By Gary Thomas
Placerville, CA…The championship battle resumes this Saturday at Placerville Speedway with Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and the Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour all set to converge at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds based quarter-mile.
Following a week off for the special USAC event last Saturday, local drivers and teams are chomping at the bit to get things back underway, as we continue a hectic Summer of action in Old Hangtown. As always, Placerville Speedway will offer Coors Light/ Coors Banquet Happy Hour and Live Music from 4-6pm prior to the races. Arrive with your appetite to enjoy some of the highest rated racetrack food in Northern California at the Speedway Café.
The Thompson’s Family of Dealerships Winged 360 Sprint Cars will contest their 10th event of the season on Saturday. Sebastopol youngster Joel Myers Jr. continues to maintain a healthy 34-point lead in the standings over Andy Forsberg with five events remaining. The hottest driver as of late however, has certainly been Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick. The 19-year-old has captured the last two races and has earned six top-five finishes in his eight starts.
Last time out with the Winged 360s it was rookie driver Landon Brooks who turned some heads, leading laps in the feature and ultimately finishing fifth at the checkered. The Yuba City driver will be gunning for another solid performance on Saturday. Additional competitors looking to put their names towards the front of the field will include Andy Gregg, Shane Hopkins, Justin Bradway, CJ Humphreys, Jimmie Trulli and others.
The Pure Stock division has been all about Nick Baldwin this season, who looks to continue his epic campaign on Saturday. The Oakley competitor is fresh off his fifth victory of the year during the recent 4th of July show and has extended his point lead to 50-markers over Kevin Jinkerson. Jonny Walsh, Ryan Peter and Stephanie Hanson complete the top-five. This weekend’s event will be the 11th outing of 2021 for the Pure Stocks.
The Mini Trucks are geared up for a return to the red clay and showcase a tight championship battle at the front. Rancho Cordova’s Mike Miller maintains a slim two-point lead over Thomas Jensen going into Saturday. Rookie racer Wyatt Lakin has battled through some adversity but still finds himself only six-points behind Jensen for the top-spot. It’ll be an exciting time with the truckers finally back in action for the first time in over a month.
The Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour will bring the electrifying competition of Non-Wing Sprint Cars back to Placerville for the second consecutive weekend. The back ’em in sideways action of the Hunt Tour is always fun to watch on the bullring and will be a great part of the night on Saturday. Fair Oaks Jake Morgan, who suffered heartbreak on the final lap last week, claimed victory during the first appearance of the season for the tour back in April.
Adult tickets this Saturday July 17th cost $15, while seniors 62 plus, military and juniors 12-17 will be $13. Kids 6-11 cost $6 and those five and under are free. Grandstand seating is general admission, except for the reserved seats marked for season ticket holders. Please note if patrons sit in a reserved seat, they may be asked to move.
Tickets can be purchased at the gate or online at https://www.universe.com/embed2/events/2021-placerville-speedway-pts-race-12-tickets-placerville-HP04S6
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 5:15. 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:
Saturday July 17: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Pure Stocks, Mini Trucks and Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Tour
Saturday July 24: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars | Thompson’s Fan Appreciation Night
Saturday August 7: Winged 360 Sprint Cars, Ltd. Late Models, Pure Stocks and Nor-Cal Dwarf Cars| 16th annual Mark Forni Classic