By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA – September 20, 2016…With the season winding down the start of five races to go for the traveling King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will take place this Saturday night with the final visit of the season to the always action packed Placerville Speedway.
The Placerville bullring is located just 40 minutes from the capital city of Sacramento and this Saturday marks the third trip of the season to the Scott Russell & Kami Arnold promoted quarter-mile clay oval. The first two events have been nothing short of thrilling and this weekend promises to feature much of the same, as drivers look to build momentum for the final month & a half in Northern California. Also on hand will be the always entertaining BCRA Midgets, plus IMCA Sport Mods.
Two-time King of the West champion Kyle Hirst leads the field into Saturday aboard the Roth Motorsports/ Tarlton & Son No. 21x Sprinter. The Paradise, CA wheel-man sits atop the standings by 57-markers and will be gunning for his sixth victory of the campaign this weekend. Last year Hirst swept both events at the Placerville Speedway and led a number of laps in the feature during the most recent visit on July 30. If he were to park it in victory lane it would set a new personal high for him when it comes to wins in a season with the series.
“We’re looking forward to getting the season back underway this Saturday at Placerville Speedway,” Hirst commented. “We’ve had a really strong year so far and hopefully we can continue that during these last five races. Whenever King of the West competes in Placerville it’s a wild show, so hopefully the fans will pack the stands this weekend. It would mean a lot to get that sixth win of the season. We had a good shot last time in Pville and definitely want to seal the deal on Saturday.”
The previous two King of the West appearances in Placerville have been picked off by Campbell’s Bud Kaeding & Fremont’s Shane Golobic respectively. Both drivers have claimed three wins apiece this season, with Golobic claiming victory at the two most recent events held. Kaeding ranks second in the points going into Saturday and will be hoping for a strong night to try and cut into Hirst’s lead with five races to go. Golobic will be searching to make it three in a row with the series this weekend.
Sacramento’s Willie Croft has been in position to win both King of the West stops in Placerville this season, but each time has found heartbreak city towards the end. The season-opener saw him lead 26-laps, before a spun car ended his shot at victory. In July he looked to be on way to a certain triumph, until banging the cushion just hard enough to send him sideways & on his side in dramatic fashion just prior to the checkered. Croft looks to put that behind him on Saturday to try and scoop up his first Placerville KWS win.
Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler & Hanford’s DJ Netto round out the top-five in the standings going into Placerville. Cox will continue his rookie campaign with the series and has certainly gained speed with the season wearing on. Statler earned a podium finish in July at Placerville and will be gunning to improve by a couple more spots on Saturday. Netto will be looking to score his first win of the season, as he makes his second King of the West start since joining the Tri-C Motorsports team.
More possibilities on Saturday will include Fresno’s Cory Eliason, Elk Grove’s Bobby McMahan, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Atwater’s Sean Watts, Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, Fair Oak’s Jake Morgan, Murrieta’s Cori Andrews and others.
Adult tickets this Saturday cost $22, seniors 62 & over and juniors 12-15 will be $15 with kids 6-11 being $6. Children under 6 are free. The pit gate at Placerville Speedway on Saturday opens at 2pm, with the front gate opening at 3pm and racing anticipated to begin around 7pm.
The Placerville Speedway is located on the beautiful El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, California. Take Hwy US-50 to Forni Road/Placerville Drive exit. Then go north on Placerville Drive to the Fairgrounds. The physical address is 100 Placerville Dr., Placerville, CA 95667. For more on Placerville Speedway log onto http://www.placervillespeedway.com
Info on the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series can be found at http://www.racepmg.com
Be sure to like the KWS Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/kingofthewestsprints and become a member of our Twitter community at https://twitter.com/KwsSprintRacing for all the latest breaking news regarding the series
Remaining King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series events in 2016
Saturday September 24: Placerville Speedway – Placerville, CA
Friday October 7: Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA
Saturday October 8: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA (KRC Safety Fall Shootout)
Saturday October 15: Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, CA (31st Cotton Classic)
Saturday November 5: Stockton Dirt Track – Stockton, CA (33rd Tribute to Gary Patterson)
Friday October 7: Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA
Saturday October 8: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA (KRC Safety Fall Shootout)
Saturday October 15: Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, CA (31st Cotton Classic)
Saturday November 5: Stockton Dirt Track – Stockton, CA (33rd Tribute to Gary Patterson)