|
Photo's by http://www.johnsracingphotos.com
Andy Gregg tallies runner-up at second Placerville Speedway point race
By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA – April 20, 2009…Keeping up his strong start to the season 29 year-old sprint car racer Andy Gregg put together another solid night of competition this past Saturday and scored a runner-up finish in the main event during the second Red Hawk Casino point race of the year at Placerville Speedway.
Prior to this past weekend Gregg had scored a pair of top five finishes with the Golden State Challenge 410 Series and hoped to parlay the momentum as he headed back to his home track with the 360 power-plant under the hood of the Guts Racing, Dale Miller Plumbing, Myers & Sons Drywall No. 16x.
The event on Saturday in Placerville marked the second Red Hawk Casino point race of the weekly season and Gregg kicked it off by timing-in sixth fastest in the 27 car field. He then started from the fifth spot in the final heat and ran a solid race getting up to fourth to transfer into the main event.
When fast qualifier Mason Moore pulled the number eight pill for the inversion it put the RPS Performance, BR Motorsports, JLR Drafting sprinter on the inside of the second row for the feature. A very racy track surface was put together and a long green flag run was seen during the main event, which created some great racing on the high-banked bullring.
The only problem for most competitors was the fact that the inversion put Auburn's Andy Forsberg on the pole, making it a tough task with one of the all-time best on the red clay sitting on the front row. At the waving of the green flag Gregg quickly moved his way into second and was forced to hold off Cameron Mendes over much of the contest as the duo raced through traffic.
Dicing it up through the lappers for much of the 25 lap event Gregg was able to run smoothly over the later circuits and bring home a second place finish at the checkered flag. "We would have liked to put this car into victory lane, but Forsberg is always tough here and he just did a great job in traffic," said Gregg, who finished third with the Golden State Challenge 410 Series at Placerville on March 28. "The track was really good tonight and that made it a lot of fun."
Tribute to Al Hinds up next-
The Placerville competitor also used the night as a tune-up for the fast approaching Family Chevrolet Tribute to Al Hinds. The sixth annual event at the Placerville Speedway will be on Saturday evening May 2 and Gregg is going to take this weekend off as he makes sure everything is fresh and ready to go for the night. "The Al Hinds has become a big event and we have some confidence going into the night with the way we've been running," Gregg commented.
The California Sprint Car Civil War Series sanctioned event will feature a $1,000 bonus to the winner of the main event courtesy Family Chevrolet and Gregg will certainly like to put the Guts Racing No. 16x on the front stretch at the end of the night. "Bill McLaren and the crew have had this car locked down so I definitely think we have a shot this year," he said. "We got 10th last year at the Al Hinds, but I want to put this race on our resume this season and we're going to give it our all on May 2."
Gregg's career best run at the Tribute to Al Hinds came in 2007 when he charged from 10th to fourth in his heat race and carved his way from 20th to seventh in the main event. A strong field of nearly 50 cars is expected to take to the track on May 2 in what should be an action filled night on the high banks. More info on the event can be found at http://www.placervillespeedway.com
---------------------
Following a second place finish at the Placerville Speedway on Saturday night Team Guts Racing's Andy Gregg will take this weekend off to get ready for the upcoming Tribute to Al Hinds on May 2
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
|
