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Brad Sweet Presents the 2nd Annual Placerville Short Track Outlaw Showdown Presented by Riebes Auto Parts at Placerville Speedway

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

Join the over 7000 followers of Placerville Speedway on Facebook, where you can interact with fellow fans, drivers, and staff. You can also find Placerville Speedway on Twitter for schedule updates and more by following us @pvillespeedway. In addition, Placerville Speedway is now on Instagram. Please follow us @PvilleSpeedway.

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.

Sherm and Loree Toller Memorial Race Jumpstarts 2016 Season at Marysville

Marysville, CA (February 21, 2016) – Dirt track racing fans can rejoice. The first important event of the 2016 racing schedule will take place this Saturday night at Marysville Raceway. The annual Sherm and Loree Toller Memorial race features the winged 360 sprint cars, wingless sprints and sport mods. Big money is on the line as the winged 360 sprints will vie for the $2,000 win. Wingless sprints main event winner will receive $750 and the sport mod main event winner will pocket $250. Fans will be treated to a full night of racing including qualifying, heat races and main events. A large car count is expected for all three divisions.

The Sherm and Loree Toller Memorial is set for this Saturday, February 27th. The pit gate will open at 3 P.M. while the front grandstand gate opens at 5 P.M. Qualifying for the winged sprint cars will begin at 6 P.M. with racing to follow. General grandstand admission to this event is $16.00 for adults, $13.00 for juniors (12-15), seniors (over 62) and military with ID. Children, ages 6 to 11, are $6.00. Five and under are free. Family pass is available and cost $45.00 (2 adults, 3 children under 11).

Adding to the prestige of the race is the big bonus offered by promoter Dennis Gage. This year Gage has added the wingless sprints to the challenge. For the winged 360 driver that can win this race, that person can be in line for a chance to win the $10,000 bonus. If one driver can win the first six winged sprint car races between Silver Dollar Speedway and Marysville Raceway, that driver will win $10,000. Win five of the six and pick up a $5,000 bonus. Win four and receive a $2,500. Finally, win at least half of the six races and get $1,500.

The wingless sprint car drivers will have the same opportunity this year. For the first time Gage will offer a wingless driver $5,000 if they can win the first six races of the year between Chico and Marysville. Win five of the six and collect $2,500. Four victories will net that driver $1,500 and win at least half of the first six wingless races and earn an extra $750.

This Saturday night marks the second time that Loree has also been honored at this great event. Both Sherm and Loree worked at the Marysville Speedway for numerous years. Sherm and Loree Toller met in 1973 and were married on June 11, 1978. They met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend at a luau party. It was only natural that these two race fanatics spent their honeymoon time on a road trip to watch the Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway in Washington. The Toller’s love of dirt track racing led them to visit numerous racetracks over the years. However, their real dedication to our sport came in the early nineties when Sherm began handling the PR and infield announcing duties at Ernie Purcell Speedway in Grass Valley and Loree was hired as the scorekeeper. When Ernie Purcell Speedway closed in 1994, Sherm and Loree gravitated to Marysville Raceway and began working for the Hall family. Sherm was a master of the infield microphone and always made sure he got the story in detailed fashion. Loree loved to oversee the race from the tower and was a natural at scorekeeping. It will be an honor to host their daughters Sheree and Kaylee Toller once again. The girls have stayed true to their parents roots and share the same love and passion towards dirt track racing.

For more information about the track please visit www.marysvilleraceway.com

New Company Behind the Auction Block for Hot August Nights

Motorsport Auction Group Announces Business Launch

RENO, Nev. (November 2, 2015)—A new company will be spearheading the auction and exhibition portions of Hot August Nights (HAN), launching in 2016 for the popular classic car event’s 30th anniversary. Reno-based Motorsport Auction Group (MAG) will not only take hold of the auction gavel for the first time between August 4 and 6, 2016, but they’ll also present an array of automobiles and product vendors in the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

In addition to the indoor car auction with a multitude of automotive-related vendors and exhibitors, the new auction company will produce and promote a three-day event in conjunction with Hot August Nights that will feature cars crossing the block every few minutes. From street rods and classics to special interest and exotic vehicles, gearheads will find an exhilarating automotive array at the new auction, including memorabilia.

“We’re looking forward to working with MAG to build an even bigger and better auction for our participants, and one that’s locally based so our economy is directly impacted,” asserted Hot August Nights Executive Director Mike Whan.

Motorsport Auction Group is comprised of four partners, eager to put their decades of experience in various facets of the automotive industry to work with the new endeavor.

Husband and wife team Sandy and Mike Oberle have more than 30 years in the automotive industry, and a strong passion for classic cars and memorabilia. Their experience owning car dealerships in three western states, working with collector car auctions across the country, as well as in restoration, sales, service, appraisals, transport and customer service will poise them for success working on MAG’s logistics, contracts and leading the staff.

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio and currently residing in central Texas, Larry Gayhart—MAG’s strategy and finance director—has been collecting and fixing up classic cars since he was 14 years old. Owner of A & E Classic Cars near San Antonio, Texas, Gayhart has two prized classics of his own, one award-winning, and frequents car auctions around the country.

MAG Partner and Marketing Director Frank Yaksitch is also chief executive officer and founder of Frank’s Classic Cars, an automobile dealership in Mansfield, Texas, where he has created national partnerships in more than 20 states. Retired from Albertsons, with over 30 years experience as VP of Operations and continued success in personal business, Frank will bring his executive leadership, strategic and operations expertise to the group.

“We look forward to partnering with Hot August Nights to put on an auction and exhibit that their participants will enjoy for years to come. I’ve been attending Hot August Nights and its past auctions as a spectator and consigner for over 25 years, and am looking forward to bringing the positive relationships we’ve built personally and professionally across the country to northern Nevada,” stated Motorsport Auction Group Partner and Spokesperson Mike Oberle. “As a team, MAG will strive to cater to our customers’ needs, and to provide a quality auction for them to buy and sell their classic cars and enjoy the overall nostalgic feel of the event. Our team is 110 percent behind the total success of Hot August Nights.”

For people interested in selling their cars at the auction, MAG is looking forward to making it a simple process. From purchasing a lot number to checking their car into the auction office, MAG’s team will work diligently to meet the seller’s needs. Bidders will also benefit from the superior customer service that MAG offers, which will hopefully lead to the successful purchase of the bidder’s next dream car.

For more information, visit MotorsportAuctionGroup.com or call 775-997-8885. To stay connected with MAG, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MAGAuction or Twitter @MAGAuction.