PETERSEN MEDIA
Making his first appearance at the Placerville Speedway in nearly three years, Kyle Larson returned the Silva Motorsports No.57 to victory lane at the track car owner Paul Silva made his debut as a car owner 10 years ago.
“This was my fifth race in Paul Silva’s car this year, and it has been awesome every night out,” he said. “It was awesome to get to Placerville, it had been awhile.”
With 30 cars on hand, the NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year contender timed the Lucas Oil Products/A.R.T./ProBilt backed No. 57 in with the second fastest lap during time trials, just behind Andy Forsberg.
Starting sixth in his heat, Larson was in a race long battle with Sean Becker for the fourth and final transfer spot.
With a big head of steam coming down the back-stretch on the last lap, Larson made a pass coming out of turn four, that brought the capacity crowd to their feet, as he took the fourth and final transfer spot.
With the 0 pill being pulled, Larson would line the Palmero Properties/Finley Farms/Stepping Stone Genetics machine up on the front row for the 25-lap feature.
When the green flag dropped he beat Andy Forsberg to the bottom of turns one and two and led the first lap before the caution flew.
Another yellow on the third lap, set up the first long green flag run of the race.
Getting underway, Larson took off from the field, as he rode the bottom of turns one and two, and used the cushion in turns three and four, to hit lapped traffic in just three laps.
In thick traffic, Larson would carve through them to near perfection as he kept the rest of the field at bay.
A pair of cautions late in the race bunched the field up, but Larson had lapped cars between him self and second place, and would go on to pick up a very popular win in front of the relatively hometown crowd.
“This is where I started my sprint car career, and where Paul Silva grew up, so it’s awesome to win anywhere, but it feels nice to get the win here at Placerville,” he said.
The Larson/Silva duo were also in action on Friday night at the Antioch Speedway with the World of Outlaws.
Timing in second fastest, Larson would have a rough start to his heat, where cars bunched up in front of him, but he would finish fifth and transfer into the dash.
The dash again saw Larson have issues, as cars in front of him made contact, and he received nose wing damage.
Scoring a seventh place finish in the dash, Larson would have rear-end issues after the checkered flew, and came to a stop on the track.
Making repairs prior to the feature, Larson would do what he could on the fast Antioch Speedway, as he scored a fifth place finish during the non-stop feature.
“It’s been a great couple of weeks out here in California racing with Silva Motorsports, and I really appreciate the opportunity he gave me, and am very glad we had such good results.”
The Silva Motorsports team thanks Lucas Oil Products, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Pro Bilt Construction, Palmero Properties, Finley Farms, Car and Fleet, Stepping Stone Genetics, FK Rod Ends, OMP Racing, Wesmar Racing Engines, Amerikote, XYZ, Hoosier Tire, Pro Shocks, Banshee Graphics, Dan Olson Products, K&N Filters, RE Technologies, Weld, Schoenfeld Headers, Butlerbuilt Seats, Vortex Wings, CP Pistons, Cometic Gaskets, Huggins Cams, BR Ignitioneering, Blackwell Consolidation, and Petersen Media for their partnership in 2013.
SILVA MOTORSPORTS 2013 BY THE NUMBERS: Races-5, Wins-2, Top-5’s-4, Top 10’s-4.
ON TAP: The Silva Motorsports team will now bee off until the Dave Bradway Memorial in Chico, CA on May 4th.