Media Release from Handy Racing Promotions
PLACERVILLE, CA – It’s undoubtedly one of the most thrilling racing campaigns in the region and it is finally set to put the fans on the edge of their seats at Northern California’s most exciting dirt track. War has been declared in El Dorado County and the battle field is the quarter-mile bullring known as Placerville Speedway this Saturday, April 30th. The 2011 Red Hawk Casino-Hoosier Racing Tires Fast and Furious Dirt Track Racing season resumes with a long awaited visit by the Hoosier Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series.
When it comes to speed thrills in the sport of sprint car racing locally, the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Series will never let an open wheel race fan down and is sure to bring new fans back to the track once they witness the spectacle. The latest version of California’s premier series for 360 cubic inch powered winged sprint cars has just recently begun and is already looking as if it will become another stellar chase for the coveted statewide championship title.
Saturday’s event is the second of 14 events at six of California’s best known race tracks that will experience the thrill of Civil War Sprint Car Racing. The hosts of this tour span Northern California from the Sierra Foothills to the Wine Country and the Coastal Region. Saturday’s event and every regular Civil War Series event will pay $2000 to the winner and $300 to start the 22 car A-feature.
Overall, this series will compete for more than $250,000 over the year and an outstanding championship fund of $40,000 in championship funds is in place with $10,000 of that amount going to the 2011 Civil War Series Champion alone. Additional contingency awards throughout the year are expected to reach the $30,000 mark in various products as well.
With one event in the history book, the driver that is currently closest than any other to that eventual $10,000 championship payday is no stranger to the title podium in the Civil War Series as well as weekly competition at Placerville Speedway. Auburn’s Andy Forsberg leads the early season standings as he returns to the track he calls home Saturday night.
A driver that has earned the nickname of “Mr. Excitement” for his win it or wear it fearless, yet competitive driving style, Forsberg is the current king of the Civil War Series. He has four series titles to his name and is also a two time Placerville Speedway track champion. In the season opener just three weeks ago in Petaluma, Forsberg and his Friends and Family race team made it clear that he means business when it comes down to this year’s championship, the richest one yet since he began his racing career.
After his opening victory, Forsberg rolls into Saturday night’s event with a two point margin over Sebastopol’s Geoff Ensign. A driver that is often called “The Human Highlight Reel,” Ensign has illustrated he will be a force to contend with in the series to come after chasing Forsberg to the finish in the series opener while making his debut with the long successful Vertullo Race Team based in Elk Grove.
Lurking back in the third position in the standings is another driver that is no bottom feeder when it comes to success in the Civil War Series as well as the Placerville clay. Sean “The Shark” Becker has already begun to stalk his prey towards his third Civil War championship title. For Becker, the 2011 campaign is certainly one of redemption and everyone is well aware that a shark will always ready to hunt.
Last year the Antelope resident led the point standings for much of the year in this campaign and watched a history making third consecutive title vanish in the last race of the year when his Scott Miller owned #2 car failed to fire off for the main event. It was one of the most gut wrenching finishes to a local title in decades and this year they are back strong to chase give the dominate Forsberg a run not only in the Civil War series but in the weekly Placerville Speedway championship campaign as well.
Tied for third with Becker entering Saturday’s much anticipated event at Placerville is Penngrove’s Alissa Geving. After earning the Rookie of the Year title in the Civil War Series back in 2008, the competitive lady racer known to her counterparts and fans as “Chicko,” took a part time approach to the series last year to follow other opportunities. The third generation driver that still holds the record as the youngest female sprint car champion in the world with two Petaluma Speedway championships is back for a full time run at the Civil War title along with her family owned Chicko Motorports team.
Rounding out the top five in the current Civil War point standings is another driver that has had a great deal of success at both Placerville and within the Civil War Sprint Car Series, Princeton’s “Primetime” Mason Moore. A former Rookie of the Year in the Civil War Series, Moore is one the few elite drivers that has claimed the highly competitive “Mark Forni Classic” at Placerville Speedway. Now driving for Harley Van Dyke’s #5h team, Moore is sitting in fifth in the standings where he is tied with Visalia’s Steven Tiner. Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley is next in the current standings with former series champion Mike Henry of Citrus Heights close behind followed by Rio Linda’s Cody Lamar. Chase Johnson and Mike Benson round out the top ten after one event complete in the Civil War Series.
Over 30 of California’s top 360 sprint car teams are expected to converge at Placerville Speedway Saturday night, but wait that’s not all that eager Placerville fans will get on this evening. Add in the thrill of wingless sprint car racing with the Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprint Car Series as it makes its second appearance of the year at Placerville Speedway.
This exciting tri track series features the best of the west in wingless sprint car competition as they compete at three different tracks throughout the year for their own regional championship. This series competes at Placerville, Marysville Raceway Park and Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico throughout the year. I their last appearance here, veteran driver and racing instructor Jimmy Sills of Elverta educated the competition as he drove to victory at the track he once called home before making auto racing his lifelong profession in a variety of racing divisions include winged sprint cars locally all the way up to the World of Outlaws as well as Midgets, Wingless Sprints and even a stint in the IROC series. Sills is expected to return this Saturday night with 20 or more competitors.
In addition to the title sponsorship of Red Hawk Casino and Hoosier Racing Tires, the 2011 Placerville Speedway season is presented in part my the Mountain Democrat, Riebes Auto Parts, Pepsi Co. and Rockstar. Additional promotional consideration is provided by Arnolds for Awards, The Windfall Classifieds, the Paint Spot, ADCO Driveline, Dunn Consulting and Roger Miller Concrete.
The front gates to Placerville Speedway are set to open at 5 pm on Saturday. An early arrival is suggested as the anticipated season opener routinely becomes standing room only in quick fashion at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Adult tickets for this special event will be $16, Seniors will be $14 Juniors will be $12 and children are $6.00.
For additional information on this event and the entire 2011 schedule at Placerville Speedway visit www.placervillespeedway.com or www.civilwarsprints.com. Placerville Speedway and the Civil War Series can also be found on Facebook. For any further information contact the track office at (916) 783-DIRT.