PENULTIMATE POINT RACE PRODUCES GREAT DEAL OF PRE CHAMPIONSHIP DRAMA

PLACERVILLE, California — With temperatures nearing the century mark and just one week remaining in the 2009 Red Hawk Casino Championship season, emotions were high at ASA Sanctioned Placerville Speedway Saturday night for the penultimate event of the year. In all three weekly divisions, many top point runners were faced with their share of adversities and in some cases the turn of events were just plain ludicrous.

Despite the night that had its share of drama on both sides of the fence, its conclusion resulted in all three track titles remaining undecided and still very much up for grabs entering the final night of championship competition next Saturday night.

Following the many caution flags that waved Saturday night, the checkered flag waved to three familiar faces and one new one. Andy Forsberg of Auburn won his sixth race of the year in the sprint car division. Tom Tilford of Citrus Heights scored his eighth win of the season in the Pure Stock division. Newcomer Joel Hannagan of San Jose won the Limited Late Model feature event while Doug Nunes of Kingsburg claimed the wing in the Midget Lites class.

In the sprint car feature event, Forsberg wasted no time in driving from the third place starting position into second place to battle with pole sitter Mike Henry of Sacramento. In the early laps the two former track champions dueled for the top position until Forsberg took command of the top position on the fourth circuit.

While Forsberg distanced himself from the field Kyle Hirst of Loomis charged up from the fifth place starting position to challenge Forsberg in the closing laps. At the finish it was Forsberg followed by Hirst, Henry, Mason Moore of Princeton and point leader Colby Wiesz of Colfax.

“Tonight was a pretty crazy night here for everyone, I know the top point guys had their share of things to deal with,” said Forsberg. “I was able to get up to the top and to the front quickly. Mike Henry was giving me a good battle and I knew Kyle Hirst was moving up fast. Luckily I was able to go both high and low in traffic and stay up front.”

For point leader Wiesz, Saturday’s event almost became a championship clincher early in the running. In heat racing, Wiesz’s two closest competitors, Placerville’s Scott Russell and and C.J. Humphreys, failed to qualify for the A-feature and were slated for the B-main. In that event, Humphreys suffered a flat tire to relinquish the lead shortly after the start and started in the rear of the field. Russell also suffered an early crash forcing him to the pits for repairs. Both drivers returned to the rear of the field. Racing for position both Humphreys and Russell tangled which resulted in moderate damage on both cars. Russell was scored in the fifth position, still qualifying for the A-feature but with a great deal of damage to his car.

Humphreys was one position out of the running until Sacramento’s Geoff Duppman withdrew from the start of the A feature, opening the final starting position. Once again, the championship battle was alive. Humphreys made an incredible comeback, charging to sixth place in the A feature while Russell climbed to 11th and both drivers remain within less than 30-points of Wiesz for the lead.

“I thought it was over here tonight,” said Humphreys. “The car was pretty tore up. I took my suit off and was ready to go get a beer and call it a season. My crew told me get your suit back on and get ready. The next thing I knew the officials told me to get in my car. My guys did a great job tonight and this is what it is all about, having a close championship for the fans right to the end.”

In the Pure Stock feature event, Tilford drove from the pole into the lead he would never relinquish. It was the mayhem taking place behind him that nearly ended one of the closest championship races in history at Placerville.

As Tilford distanced himself from the field, second place point leader and newly crowned Silver Dollar Speedway champion Heather Bartlett of Chico was charging her way up from the ninth starting position. Bartlett advanced to third place in the event and on the 10th lap was lapping Placerville’s Danielle Clauson in the first and second turns. Contact ensued during the takeover and the two cars remained hung together. John Ohnmacht of Marysville then moved in on the action and drove into the two lady racers as Clauson continued to push Bartlett down the backstretch until coming to rest in the third turn.

Clauson was able to drive away from the incident while Bartlett went to the pits on a tow truck for repairs. Once arriving at her trailer a track official stood by and the two lap courtesy period began. The crew made the needed repairs to the car and she returned to the track at the rear of the field. Ohnmacht was black flagged for rough driving in the incident, Clauson later retired from the race while Bartlett charged back to third place. Again, a championship that was nearly concluded remains alive entering the final night of racing.

“I was lucky I started up front tonight and away from all of that,” said Tilford. “That’s one of the worst things that can happen in a championship when you get into lapped traffic and someone gets into you. I had my share of lapped traffic tonight too and was being really careful. Eight wins…wow. Hopefully next week we can come back here and end this deal with another championship. I’ve got a crew and great support.”

At the checkered flag Saturday Tilford was followed by John Durrett of Pollock Pines, Bartlett, John Lohmiller of Placerville and Kris Wirth of Pollock Pines.

The Late Model feature event was far from exemption from the bizarre theme on Saturday night. Earlier in the evening, point leader Jerry Bartlett of Yuba City was penalized to the rear of the heat race line up when he did not report for pill draw prior to the deadline. Bartlett finished second in the event and started sixth in the feature event with just 13-points between he and defending champion Dan Brown Jr, of Nevada City who started seventh. Former champion Fred Jenson of Loomis took the lead at the green flag as Bartlett moved in to challenge for the top position through the fourth turn. A collision broke out on the front stretch, sending Bartlett into the infield barriers and the crowd into a frenzy with a mix of emotions from the fans that either love, hate or love to hate the driver known as Mr. Controversy.

Bartlett was unable to return to the line up due to the damage. He did however receive championship points as he took the initial green flag of the event as stated on page six of the Placerville Speedway rules. Bartlett officially leads the division by 13-points with one night of racing left.

Jay Norton of Shingle Springs, Jenson and Hannagan resumed the race up front with Hannagan taking the lead midway through the event to post his first win here. Dan Brown Jr. of Nevada City finished second over Jay Norton of Shingle Springs and Forryst Carnet of Placerville.

“This was fun here tonight,” said Hannagan. “Watsonville is my home track and tonight I had some free time so I decided to make the trip and check this place out. Hopefully we can come back down the road sometime; we had a really good time here tonight.”

Doug Nunes stole the lead on the white flag lap of the 20-lap feature event for the Bay Cities Racing Association’s Tracy Taylor Memorial feature event. Nunes was trailed across the line by Richard Hoover, Jason Sneep and Rick Holbrook. Complete details of this division can be found at www.bcraracing.com.

Next Saturday is the final championship event of the year at Placerville Speedway. Gates open at 5 p.m. followed by qualifying at 6:30. Further information can be found at www.placervillespeedway.com Official point standings after Saturday’s event are now posted.