Fast and Furious championship coming to Placerville

The Fast and Furious Championship Racing Season presented by Red Hawk Casino and Hoosier Racing Tires is beginning to enter its final weeks continuing Saturday night at Placerville Speedway at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds.

While two of the weekly divisions are seeing the point standings begin to spread out, the winged sprint car championship is just beginning to heat up with three of California’s well-known champion drivers topping the roster at the foothill track known as the red bullring.

On Saturday, three divisions will form the race card for the 10th championship point race of the season. Winged Sprint Cars, Limited Late Models and Pure Stocks will form the delicious racing menu for the evening that is sure to offer a generous serving of action that is dirty hot and fast just like the doctor ordered for every race fan.

Saturday’s event is the first of two big nights of racing at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Following Saturday’s event, the American Sprint Car Series will roll into town next Wednesday, July 25 bringing national attention to the quarter-mile bullring at the fairgrounds.

Entering Saturday’s event, point leader and defending track champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn leads the point standings by 18 points over Elk Grove’s Greg DeCaires. Much like Forsberg, DeCaires is a former Placerville, Chico and Civil War Champion. The driver known as the Catfish is spawning to a strong come back season aboard the Rudy Warrington owned #18 sprint car as he is attempting to dethrone Forsberg, who is driving for the highly competitive FF Racing Team.

Following last Saturday’s prestigious $5,000 victory in the Mark Forni Classic, Forsberg has four feature wins to his name while DeCaires has a solo win. Stephan Allard is the third decorated champion in the mix. Allard, of Cameron Park, is a 2007 Silver Dollar Speedway Champion and has brought what is being titled as “Allard Mania” to the speedway.

Allard has rapidly closed in on the point leaders in recent weeks with a pair of wins, and a win it or wear it talented driving style aboard the Scott Russell owned 14r that has been putting fans on the edge of their seats with the new mix of competition at the 47 year-old dirt track that was built around a community football field back in 1965.

Nicole Miller of Elk Grove is the division’s sole lady racer in 2012. Miller is fourth in the point standings with 65-points between her position and the lead. Local fan favorite Jimmy Trulli is another driver having a strong season, charging his way to the top five over fellow locals Justin Johnson of Shingle Springs and Placerville drivers CJ Humphreys and James Sweeney. Thus far 2012 is showing the true talents of the local contingent known as the “Placerville Posse” as the top 10 point standings are populated by El Dorado County drivers.

In the Limited Late Model division, Matt Micheli of Live Oak continues to drive toward his first-ever speedway championship. Micheli is a five-time winner and now holds an impressive 50-point advantage over his father, Ken Micheli, in second place. Former Pro Stock champion Marek Bernert of Orangevale is third in the standings and will look to rally back after a damaging accident last week that involved five different drivers.

Sitting fourth in the standings is Jay Norton of Cameron Park, who is 79-points from the lead. Rounding out the top five is Tom Tigerblood Tilford, who is 88 points from the lead in his first season of Late Model competition after multiple titles in the Pure Stock class.

Leading the Pure Stock standings is Madman Matt Tilford of Orangevale. Last Saturday night, Tilford saw his win streak of eight races come to an end when Les Friend of Galt returned to action to score his first win of the year and end Tilford’s historical streak. Chris Curtiss of Placerville is second in the point standings, 29-points behind Tilford. Scotty Grunert of Woodland is third overall ahead of Dominic Stone of Folsom. Chris Van Roekel of Grass Valley rounds out the top five in the point standings in this division.

Adult tickets are $13 for Saturday and available at the track box office. Seniors and juniors are $11 while children are $6. Children five and under are admitted for free.

For further information visit placervillespeedway.com or call the track office at 916-783-DIRT. Race fans are urged to join Placerville Speedway on Facebook to network with fellow fans, drivers and staff in a friendly forum packed with information and future contests. The speedway can also be followed on Twitter at: @pvllspeedway.