By Bill Sullivan/Sullivan Images Media
ELK GROVE, CA – After a bad day at the office, often times the best cure to put it behind you is a peaceful night at home. For Elk Grove’s Billy Strange, peace may be in the form of roaring engines and flying red clay but it’s still at the track he calls home. This Saturday night, Strange will veer off of his original season schedule and forego the next King of the West Sprint Car event to return Placerville Speedway.
“With bad luck we had last week and the long tow we were facing to Santa Maria we decided to make a change in plans,” said Strange. “Right now we just can’t warrant the cost of towing all the way down there so we’re heading back to Placerville and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Last weekend Strange competed at the lightning fast Tulare Thunderbowl for the annual Pombo Sargent Classic. From the moment the #28x sprint car rolled out of the trailer it was just wasn’t a night that was meant to be for Strange and his team.
“We were behind the eight ball the entire night,” said Strange. “We were chasing the set up all night long and just couldn’t get the car where it needed to be. Once in awhile you just have one of those nights where you just can’t make any progress.”
Strange finished 7th in his heat race in the Tulare event. He then entered the Semi-main event in hopes of transferring into the A-feature. Strange finished 13th in the race to end his night. Currently, the second generation driver sits 11th overall in the King of the West point standings.
After a couple of sparse appearances earlier this season, Strange returns to Placerville Speedway this Saturday night to compete in the weekly Red Hawk Casino Championship Series. Placerville Speedway is the track where Strange followed in the footsteps of his Father, Billy Strange Sr. and began his dirt track racing career first in Midget Lites with the Bay Cities Racing Association and then moving up to 360 powered sprint cars after that.
In 2010, Strange spent the majority of his season at Placerville Speedway. He concluded the year with a 13th place finish in the point standings. He had four top ten finishes in the year and won a total of three preliminary heat races.
“We had a good year at Placerville last season, considering we had our share of bad luck along with the good,” said Strange. “This year we decided to bounce around a bit and ended up running a pretty regular schedule with the KWS. I’m looking forward to come back this Saturday night and hopefully we can pick up a top ten finish or better and get some momentum going again.”
Strange is always looking for additional marketing partners for the 2011 racing season.. Among their current supporters are America's Tire Kevin Sharrah Designs, ART Enterprises, Swepco Lubricants, Pronol Race Fuels, High Country Painting and Amerikote. To learn more about Billy Strange or to contact them about sponsorship opportunities, visit his official website at www.billystrangejr.com.
- Bill Sullivan on May 19, 2011
- Article Date: 5/19/2011 by Bill Sullivan/Sullivan Images Media