Sweet added that Placerville “is one of the few places that get a lot of community support for a weekly show.” Some of that is the result of how much Russell and Arnold make the community a part of the track, from hiring local students to work in concessions to a steady diet of promotion including bike-giveaways, discounts for students and group nights for the local Boys and Girls Club and Rotary Club.
“I feel we‘re in the entertainment business and, as racers, have to show some appreciation to the fans,” said Russell.
Sweet, who has promoted WoO events and is now a one-third partner in promoting Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, believes Russell‘s biggest challenge “is getting the infrastructure in place to put on bigger events.”
To meet that challenge, Russell is continuing to move dirt and work on his list of projects at a speedway that has harbored a lot of nostalgic racing memories but hadn‘t been modernized in decades.
More dirt is coming to fill in behind that new retaining wall off turn two that will create a foundation for yet another pit-side grandstand, planned to be in place in time for this fall‘s World of Outlaws race and the Hangtown 100.
It looks like he‘s going to need a lot more coffee.