From Gary Thomas
PLACERVILLE, CA (March 27, 2018) – After a long winter of preparation and fine-tuning the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards is eager to open its second season of competition this Saturday March 31 at the always exciting Placerville Speedway.
The Easter weekend spectacular fires-off the 13-race campaign and marks the first of four appearances at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds bullring, which is located just a short drive from the capital city of Sacramento. A stout field of Winged 360 Sprint Cars are expected to converge upon the familiar red clay and help usher in year two for the tour. The Easter Bunny will also make a special appearance during the night and will have candy for the little ones in attendance.
Standard nightly payouts for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour presented by Elk Grove Ford and Abreu Vineyards will again be $2,500-to-win and $400-to-start the A-main. NASCAR star Kyle Larson has offered a $500 bonus for the second straight season to any full-time owner whose driver wins a feature event, allowing the winner’s share to potentially be $3,000.
With the KLR bonus money automatically up for grabs and thanks to extra money coming in from Elk Grove Ford, this Saturday’s A-main at Placerville Speedway will pay $4,500-to-win.
Last season saw Paradise, CA’s Kyle Hirst use consistency to grab the inaugural championship aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 machine. Despite not getting into victory lane the now 30-year-old stood on the podium 10 times in 13 races. You can be certain he wants to start out 2018 by getting that elusive first SCCT feature win. Rounding out the top-10 in points last year were Willie Croft, Ryan Bernal, Mitchell Faccinto, Buddy Kofoid, Andy Gregg, Steven Tiner, Mason Moore, Cory Eliason and Colby Copeland.
Thanks to the generous support from Matt Wood of Elk Grove Ford, David Abreu of Abreu Vineyards and Hoosier Racing Tires, this year’s champion will again be awarded with $10,000, as part of an over $60,000 total point fund. The top-15 drivers and teams at season’s end will participate in the hefty championship fund. The tour also showcases a substantial contingency package that will provide nearly $50,000 in certificates and cash over the course of the season.
As an added benefit to race teams, the nightly purses will again be paid at the track each night when competition is completed and there is no membership fee to run the tour. A registration form for payout purposes is available on the website.
Adult tickets at the Placerville Speedway this Saturday March 31 will cost $18, while seniors 62 plus, military and juniors 12-17 will be $15, children 6-11 are $6 and those under 6 will be free. Seating is general admission during the night and online tickets are available at https://www.universe.com/events/2018-sprint-car-challenge-tour-points-race-1-tickets-placerville-Q5PBLY
The pit gate will open at 2pm, with the front grandstand gate opening at 3pm. Drivers meeting is scheduled for 4:30pm and cars are expected to be on track at 5pm. A happy hour will be offered from 4pm-6pm in the grandstands featuring discounted Coors Light and Coors Original at the beer stand.
Before the races Kyle Hirst, Justyn Cox, Mitchell Faccinto and Dakota Albright are set to sign autographs from 3:30-4:30. In addition to that they are scheduled to have their cars available for photo opportunities behind the turn four bleachers. The Kids Dash for Cash also returns this season, with this Saturday featuring $300 worth of nickels thanks to Dennis Partlow Jr., Mancamp Motorsports and CLT Logging.
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 information on the Placerville Speedway log onto http://www.placervillespeedway.com