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Placerville Speedway closes out the season with the fourth annual Tilford Tribute this Saturday September 30
-- Placerville, CA – September 26, 2017…After starting way back in March the 2017 season at the Placerville Speedway will officially come to a close this Saturday night with the running of the fourth annual Tilford Tribute race.
The event honors the late Donnie Tilford, one the most beloved stock car drivers in the history of Placerville Speedway. Tilford in his final years mentored, sponsored and wrenched for various drivers well past his retirement from driving in 1991. A former Placerville Super Stock champion, Tilford succumbed to heart complications, and passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 58 on March 18, 2014.
The Ltd. Late Models will be racing for extra money this Saturday the night with the feature awarding $1000-to-win, $750 for second and $500 for third. The Pure Stocks will be vying for $600-to-win the feature, $400 for second and $250 for third. Both will utilize a qualifying format with a Trophy Dash during the night and the A-main be a guaranteed $100-to-start.
“This weekend’s event will be a perfect way to honor one of Placerville Speedway’s greatest legends, Donnie Tilford,” said track promoter Scott Russell. “We look forward to finishing off the 2017 season on Saturday by showcasing our Ltd. Late Model and Pure Stock divisions, along with Sport Mods and Mini Trucks. We hope everyone can make it out one last time for what should be great night of racing.”
Live Oak’s Matt Michelli captured the Ltd. Late Model track championship and will be the driver to beat come Saturday night. Michelli claimed nine victories during the Red Hawk Casino weekly season and will look to make it even 10 for the year at the quarter-mile. Mike Lightfoot, Tyler Lightfoot, Ray Trimble and Eddie Gardner rounded out the top-five in the final standings for 2017. Trimble captured a pair of wins during the point season, including the final on September 16.
This year’s Pure Stock track title was scooped up by Jason Palmer, who will look to cap the season in grand fashion at the Tilford Tribute. Palmer earned four wins to his credit this year, which was tied with Orville Owens, who also had a breakout campaign. Nick Baldwin, the 2016 track champion, scored a pair of triumphs this season and ended up second in points. Scott Grunert, Rick Grunert and Chris Van Roekel completed the top-five in the championship standings.
Also in action for the only time this season will be Sport Mods, along with the Mini Truck division, which caps its inaugural season of competition. Ted Ahart has led the way this year with three victories, while Derek Boarman has claimed two.
Adult tickets this Saturday will cost $15, while seniors 62 plus and juniors 12-15 will be $13, children 6-11 are $6, five and under are free! The pit gate will open at 2pm, with the front grandstand gate opening at 3pm. A happy hour will be offered from 4pm-6pm in the grandstands featuring discounted Coors Light and Coors Original at the beer stand.
Drivers meeting will be held at 4:30pm, with cars on track for wheel packing at 5pm, ADCO Driveline and Custom Exhaust qualifying scheduled to begin around 5:30pm and heat races expected to fire-off around 6:30pm.
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
Since opening in 1965 the Placerville Speedway has been a favorite among fans throughout Northern California. Well known for its steep banks, distinctive red clay, loyal fan base and extremely close action, the track is located just 40-minutes up the hill from the capital city of Sacramento.
Join over 9500 followers of Placerville Speedway on Facebook, where you can keep abreast of updates for the 2017 season. You can also find Placerville Speedway on Twitter by following us https://twitter.com/pvillespeedway - In addition, Placerville Speedway is also on Instagram. Please follow us @PvilleSpeedway.
The Placerville Speedway 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 2018 sponsorship opportunities at the office.
Photos courtesy Chris Cleveland