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PRESS RELEASE, FROM THE OFFICE OF JOHN PADJEN MOTORSPORTS
PLACERVILLESPEEDWAY, PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT: BILL SULLIVAN: [email protected]
Local church to erect race track flagpole to honor late driver Terry Scher
Area businesses collaborate to brighten Placerville Speedway in patriotic fashion
PLACERVILLE – The Cold Springs Community Church of Placerville has announced its sponsorship contributions to Placerville Speedway for the upcoming racing season.
Among the contingencies will be a 25 foot flagpole to display the American flag during racing events, an amenity that has been missing from the El Dorado County Fairground arena for decades. An American Flag flies over the fairgrounds property, however it is somewhat distant from the grandstand area where auto racing and various sporting events are held.
The patriotic hardware will be mounted on the hill just west of the racetrack surface. Today it was announced that the flagpole will be dedicated to the late Terry Scher of Pollock Pines. Scher was a longtime pure stock driver and friend to the speedway who recently lost his courageous battle with cancer.
"We noticed the real need for a permanent flag pole after not having a "flag vehicle" numerous times at the track last year, so we had planned to sponsor the pole anyway," explained Don Wilson, the associate pastor of Cold Springs Community Church and the official chaplain of Placerville Speedway. "With Terry Scher passing away and the impact he had on the racing community and Placerville Speedway in general, it seems so appropriate to dedicate it to him. Terry always supported me at the track from the day I started and he was a wonderful friend to me. It's an honor to memorialize him and to carry on his legacy at the track."
For much of his life, Terry Scher was involved in local auto racing. Before joining the Pure Stock division in 2002 he was involved with assisting many drivers at the speedway, involved with destruction derbies and much more. For Terry one of the most important aspects of racing was pleasing a crowd and putting on a show every week for his fans. The owner and operator of On Stage Productions in Pollock Pines, Scher believed in the philosophy that any business owner or promoter must live by; to be successful you must entertain your customers and keep them coming back.
Terry helped the speedway and the fairgrounds many times behind the scenes with his technical assistance and knowledge of public address systems. Over the past two years he donated his equipment and time for memorial services that were held for Mark Forni and A.J Dunn. Additionally, Scher often came to the rescue of promoter Alan Padjen and track communications director Bill Sullivan when sparks and smoke often lead to a dead pa system just hours before a race. Both agree the flagpole dedication is appropriate for a person that helped make sure the show always went on.
"The American Flag is something that belongs at every sporting event, this is long overdue," saId Sullivan. "For years race fans have been making fun of the "flag on a rope" that dangles at Calistoga Speedway and I have always kind of laughed at that… because,well, at least they had a flag. I know Terry would be proud of this honor."
Assisting with the flagpole project will be local engineering contractor Gordon Vicini who will assist with installation. For many years Vicini has assisted Placerville Speedway with equipment needs and hauling services. Advantage Construction Supply of Sacramento will sponsor additional materials for the installation, thanks to owner Steve Lamothe who is also a local motor sports photographer and a contributor to the track on a regular basis.
This will mark the fourth consecutive year that the Cold Springs Community Church continues its partnership with Placerville Speedway. In addition to the flag pole sponsorship, Wilson and the church have announced they will return as the "Hard Luck Award" sponsor for 2008. They will award $50 to a driver that had bad luck during the night, from a crash to a photo finish.
"We are proud to have the Cold Springs Community Church with us for another season," said Sullivan. "In today's economy sponsors are getting hard to come by and we appreciate the support of everyone involved with this latest project. It's something everyone wants to be a part of and that's what it's all about, the community coming together."
The 2008 racing season will being in just a few weeks with the Hoosier Racing Tires Civil War Race Series opening the track on Saturday, March 15th. For additional information on this event please visit www.placervillespeedway.com.
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