Red Hawk Casino Championship Point Season Opens Saturday at Placerville Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA – April 4, 2017…The Red Hawk Casino Championship Point Season kicks into gear this Saturday April 8 with an action-packed five division show on tap at the Placerville Speedway.
Headlining the night of racing will be the Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars, along with the Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks, BCRA Midget Lites and the brand new Mini Truck class. This Saturday marks the first of 16 Red Hawk Casino Championship events at the quarter-mile clay oval located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.
“We’re definitely excited to open the Red Hawk Casino point season on Saturday at Placerville Speedway,” said second-year promoter Scott Russell. “After learning a lot in our first year as promoters, Kami and I are really looking forward to putting that knowledge to use in 2017. We’ve been in discussions with a lot of teams that plan to run up here this year so we anticipate a solid car count on Saturday. We can’t wait to see all the fans and racers this weekend.”
Princeton’s Mason Moore captured a trio of wins en route to his first career title with the Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars last season. The 26-year-old will look to start off the season on a good note this Saturday aboard the Friends & Family Racing X1 machine. Four-time track champion Greg Decaires ran second in the championship chase last season and looks to get back atop the hill in 2017. The Elk Grove veteran is always one of the drivers to beat at the helm of the Dale Miller Plumbing No. 4sa mount.
Additional drivers looking to start off the season in victory lane will include Watsonville’s Justin Sanders, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox, Placerville’s Jimmy Trulli, Andy Gregg and CJ Humphreys, Shingle Springs’ Justin Johnson, Calistoga’s Mike Benson, Fair Oaks’ Jake Morgan, Sacramento’s DJ Freitas, Sutter’s Tyler Seavey, Oakdale’s Shawn Conde and many more.
Last year’s Ltd. Late Model title was brought home by Eddie Gardner over Mike and Tyler Lightfoot, Ryan Peter and Ray Trimble. The Pure Stock championship went to Nick Baldwin by a narrow margin over Dan Jinkerson. At season’s end Baldwin earned the gold by just four-points. Scott Grunert, Travis Emery and Orville Owens rounded out the top-five in the standings. The Ltd. Late Models and Pure Stocks are a great compliment to the Winged Sprints during the Red Hawk Casino Championship Season.
The BCRA Midget Lites will be a common site at the Placerville Speedway and always provide exciting competition. The midget lites are scheduled to be on hand eight times this season. The introduction of Mini Trucks also provides an economic class to get involved in dirt track racing. The Mini Trucks will be in action at seven races this season.
Special events that dot the schedule this year include Big Trophy Night on May 20, Thompson’s Auto Group Fan Appreciation Day on June 10, the annual 4th of July Freedom Fireworks spectacular on Tuesday July 4, Mountain Democrat Kids Bike Night on July 8, the 14th annual Tribute to Al Hinds on August 5, the 12th annual $5,000-to-win Mark Forni Classic on August 19 and the season-ending Tilford Tribute on September 30.
After being plagued by Mother Nature this past season the Nor-Cal Posse Shootout returns with an added twist, as it morphs into a three-night show. The much anticipated weekend begins on Thursday September 21 with injected Wingless 360 Sprint Cars and the C&H Veteran Ent. presents Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour taking to the track. Following that the Winged 360 Sprint Cars will take center stage alongside the BCRA Midget Lites on Friday & Saturday September 22 & 23.
The brand new Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards will be in action at the Placerville Speedway on a pair of occasions this season, with those dates being Saturday April 15 and a special Friday show on August 25. The King of the West- NARC 410 Sprint Car Series will also be on hand for one night of high-speed action during a special Mother’s Day weekend event on Saturday May 13.
Adult tickets this Saturday for the Red Hawk Casino Championship opener will cost $15, while seniors 62 plus and juniors 12-15 will be $13, children 6-11 are $6 and those under 6 will be 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, qualifying scheduled to begin around 5:30pm and heat races expected to fire-off at 6pm.
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 nearly 8200 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 2017 sponsorship opportunities at the office.
Upcoming events at Placerville Speedway:
Saturday April 8: Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars | Ltd. Late Models | Pure Stocks | Mini Trucks | BCRA Midget Lites
Saturday April 15: Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Abreu Vineyards | C&H Veteran Ent. presents the Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour | Vintage Hard Tops
Saturday April 22: Thompson’s Auto Group Winged 360 Sprint Cars | Ltd. Late Models | Pure Stocks | BCRA Midget Lites
