From MRP
Marysville CA – Marysville Raceway Park’s biggest event of the season will be presented this Saturday night. The raceway’s annual tribute to one of the pioneers of sprint car racing in northern California will feature northern California’s top guns in winged 360-sprint car racing. The 2011 30-lap Mel Hall Memorial Race will bring with it a $2500 winners purse along with some $1200 in additional contingency awards from the Contingency Connection.
With MRP in the capable hands of current promoters Paul and Kathy Hawes, Race Director Craig Hall and Performance Auto Supply firmly behind the MRP winged sprint car series, championship caliber drivers who have not competed at MRP lately should be pleased with the environment.
The stars of the winged 360 sprint cars will battle for the prestige, bragging rights, and an increased purse Saturday to find out who is the best of the best. “The Colfax Comet” Colby Wiesz has won the event more than anybody in it’s storied history and will surely be a big favorite headed into Saturday’s show. Wiesz is a 3-time champion at MRP. The event celebrates the life of Mel Hall who, along with wife Marlyn firmly established sprint car racing as the primary class at MRP.
Like all great sporting events, this one will be riddled with brilliantly prepared equipment and boiling over with superb driving talent. It is one of the great sprint car races…period. Champions and chargers representing every 360-sprint car track and association in northern California will be headed to MRP for this annual celebration of spectacle and speed. Cars from Nevada, Washington and Oregon will also make the big tow to Yuba Sutter’s only professional sports facility. This event also pays points in the 2011 MRP Winged Sprint Car driving championship. As an MRP point race, 5 time champion Korey Lovell and 2011’s standout sprint car star “Bad” Billy Wallace (who leads the point standings going into Saturday’s race) will be in a race inside the race. 3 time champ Brent Dothage is back in the saddle again and with his scary fast-hammer down style, should be a contender for the win.
A full field of alcohol guzzling winged sprint cars are ready to go to war this Saturday night at MRP. The MRP Wingless Warriors have been added to the show for a look at some wild alcohol burning, pitch-it-sideways wingless sprint car action.
There is a remarkable sidebar attached to this event. While Mark Hall continues to race, there is one trophy he’s been unable to grab. As much as he has won, he has never won the race named in honor of his father. Mark Hall brought three Winged Sprint Car Championships with him when Mel took over at MRP in late 1994. The now defunct Ernie Purssell Memorial Speedway in Grass Valley is where Mark picked up his 1st three titles. When Mark Hall came to MRP it was with an unusual lightweight chassis and a high revving V-6 engine that wailed with a nerve-shattering, spine chilling scream. It was a successful one though. Mark Hall picked up 2 more Sprint Car Titles at MRP before semi-retiring to take over promoting the track after Mel’s passing in 1999. Mark, who has won 26 main events here, has never been able to gather in the checkers in this one particular race. There will be wickedly fast visitors all over the pit area Saturday night. So, Hall’s task will be a daunting one. Hall was the fastest qualifier at last year’s race.
The pit gate opens at 3PM. The spectator gates will open at 5 PM with Hot Laps at 6 PM. IMPORTANT: The first race will start after hot laps at about 6:30.