2008 Season Schedule Results Pacific Sprints Driver Roster Driver Standings Owner Standings Pro Stocks Driver Roster Driver Standings Owner Standings Pure Stocks Driver Roster Driver Standings Owner Standings Wingless Sprints Driver Roster Driver Standings Owner Standings Seasons: |'07|'06|'05|'04| |'03|'02|'01|'00| |'99| Registration Rules 360 Sprints Pro Stocks Pure Stocks Wingless Sprints Points System History Track Records Former Champions Cars Location Personnel Silver Dollar Speedway Placerville Speedway California Sprint Car Civil War Series Golden State Challenge - King of California Series GOLD CUP Race of Champions HELP MENU Site Map Contact Us Search the Site Sponsor Index

Wiesz drives Taylor Motorsports to first 2008 Placerville Speedway victory
Grunert Jr., Brown share stock car victories; Hanestad continues to win in wingless
by Bill Sullivan

Saturday, April 19, 2008 Results
Qualifying Pacific Sprints Wingless Sprints Pro Stocks Pure Stocks

Colby Wiesz wins for the first time this season with his new team. JPM Photo by Donna Peter

PLACERVILLE, CA (4-19-08) - Colby Wiesz of Colfax is obviously adjusting well in the driver's seat of his new ride for the 2008 racing season at Placerville Speedway. Entering the fourth championship point racing of the season as the point leader, Wiesz muscled his way to his first victory aboard the John Taylor Motorsports #35 sprint car.

"I just want to thank the good lord tonight for allowing me to do what I love to do and John Taylor for the opportunity to drive for him this season," said Wiesz. "But I think we really need to thank the fans tonight for coming out in this cold weather to support this sport."

Wiesz started the feature event on the pole position with former Placerville and Civil War Champion David Robinson Jr. of Foresthill on the outside. At the waving of the green flag Wiesz quickly accelerated into the lead as Robinson followed suit, looking to overcome the bridesmaid blues that have haunted him for the last three weeks as he makes a comeback from a two-year hiatus from the sport.

Robinson's night would end early after a brief encounter with the front stretch wall damaged the rear-end of the FnF Racing #x1 and sidelined him for the night. Following the caution period for Robinson, the restart saw Placerville's Andy Gregg move in to challenge Wiesz for the lead. Both drivers raced side by side for the next two laps until Gregg overtook the lead.

Once Gregg overtook the lead, Wiesz began to close in on him when lapped traffic began to slow Gregg slightly. On the 10th lap Gregg drifted off the cushion in turn four which allowed Wiesz to redeem his lead. Gregg began charging back towards the front of the field until he suffered a roll over along the backstretch embankment which also collected Justin Johnson and Cameron Mendes. Despite damage, Gregg was able to return and still finish ninth in the event.

"Andy was fast tonight, he's always fast here," said Wiesz. "When he got around me the first time I wasn't sure I was going to be able to have another chance until we had a restart and that put me closer to him. The high side was working good tonight, he got caught up in the cushion there and I had to be really careful to not do the same thing"

At the checkered flag Wiesz was followed by Auburn's Andy Forsberg, Scott Russell of Placerville, Myles Bishop of Escalon and Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove.

In the Wingless Sprint Car division, Darrell Hanestad of Clayton scored his second straight Placerville victory in the Joe Hunt Magnetos feature event. With the waving of the green flag, Keith Bloom of Anderson took the lead from the outside of the front row and maintained it until the 11th lap when Hanestad, who started sixth, overtook the lead.

Once he was in front, Hanestad maintained the lead for the remainder of the event. Bloom finished in the second potion in front of Taylor Simas of Orland, Cody Myers of Browns Valley and Ray Rust of Garden Valley. Rust returned to the speedway for the first time in two years. The former Placerville and Civil champion retired from racing winged sprint cars followed an injury accident. Saturday he strapped into the #3v normally driven by Josh Viera and drove from 12th to fifth place.

Scotty Grunert win in pure stocks follows his dad's win the previous week. JPM Photo by Donna Peter

In the Pure Stock division, Scotty Grunert of Woodland drove to his first career victory. Last year Grunert began to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rick Grunert, a successful stock car racer for much of his life and a former Placerville champion.

Saturday night, the second generation Grunert started the feature event on the outside of the front row and took the lead at the waving of the green flag. With nine laps down Tom Tilford of Citrus Heights moved into the lead position. This marked the first appearance of the 2006 division champion in more than a year as both he and his brother Matt returned to the track together in celebration of their's fathers 50th birthday.

Dan Brown Jr. wins for the 3rd time this season. JPM Photo by Donna Peter

Tilford commanded the field for much of the race until he suffered a right rear flat tire late in the event that slowed him and eventually allowed Grunert to redeem the lead on the 18th lap. At the finish line Grunert was followed by Matt Tilford who started fifth, Tim Mack of El Dorado, Tom Tilford an Rick Grunert.

The Pro Stock division saw Dan Brown Jr. of Nevada City win his third feature event of the year. Brown started in the fourth position and charged to the second position on the opening lap to chase early leader Jeff Arbogast of Auburn. Arbogast lead the event until the 10th lap when he became boxed in with lapped traffic, allowing Brown to overtake the lead.

Once in front, Brown led the event to the checkered flag where he finished ahead of Arbogast, Dennis Ahart of Cameron Park, Del Tremblay of Camino and Dennis Armstrong of El Dorado.

This Saturday racing continues at Placerville Speedway with the fifth championship event of the season feature winged 360 sprint cars, pro stocks, pure stocks and the nor cal dwarf cars. For additional information on this event or complete results from Saturday's event check out www.placervillespeedway.com.