Placerville Opens April 10

Championship season to begin at Placerville this Saturday, April 10 Defending champions Robinson, Moran and Hansard top opener expected entry list

PLACERVILLE, CA (4-10-99)- The 1999 championship racing season is scheduled to begin at Alan Padjen's Placerville Speedway this Saturday, April 10 with a four division program on the El Dorado County Fairground track. Sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tires/Budweiser/ Coors Light and RC Cola, the exciting race season to come will consist of 25 total events with 20 of those dates reserved for the championship campaign for the Pacific Sprint, Pro Stock and Pure Stock divisions. All three divisions will compete on a weekly basis for accumulative points and will be joined each week by a different guest venue. Saturday's season opener will feature the Midget Lites of the Bay Cities Racing Association in their first of seven season visits. Topping the entrant list for Saturday's event in the Hoosier Tires Pacific Sprint division will be Sacramento driver David Robinson Jr. After finishing in the runner-up position in 1996 and 1997, Robinson stepped up to the plate last season and powered his Wimer/Robinson owned number 4D John Boy to the position of track champion. Driving under the nickname of "Powerfeed" Robinson muscled his way to a total of 12 top ten finishes and seven top five positions at Placerville last year. The fruits of this 24-year-old driver's labor included three feature victories, two second place finishes, one third and one fifth. Returning this season in a brand new John Boy manufactured machine, Robinson plans to race the entire championship season at the track he calls home and is expected to defend his title. Joining the defending champion this season will be two-time track champion Billy Sellers of Sacramento. Though Sellers has not responded to recent inquiries, is is expected he will return aboard the Bill and Mary Sellers owned #15 machine which he powered to track championships in 1990 and 1997. Sellers will be joined by Calistoga driver Mike Benson who finished third last season and was named the division's most improved driver Damion Gardner of Concord, the 1998 division Rookie of the Year will be a contender this season. Gardner, aboard his own 1999 Hurricane will be a likely contender for the season title as he brings Group Manufacturing Services of Arizona aboard as a lead sponsor this year. Another driver that will more than likely be a top runner this season will be Placerville's Dave Angus, the 1997 division Rookie of the Year. A former top stock car racer for nearly a decade, Angus moved to the winged division just two years ago and last season placed fifth overall with six top ten finishes and two top five outings. This season, Angus will team up with veteran car owner Ron Brooke of Loomis and will spend the next six months aboard the Thompson's Auto and Truck Center 1B machine formerly driven by three-time track champion Ray Rust. Additional contenders expected in this division Saturday night include Gary Morgan, Shauna Hogg, C.J. Humphreys, Guy Morrison, Alan Bradway, Roger Crockett and many more. In the Pro Stock division, Mike Moran of Rancho Cordova will return to defend his 1998 track championship. Aboard his own number 19 Chevrolet Camaro, Moran powered his way to an outstanding 15 top tens and 13 top fives in 1998 including five feature victories. The 33-year-old division veteran plans to defend his recent title and hopes of scoring two titles in consecutive seasons. It is expected Moran will be joined this year by Citrus Height's Mike Chandler. Last season, Chandler closed in on Moran's point lead late in the season with six feature event wins which placed him just 13-points behind Moran. Mike Nuss of Pollock Pines finished third overall last season and is expected to return this year along with fourth place driver Dennis Armstrong of El Dorado, Randy Rigdon Jr. of Cameron Park. Shingle Springs resident Larry Burton, Jeff Gavard of Placerville, Paul Spencer of El Dorado and Alex Hansen of Placerville are all expected to return in this locally dominated division. In the Pure Stock division, two-time track champion Eric Hansard of Orangevale will top the entry list. Hansard, aboard his Dave Hansard owned number 22 Chevelle racked up a total of seven feature event wins last season and has announced he will vie for a third title in the year to come. Hansard will be joined by Neil Webster of Placerville, runner up to the 1998 championship. Third place driver Bobby Bankson will return to this division. Bankson will also pilot an NCMA modified when the guest division visits Placerville Speedway. Additional Pure Stock contenders include Matt Keeler of Placerville, Dan Farrington, Rick Grunert, David Castro, Will Fanning and many more. In the visiting Midget Lites division, look for defending series champion David Goodwill of Napa to lead the field. Goodwill will be joined by Greg Shehan, Ryan Hogan, Don and Harley VanDyke, Scott Bushing, Richard Miglori and many more. Action is set to begin Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with qualifying for the sprint cars. The grandstands will open at 5 p.m. and tickets will be available at that time adult tickets are $9, juniors and seniors $6, children $3 and under six will be admitted for free. For any further information contact the track business office at (916) 969-7484 or on the internet at www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com.

PLACERVILLE SPEEDWAY EVENT FACT SHEET

WHAT: 1999 championship season opener featuring Pacific Sprint Cars, Pro Stocks, Pure Stocks and Midget Lites from the Bay Cities Racing Association.

WHERE: Placerville Speedway at the El Dorado County Fairground, Placerville

WHEN: Saturday, April 10, 1999. Gates open at 5 p.m. Racing at 6:30

TICKETS: Adults $9, Juniors and Seniors $6, Children $3, under six free

EVENT SPONSOR(S): Hoosier Racing Tires, Budweiser, Coors Light, RC Cola