After raining out a couple weeks ago, the rescheduled Tribute to Al Hinds is set to open the Thompson’s Winged 360 Sprint Car season with a $2,500-to-win feature this Saturday at Placerville Speedway.
Fellow divisions ready to tackle the quarter mile at the event include the Mountain Democrat Ltd. Late Models, Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks and the visiting Nor-Cal Dwarf Car Association.
The Tribute to Al Hinds began in 2004 following the passing of early track promoter and mentor, Al Hinds, a longtime Placerville resident and true race fan that touched the lives of many.
Hinds was the second promoter of Placerville Speedway. He took operation of the track with business partner Richard Hirst from its founder, Bruno Romani, in 1968, three years after it first opened when the facility was built around an existing community football field.
The operator of a local machine shop by trade, Hinds loved the community where he lived. In his final years of life, he enjoyed sitting with some of his best friends every night in the grandstands at Placerville Speedway and loved watching young talent make a name for themselves in the sport.
Former track announcer and publicist Bill Sullivan said of Hinds,
“From the day he set foot on the red clay at Placerville Speedway to the very last race he attended, Al Hinds continued to display his true love for auto racing and the community. Even in his final years he continued to help young drivers, entertain fans and most importantly he spent a great deal of time talking to and mentoring those that helped in speedway operations. When Hinds spoke, anyone who cared remotely about the future of the sport would sit down and listen.”
The inaugural Tribute to Al Hinds was captured by Roger Crockett, while last season saw Andy Forsberg claim his third triumph in the event. It was a special night for the nine-time Placerville Speedway titlist, as it marked his milestone 200th career victory.
Dan Brown Jr. opened the Mountain Democrat Ltd. Late Model season in victorious fashion last Saturday, while Nick Baldwin captured the win with the Red Hawk Casino Pure Stocks.
Tickets and Details:
Grandstand seating is general admission this Saturday April 27th, except for the reserved seats marked for season ticket holders. Adult tickets cost $18, while seniors 62+, military and juniors 12-17 will be $16. Kids 6-11 cost $8 and those five and under are free.
Purchase tickets online at https://www.eventsprout.com/event/psr-042724 or at the gate on race day. Pit passes can be purchased at the pit gate or via the Pit Pay App 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 4:45pm 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. Fans can purchase through a cost savings 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
The quarter-mile clay oval is operated by Russell Motorsports Incorporated, which can be reached at the track business office at 530-344-7592. Contact Kami Arnold or Scott Russell directly for sponsorship opportunities at the office.
Join over 19,000 followers of Placerville Speedway on Facebook, where you can keep abreast of updates for the 2024 season. You can also find Placerville Speedway on X/Twitter by following us https://twitter.com/pvillespeedway - In addition, Placerville Speedway is also on Instagram. Please follow us @PvilleSpeedway.
Upcoming events at Placerville Speedway:
Saturday April 27: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars | 21st Tribute to Al Hinds
Saturday May 4: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints, BCRA Lightning Sprints and Mini Trucks | First Responders Night
Saturday May 11: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks | Mother’s Day Madness
Story by Gary Thomas. Images courtesy of Tim Holland
