland.

In the Limited Late Model Division, Matt Micheli of Live Oak drove to his fourth win of the season. The division point leader started on the outside of the front row and overtook pole sitter Tom Tilford of Citrus Heights for the lead after the green flag.

Once in front, Micheli was chased around the quarter-mile by Marysville's Charlie Marrs, aboard a Micheli Motorsports car. Marrs made several peeks beneath Micheli at the lead but each time, Micheli shut the door on his attempts. At the finish line of the 15-lap race Micheli picked up the win followed by Marrs, Tilford, Jay Norton of Cameron Park and Matt Davis of Auburn.

The Midget Lites of the Bay Cities Racing Association joined Placerville's regulars on Saturday night. In this division, Scott Kinney of Citrus Heights dominated the 20-lap race from start to finish.

Driving the local Red Hawk Casino #9 Midget Lite owned by Tony Fonseca, Kinney charged from the fifth position into the lead on the opening lap of Saturday's feature event and assumed a lead he would never relinquish. At the finish line Kinney was followed by Craig Dillard, Dakota Albright, Craig Holsted and Cory Green.

"I have to thank Tony and everyone for giving me the opportunity to drive this car this year," said Kinney. "I'm having a lot of fun back behind the wheel without the stress of funding the car myself and the combination is really working great. This is a great car and great team."

Placerville Speedway will not host auto racing this next weekend to make room for the El Dorado County Fair. The Red Hawk Casino-Hoosier Racing Tires-Coors Light Championship series will return to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds on Saturday, June 23. For complete information on that event visit www.placervillespeedway.com. For information on fair activities visit www.eldoradocountyfair.org.