NASCAR Race to bring national attention to Placer County

NASCAR Toyota/NAPA AutoCare 150 in Roseville

Roseville, Calif.- The upcoming NASCAR Toyota/NAPA AutoCare 150 race coming to the All American Speedway in Roseville on March 29 is more than just an auto race. And it’s more than just a sports story.  Holding the nation-wide opener of the NASCAR Camping World Series in Roseville will draw national attention to the Placer Valley.

While the All American Speedway holds weekly NASCAR races in the Whelen All American Home Track Racing Series, the Camping World Series is considered NASCAR’s premier driver development division and the stepping stone to the top-tier of racing. Formerly known as the Grand Nationals, it has been a launching pad for the careers of Brendan Gaughan, Kevin Harvick, Lance Hooper, Rick Carelli, David Gilliland and many other drivers. Holding the first race of the season for both the West and the East Coasts puts the track in the company of Infineon Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway, and the Colorado National Speedway.

NASCAR fans are loyal and avid supporters of their races, their favorite drivers and their sponsors. They arrive early for the festivities, the practices and the time trials, and to shop at the vendors. In 2008 an estimated $3.5 billion will be spent to sponsor motorsports and NASCAR will receive the bulk of North American sponsorship dollars, according to IEG, the nations leader in entertainment sponsorship marketing. This is a 9% increase over 2007 when there is a decrease in sponsorship money in many other areas.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Bill McAnally and his organization are bringing the NASCAR Camping World Series event to Roseville,” said Greg Van Dusen, CEO of Placer Valley Tourism. “The event itself is thrilling and will generate tremendous excitement and wonderful memories for everyone who attends.  That’s a positive social impact. The economic impacts will be significant because there is such loyal interest in NASCAR and the Camping World series.  We expect visitors from throughout the western region to come in for the race, to stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and enjoy our wonderful quality of life while they are here.”

Ticket orders have been coming in from the Bay Area, Oregon, Nevada, and throughout California.  In addition to the Placer Valley hotels taking reservations, RV parking is being prepared at the Placer County Fairgrounds, where the Speedway is located.

Race fans across the US will get a chance to discover that there’s a top-quality NASCAR race track in Roseville when the event is broadcast live on HDNet television and aired on the Speed Channel.  Local radio station, 101. 9 The Wolf, will also broadcast the action live to their northern California audience as part of their weekly NASCAR coverage.

NASCAR is also taking a look at this area, recognizing that between the All American Speedway in Roseville and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, there are a lot of fans ready for big car racing. ‘We are pleased that the inaugural 2008 NASCAR Camping World Series event is being hosted at All-American Speedway,’  said George Silbermann, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Operations. ‘Sacramento is a great market and an important addition to the calendar for our premier developmental series.’

Bill McAnally Racing, headquartered in Antelope, has partnered with All American Speedway to promote the Toyota/NAPA AutoCare 150. McAnally will be fielding three of the contenders – Eric Holmes, 2006 West Champion, Moses Smith and Austin Cameron. “After years of developing teams for the Grand National West, I can’t wait to race in my own back yard!” says McAnally.

2007 Series champion, Mike David, who races out of the Stockton Modesto area will be defending his title in the main event, which is scheduled for an 8:00 pre-race ceremony and green flag at 8:30. The evening will also feature an SRL Series race, All American Speedway Modifieds, and WSRA Mini-Cups and Baby Grands. Practice, time trials and qualifying will be held on Friday, starting at 12:15.