Thunder in the Foothills championship season continues at Placerville on Saturday
The Hoosier Tires championship season forges on at Placerville Speedway this Saturday night, as four divisions of fury roar into the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
Continuing its 58th season of competition, Placerville Speedway continues to provide great family entertainment and some of the best racetrack cuisine in California at the Speedway Café.
Prior to the races live music will be performed in the grandstand midway from 4-6pm with the band Mix Up. As always, Coors Light Happy Hour takes place until 6pm, offering discounted Coors Light and Coors Banquet Beer at the Cold Zone.
All four of the traditional points awarding divisions come together at the track on Saturday, including the Thompson’s Winged 360 Sprint Cars, the Anrak Ltd. Late Models, the Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks. It will certainly be an excellent showcase of the grass roots racing that has made Placerville Speedway a favorite among fans in the Golden State.
Last time out with the Thompson’s Family of Dealerships Winged Sprint Cars it was Auburn’s Andy Forsberg who snagged his 200th career victory.
The nine-time track champion finds himself atop the standings heading into this Saturdays show. April 8th winner Tony Gomes of Modesto has shown immense speed thus far and currently sits second in points, followed by Hanford’s Michael Faccinto, Placerville’s Shane Hopkins and Wilton’s Ashlyn Rodriguez.
The Anrak Corporation Ltd. Late Models make their fourth appearance of the season on Saturday. Auburn’s Ray Trimble picked up the big $1,000 victory this past Saturday at the Tilford Tribute. Trimble has also scored a pair of runner up finishes and leads the standings by way of his exceptional consistency. Diamond Springs’ Dan Jinkerson, Matt Davis, Placerville’s Tyler Lightfoot and Live Oak’s Matt Micheli complete the top-five.
Special thanks to former track champ Fred Jenson of Jenson Construction for also offering up a $500 Hard Charger Award last week at the Tilford.
Oakley’s Nick Baldwin has once again started off the Red Hawk Casino Pure Stock campaign in outstanding fashion. Last Saturday the multi-time Placerville Speedway champion raced to the $500 triumph during the Tilford Tribute, his third win of the year already. He leads the standings over Diamond Spring’s Kevin Jinkerson, Camino’s Ken Bernstein, Elk Grove’s Micky D’angelo and Greenwood’s Chris D’angelo.
Former Mini Truck titlist Mike Miller of Rancho Cordova captured the Tilford Tribute last week and brings the point lead into Saturday’s action. Placerville’s Paige Miller, Diamond Springs’ Wyatt Lakin, Placerville’s Paizlee Miller, Pilot Hill’s Luke Costa and other favorites will be on hand for the truckers.
Adult tickets on April 29th cost $18, while seniors 62+, military and juniors 12-17 will be $16. Kids 6-11 cost $7 and those five 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 this Saturday night, 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 April 29: Thompson’s Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Anrak Ltd. Late Models, Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks
Saturday May 6: Thompson’s Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Cars, USAC Western States Midgets, BCRA Wingless Lightning Sprints and Mini Trucks | First Responders Night
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
Story by Gary Thomas. Images courtesy of D&P Photos and Tim Holland Photography
