By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA…The annual “Freedom Fireworks” event on Independence Day is often one of the biggest of the season at Placerville Speedway and this Sunday that tradition continues with another championship point race occurring at the quarter-mile.
This year’s Fourth of July spectacular features three divisions in competition including the Thompson’s Family of Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models and Pure Stocks. The event will be capped off with a huge fireworks show to commemorate the holiday.
Happy Hour is offered from 4-6pm in the grandstands featuring discounted Coors Light and Coors Original at the beer booth. Thanks to our friends at Kings Meats, all Burgers and Cheeseburgers will be 50% off during Happy Hour. Bring your appetite and your thirst on Sunday!
“The Freedom Fireworks event is always a night that fans and race teams look forward to,” said Russell Motorsports Inc. President Scott Russell. “We invite everyone to come out, grab a cold beverage of your choice and take in a great night of racing, followed by an epic firework display. Motorsports and Independence Day have always gone hand in hand and Placerville Speedway is excited to continue that ritual Sunday. All kids 11 and under also receive free admission during the night.”
Sebastopol’s Joel Myers Jr. continues to sit atop the Thompson’s Family of Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Car standings heading into the ninth race of the season. The 15-year-old is still in search of his first victory, but has shown solid consistency, having finished among the top-10 in all but one event. Auburn’s Andy Forsberg goes into July 4th ranking second in the standings and will look to chip away at the lead, as will third place Andy Gregg of Placerville.
Gregg is fresh off a strong outing last weekend where he finished fourth in the feature. Last Saturday’s winner Tanner Carrick of Lincoln sits fourth in points and will be another favorite at the event. Outlaw Kart graduate Landon Brooks has also moved into the top-five in the standings for the first time following a top-10 last week. Shane Hopkins, Blake Carrick, Justyn Cox, Justin Bradway and Michael Ing complete the top-10 going into the always fun Independence Day show.
The point battle with the Ltd. Late Models could not be closer, as teammates Tyler Lightfoot and Dan Jinkerson sit tied atop the standings. Lightfoot has secured a pair of victories recently as he sits on a hot streak heading into 4th of July. Although not ending up in Ltd. Late Model victory lane yet Jinkerson has been consistent and finds himself in position for a championship. A win on Sunday would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Auburn’s Ray Trimble had led the points until some bad luck left him out of the race this past weekend. The reigning track champ sits 13-points behind the lead duo. Rounding out the top-10 in the standings are Tom Tilford, Paul Gugliomoni, Kiely Ricardo, Carnett Clash runner up Dan Brown Jr., Max Mcafee, Rod Oliver and Jay Norton.
The Pure Stock standings continue to be led by Oakley’s Nick Baldwin, who holds a 14-point advantage over Diamond Springs racer Kevin Jinkerson. Baldwin has secured four wins already this season, while Jinkerson has scooped up two. Both competitors have also finished among the top-10 in all nine Pure Stock shows held thus far. Completing the top-10 are Jonny Walsh, Stephanie Hanson, Carnett Clash winner Dan Jinkerson, Ryan Peter, Jason Palmer, Ryan Murphy, Michael Murphy and Mel Byers.
Adult tickets this Sunday July 4th cost $20, while seniors 62 plus, military and juniors 12-17 will be $18. Children 11 and under are free! Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at https://www.universe.com/embed2/events/2021-placerville-speedway-pts-race-11-freedom-fireworks-tickets-placerville-HDJLTP
The pit gate will open at noon, with the front grandstand gate opening at 3pm. Happy Hour is offered from 4-6pm in the grandstands featuring discounted Coors Light and Coors Original at the beer booth. The pit meeting will be held at 4:30pm with cars on track at 5. Hot laps, ADCO Driveline qualifying and racing will follow.
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
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Upcoming events at Placerville Speedway:
Sunday July 4: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models and Pure Stocks | Freedom Fireworks
Saturday July 10: USAC West Coast Wingless 360 Sprint Cars, USAC Western States Midgets and Wingless BCRA Lightning Sprints | Gold Dust Fever
Saturday July 17: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour