The El Dorado County Fairgrounds based Placerville Speedway is excited to host one of its more anticipated events of the season, with the annual John Padjen “Kids Bike Night” presented by the Pizza Factory set to occur this Saturday May 20th.
All kids 11 and under receive free admission during John Padjen Kids Bike Night on Saturday. As is tradition, children in attendance are invited to race their bikes on the track following heat race competition. Those competing in the races must wear a helmet. All kids on hand will also have a chance to win a new bike.
If you’re looking for a delicious pre-race meal, make sure to stop by the Pizza Factory of Placerville, Pleasant Valley, Pollock Pines, Cameron Park, Auburn, Colfax, Rocklin or Ione to support this Saturday’s presenting sponsor. Outstanding and piping hot pizza, lasagna, freshly made salads and much more is offered at the Pizza Factory.
“This is always an excellent show for the families to come out and enjoy a night of racing,” commented track Promoter Scott Russell. “Kids Bike Night has been one of the long-standing events here and we’re happy to allow those 11 and under into the races for free on Saturday. When it comes to the future of our sport the younger generation is extremely important, so we hope everyone can bring their kids and maybe even some of their friends this weekend.”
This Saturday is also our way to remember former track Promoter John Padjen, who passed away in December of 2021. It was Padjen’s idea that brought about Kids Bike Night, which continues to be a mainstay at both Placerville Speedway and Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway to this day.
“John always had Kids Bike Night at West Capital Raceway, so he decided to bring that over to Placerville and Chico when he started running both venues,” said past Placerville Speedway Promoter Alan Padjen. “The bike nights have always been a hit with the families. It’s great that Placerville Speedway continues that tradition and it’s a perfect event to remember my dad at.”
In the early 1980’s, John Padjen came aboard Placerville Speedway to help rescue the community icon that was beginning to struggle in the way of management efforts. Already a successful motorsports promoter in Sacramento, Dixon and Chico, Padjen moved in and helped mold the foothill race facility into the successful, competitive track it is today. Padjen established a consistent Saturday night program to improve safety and visibility for both drivers and fans.
Tackling the high banked quarter mile this Saturday will be the Thompson’s Family of Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Cars, the Anrak Corporation Ltd. Late Models, the Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks and Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints. Modesto’s Tony Gomes, Auburn’s Ray Trimble and Oakley’s Nick Baldwin sit atop the Sprint Car, Late Model and Pure Stock standings respectively going into the final point race until June 24th.
Tickets and Details:
Adult tickets on May 20th cost $20, while seniors 62+, military and juniors 12-17 will be $18. Kids 11 and under are free. Purchase tickets online at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/ppr-2023 or at the gate on race day.
Grandstand seating is general admission, except for the reserved seats marked for season ticket holders. Pit passes can be purchased at the pit gate or on Pit Pay to take advantage of the expanded seating area on the hill.
The pit gate will open at noon, with the front gate opening at 3pm. Happy Hour is offered when the gates open until 6pm in the grandstands featuring live music along with discounted Coors Light and Coors Original at the beer booth. The pit meeting will be held at 4:30pm with cars on track at 5:15. Hot laps, ADCO Driveline qualifying and racing will follow.
For those who can’t make it to the track, CaliDirt.TV will provide live flag-to-flag coverage of every Placerville Speedway point race this season. The live streaming service also includes each event with the Sprint Car Challenge Tour in 2023. Fans can purchase through a monthly membership or on a per race basis via https://calidirt.tv/
The Placerville Speedway is located on the beautiful El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. Take Hwy US-50 to Forni Road/Placerville Drive exit. Then go north on Placerville Drive to the Fairgrounds. The physical address is 100 Placerville Dr., Placerville, CA 95667. For more information on the Placerville Speedway log onto http://www.placervillespeedway.com
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Upcoming events at Placerville Speedway:
Saturday May 20: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour | John Padjen Kids Bike Night presented by Pizza Factory
Friday June 2: Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards and Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars | Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial Opening Night
Saturday June 3: NARC 410 Sprint Car Series and Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars | 32nd annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial
Story by Gary Thomas. Images courtesy of Tim Holland