Mel Hall Memorial in Marysville kick starts Civil War Double Header

May 18, 2013 - PRLog -- By Bill Sullivan/ Civil War Sprint Car Series Media

MARYSVILLE, CA (5-25-13) - The Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Sprint Car Series heads back into action in a big way this weekend with two high profile events in the Northern likes of California. Saturday night, the California Series for 360 winged sprint cars returns to Paul to the action packed Marysville Raceway Park for the prestigious Mel Hall Memorial and round three of the traveling campaign. One night later the tour travels a bit further north to Silver Dollar Speedway for its annual Memorial Day weekend race in conjunction with the Silver Dollar Fair.

Back in 1991 it was Hall who teamed with several longtime area racing promoters and brought several area tracks together to form a traveling series for the 360 sprint car division. The tour was originally called the North vs. South Civil War Series and was designed to allow drivers to compete in a traveling campaign while still being able to compete at their local weekly tracks for championships.

This Saturday the Civil War Sprint Car Series will take the spotlight in Hall's honor for the annual Mel Hall Memorial at Marysville Raceway Park. The event is expected to have an abundant car count and a packed grandstand as fans and drivers alike gather to remember Hall, who not only was involved with the birth of the Civil War Sprint Car Series but was known best for his longtime promotion of the now defunct Ernie Purcell Speedway in Grass Valley and the track that is now known as Marysville Raceway Park, it was Hall who took the reigns of the Marysville facility in 1994.

The Arkansas native is known for bringing sprint car racing to the track that was primarily a stock car racing facility. After a hard fought battle with cancer, Hall passed away in 1999 and left behind a legacy in auto racing promotion in California while at the same time laying the ground work to insure racing continues in the north state for years to come. Hall had a special place in his heart for the Civil War Series he co-founded.

         In its early years the series routinely opened at Marysville and Hall was often the promoter faced with the challenges of terrible weather and flooded track conditions to open the season. Nearly every year he was faced with such challenges as renting pumps to drain the race track and work the pit area. Regardless of the adversities, Hall made the show go on even in his final days when his health began to challenge him physically. Anyone in the sport of auto racing knows just how much Hall truly loved the sport and its drivers and not only his race track, all of the tracks in the region.

         As the Civil War Series enters one of it's busiest months with five total events between now and late June, the championship point standings have a new face and a very familiar one already contending for the lead. Prunedale's Justin Sanders leads the series point standings. Sanders is currently nine points ahead of former series champions Sean Becker of Roseville and Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove. Becker is second in the ranks, nine points out of the lead. DeCaires is third, 11-points out of the point lead.

         Former series Rookie of the Year Mason Moore is fourth overall and tied for position with Benecia's Billy Aton and Sacramento's Billy Butler in the point standings. Brett Rollag of Rohnert Park is in the seventh slot in the standings over Colfax driver Colby Wiesz. Defending seven time Champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn is ninth over Sacramento's Herman Klein who rounds out the top ten one position ahead of former Marysville Champion Jeremy Burt of Grass Valley.

         The gates at Marysville will open at 5 p.m. on Saturday. For complete ticket prices visit the track's official website at www.marysvilleracewaypark.com.

         Following the Mel Hall Memorial at Marysville the Civil War contenders will head north to Chico on Sunday for round three and the Silver Dollar Fair event. For additional information on the weekend to come for the Civil War Series please visit the official website of the series at www.civilwarsprints.com.

The Civil War Series is managed by Handy Racing Promotions Inc. in cooperation with the participating tracks on the tour including Petaluma Speedway, Silver Dollar Speedway, Placerville Speedway, Kings Speedway, Antioch Speedway and Marysville Raceway Park. Learn more about this exciting traveling series at their official website today.