.png){kind=logo}
Placerville, CA – After being off for the annual El Dorado County Fair last weekend the Placerville Speedway returns to action this Saturday June 23 with a four-division program during Red Hawk Casino championship point race number nine.
The Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Mini Trucks are set to attack the red clay and open a big stretch of racing at the quarter-mile. Following this weekend, the Placerville Speedway will then gear up for the much-anticipated Sprint Car Challenge Tour and King of the West-NARC “Salute to the Fans” on June 30, followed by the annual “Freedom Fireworks” event on Independence Day.
This Saturday’s show will also double as the third annual Bryan Carnett Clash. Carnett was a true fan of the stock car divisions at Placerville Speedway while racing, owning and sponsoring both Pure Stocks and Limited Late Models throughout the decade that he spent at the track.
“Placerville Speedway has always been our home track and I am thrilled that Scott Russell was willing to host the Bryan Carnett Memorial race for the third straight year," said Forryst Carnett, racecar driver and son of the late Bryan Carnett. "I am hoping we can build upon the success of the last two years and have another exciting night of racing, which is the best way to remember the competitive spirit of my dad. I am very grateful to Placerville Speedway, all of our friends at the track, and my family who all worked to make this night a reality."
Defending Ltd. Late Model champion Matt Michelli captured his second victory of the season last time out and brings the point lead into Saturday’s Carnett Clash. Former Placerville Speedway titlist Eddie Gardner sits in second, just 10-points out of the lead, while Jay Norton, Tyler Lightfoot and Kiely Ricardo rank third through fifth. Ray Trimble had a solid runner up finish during the last event and sits sixth in points, with Dennis Ahart, Chris Annas, Matt Davis and Mike Lightfoot rounding out the top-10. This weekend marks the fifth point race for the Ltd. Late Models.
The Pure Stocks continue to see a torrid battle atop the standings heading into their seventh point race of the season. Scott Grunert goes into Saturday holding a slim one-point advantage over Jason Palmer. Grunert has used extreme consistency to gain the advantage, while Palmer has been the dominant force, winning five of the six races contested. Orville Owens, Nick Baldwin and Kevin Jinkerson complete the top-five. Rounding out the top-10 are Lonnie Lennard, Chris Van Roekel, Rick Grunert, Tommy Sturgon and Mike Stoeckle.
Placerville’s own Jimmy Trulli continues to lead the Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Car standings. So far this season there have been four different winners in the four point races that have been held for the sprinters. Auburn’s Andy Forsberg won last time out and sits just seven-points behind Trulli for the top-spot. Hollister’s Tony Gualda and previous winners Justyn Cox and Steven Tiner round out the top-five. Gualda has been oh-so-close to a victory this season and will hope to check it off the list on Saturday.
Shane Hopkins, Jodie Robinson, Mike Benson, CJ Humphreys and Mike Cook complete the top-10. This Saturday’s outing is the final Winged 360 tune-up prior to next week’s Sprint Car Challenge Tour appearance.
Adult tickets this Saturday will cost $15, while seniors 62 plus, military and juniors 12-17 will be $13, children 6-11 are $6, five and under are free! Tickets can also be purchased online by clicking https://www.universe.com/events/2018-placerville-speedway-championship-points-race-9-the-carnett-clash-tickets-placerville-N6CVHD
The pit gate will open at 2pm on Saturday, 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 around5:30pm 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
The Placerville Speedway would like to thank all of its partners for their support this season including Red Hawk Casino, Hoosier Racing Tires, Coors Light, Thompson’s Auto Group, Absolute Auto Glass, ADCO Driveline and Custom Exhaust, Bear Republic Brewing, Beef’N’Brew, Capital Ace Hardware, Carol Russell Bookkeeping Service, Chris Kenner Racing Specialties/ Security Race Products, Campora Propane, Davies Family Inn, High Sierra Industries, Poor Reds BBQ, Les Schwab Tires, the Paint Spot, Riebies Auto Parts, Shadow Ridge Ranch, The Critter Getter, Mountain Democrat, Union Mortgage and Windfall Media.
The Placerville Speedway is operated by Russell Motorsports Incorporated, which can be reached at the track business office by calling 530-344-7592. Contact Kami Arnold or Scott Russell directly for 2018 sponsorship opportunities at the office.
Join over 10,000 followers of Placerville Speedway on Facebook, where you can keep abreast of updates for the 2018 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. Upcoming events at Placerville Speedway: Saturday June 23: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks | The Carnett Clash Saturday June 30: King of the West-NARC Fujitsu 410 Sprint Car Series and Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards | Salute to the Fans Wednesday July 4: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks | Freedom Fireworks
Photos courtesy of Jason Tucker and Chris Cleveland