The World of Outlaws and the USAC Western States Midgets make their return to Placerville Speedway on Wednesday, March 23rd for the 2nd Annual running of the ‘Placerville Short Track Showdown’ Presented by Riebes Auto Parts.
“I grew up watching races here when I was younger, and this is one of the first couple of race tracks I ran on when I started my Sprint Car career”, Promoter Brad Sweet said about bringing the two powerhouse short track organizations to Placerville’s 1/4 mile clay oval. “This place is special to me. I won the first big race of my career here with the Civil War Series when I was 15 or 16. As a fan, I’ve always wanted to see the World of Outlaws run at Placerville. It’s a short 1/4 mile high banked track, and I know that is what the California fans want to see. There was an opportunity to try it last year, and fortunately it was successful enough to do it again this year.”
The unique setting of Placerville Speedway provides great visibility from any seat in the house. “The fans here love it”, Sweet stated enthusiastically. “They are right on top of the action, because it’s built on the hill. There really isn’t a bad seat in the place. You can be anywhere and see all the action. We’re bringing the best drivers with the World of Outlaws and USAC here, and if we get the track right, I think the fans will leave smiling for sure.”
Despite inclement weather in the forecast before the race, Sweet is pleased with the forecast for the day of the race. “Luckily we’ve had a great forecast for the event both years”, Brad acknowledged. “We will do whatever it takes leading up to the event to get it in. We have such a great atmosphere here at Placerville. The fans have bought tickets in advance, and we want to provide them with the best show possible on Wednesday night.”
In addition to the usual grandstand seating, extra seating has been added again this year. “Last year the place was pretty full, and we maxed out the capacity”, Brad stated. “But this year we’ve brought in six or seven hundred more seats, we’ve added bleachers on the back stretch. I know that in the main grandstand there aren’t a lot of great seats left, but if you come Wednesday, there will be plenty of general admission seating on the hill. There will be food up there, and picnic tables, and you’ll be able to walk around the pits and see all the drivers. With spring break going on, we encourage everyone to bring the kids out. We have a great family atmosphere here at Placerville Speedway.”
After learning from his first promotion last year, Sweet has made some changes to the event, including raising the purse and bringing in a support series. “I make my living as a race car driver, not as a promoter”, Sweet stated matter of factly. “I didn’t want to have the drivers think I am here making money on them, so, instead of paying a midweek purse, we are paying a full World of Outlaws purse, $10,000 to win.
Sweet is hopeful that the ‘Placerville Short Outlaw Showdown’ turns into an annual must see event. “We upped the laps for the fans, this year will be a 40 lap race, and we brought the USAC Western States Midgets to add to the show. We hope to make this a yearly deal, but it’s hard to say if we can be successful enough to keep it going. But, we have a lot of momentum on our side. We are looking forward to Wednesday night to see how many people come out to support it.”
Also adding to the flavor of the event, Brad will be on hand, along with other drivers from 11:00AM to 1:00PM on race day at the local Placerville Riebes Auto Parts store displaying his race car and signing autographs. The store is located a short distance from the raceway at 2885 Ray Lawyer Drive in Placerville.
The Kasey Kahne Foundation will be holding a special 50/50 raffle on race night, and will be giving away 750 items to the race fans in attendance Wednesday night, including koozies, stickers, pens, rulers, and other items, such as an autographed die cast, autographed race worn driving shoes, and a women’s jacket.
The 2nd Annual “Brad Sweet Presents the Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown” is Wednesday March 23, with the pit gates opening at 2PM PST. The Will Call ticket office will be open at 2PM as well, with the grandstands opening at 4PM. Qualifying begins at 6:30PM. Tickets for the event can be purchased at dirtcar.ticketforce.com
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Placerville Speedway is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds at 100 Placerville Drive in Placerville. The racing facility is operated by Russell Motorsports Incorporated, which can be reached at the track business office at 530-344-7592.