From Placerville Speedway
Placerville, CA — (October 29, 2015) — At the conclusion of the 50th Anniversary season at Placerville Speedway, it was announced that Handy Racing Promotions would hang up their helmet as the promoters of Placerville Speedway. Following a recent proposal and selection process, the Board of Directors of the El Dorado County Fairgrounds have announced that Russell Mototorsports Incorporated (RMI Inc.) has been awarded the contract for the management of the popular quarter-mile dirt track that has been in operation since 1965.
Behind the wheel of RMI Incorporated are two El Dorado County natives that have years of involvement with the auto racing at Placerville Speedway and are well known to the business communities throughout El Dorado County; Scott Russell and Kami Arnold.
“We have enjoyed working with Alan Handy, he was a good promoter for the speedway and great to work with. I will miss him, however, I am certain he will still be around,” said Jody Gray, CEO of the El Dorado Fairgrounds. “I am very excited to work with Scott and Kami of Russell Motorsports Incorporated. These two are very professional, creative and have a lot of positive energy. With this enthusiasm, Placerville Speedway will continue to be California’s premier dirt track.”
For Russell, the passion for auto racing started as a youngster sitting in the stands of Placerville Speedway where he cheered for the many drivers that were then sponsored by his late father Ralph Russell, who operated Big R Automotive for decades in Placerville. Russell’s love for the sport grew to a hands on level when he was a teenager when he began helping a friend in the pits every week and later began racing outlaw carts and eventually sprint cars at Placerville Speedway in 2001. Russell later retired as a driver and became a car owner, fielding many successful drivers such as the late Stephen Allard and Andy Gregg, both of which drove the team to numerous wins at Placerville Speedway.
A 1986 Ponderosa High School graduate, Russell’s lifelong involvement in dirt track racing from young fan to crew member, driver and team owner will be a key ingredient to the successful management of Placerville Speedway. In addition to his motor sports resume, Russell founded Russell Trucking in 1996 and sold it in 2013. He has been 4H Swine Project Leader since 2008 and involved in the youth development program. Russell has volunteered for the famed Jeepers Jamboree for two decades and served as a director of the non profit organization for two years.
For Arnold, her last name alone clearly illustrates her lifelong ties to Placerville Speedway. The 1986 El Dorado High School Graduate grew up watching her grandfather prep the track at Placerville Speedway while she and her cousins would fondly help pick up rocks at the speedway while her grandfather turned laps on the grader. In the 70’s her uncle, Phil Arnold was a popular stock car driver at the speedway and even spent time as a flagman. Arnold’s most notable tie to the quarter mile entertainment venue is through her family’s business, Arnold’s for Awards, which has supplied racers with their weekly trophies for decades.
Arnold has deep roots in community involvement, she has been heavily involved in the local 4H Community leadership for more than 12 years. Arnold served on the El Dorado County Fairboard for the last five years before stepping down to pursue the management of the speedway. She and her entire family have been key volunteers in the annual Jeepers Jamboree for more than 30 years. She and her brother Kevin are now second generation owners of Arnolds for Awards Inc. in Shingle Springs where they have been members of all three Chamber of Commerce’s in El Dorado County. Being involved in the community has been the paramount in the success of Arnold’s business where she was voted by her peers to serve a two year term on the APA Board, an international organization of award industry professionals.
As Russell Motorsports Incorporated takes green flag on management of Placerville Speedway, they look to continue long standing traditions that have proved successful at the facility under the previous promoters. All three weekly divisions will return in 2016 including winged 360 cubic inch powered sprint cars, Limited Late Models and Pure Stocks. Various guest divisions will compete on a regular basis throughout the season as well as a number of high profile traveling campaigns which will be announced following the promoters workshop in December.
“We are very excited for the opportunity to take over the management of Placerville Speedway,” they said in statement following the award of the contract. “We believe promoting Placerville Speedway is in line with the natural progression of our involvement in local motorsports. Both of us are looking forward to expanding and breathing new life into the solid foundation in which retiring promoters Alan and Diane Handy and their predecessors have built here in our community.”
Although Handy is retiring from management of the speedway after being involved since 1982 when his family took the reigns of then Hangtown Speedway, the veteran race promoter will continue to be involved as RMI takes over the day to day operations. Handy and his staff have been working with both Russell and Arnold through the final weeks of the season and has agreed to work alongside the duo to ensure the transition is smooth for everyone as they embark on the 2016 racing season.
“Scott Russell and Kami Arnold were my first choice when deciding to end my tenure at Placerville Speedway. Talking with them over the last several years, their best interest is in the future of this speedway. I have no doubt they are the right choice for the job,” said Handy. “Their fresh ideas and willingness to change things up a bit while carrying on tradition is exactly what Placerville Speedway needs. Scott has spent a great deal of time working with myself on track preparation and race day operations while Kami has shadowed my office and concession staff during our events to understand event operations first hand. Their commitment to this venue and the community around is second to none.”
RMI Incorporated will host their first event at Placerville Speedway as early as November 14th with the first annual Winter Racer’s Swap Meet and Greet. This event will allow race teams to sell and swap racing merchandise and inventory to fellow teams and the public. The event will allow the racing community to come our and meet the new racing promoters.
The November 14th event will take place from 8 am to 2pm rain or shine in the pit area of Placerville Speedway. Admission to the event is free, a vendor space is $25. Reservations for space can be made by calling the speedway at 530-626-3680.
The 2016 racing season will begin in March. Details of the season to come will be officially announced in January. Watch for further information at www.placervillespeedway.com.