PLACERVILLE, CA (9-20-11) - This Saturday night, Placerville Speedway will host a very special event with eighth annual Tribute to Al Hinds" sponsored by Thompson's Auto Centers featuring the Civil War Sprint Cars. This event will pay tribute to the late Al Hinds, the early track promoter here that taught many of us involved in the sport today one simple philosophy that we live by to survive; racing is about much more than going fast and checkered flags, it's about family.

Hinds was the second operator of Placerville Speedway in 1968 and he was promoting far more than auto racing in those days. The proprietor of Hinds Machine Shop, Al Hinds promoted a community to embrace the great sport of auto racing, a sport he dearly loved all his life, a sport where many loved him and will never forget what he did for auto racing here.

Growing up in El Dorado County, I was fortunate to have met Al Hinds at a very young age. He and my late father were both well known in the business community and he was a close friend of my family as far back as I can remember. Back in those days I knew Al Hinds as the kind man with the funny smile who visited with my father on a regular basis and always managed to make me laugh as a child.

Later in life, I still knew him as the dear man who still managed to make many of us laugh every Saturday afternoon at Placerville Speedway. Through the years I had since learned from my father and many members of the racing community just what contributions this man had made to the sport that is a livelihood to us today.

During his career, Al Hinds spent countless hours in his machine shop and on the grader at the track every day. When he wasn't in one of those two places, he spent much of his time out in the community educating residents about the sport, its great source of family values and entertainment. He had a talent of convincing fellow local business owners to contribute to what is known today as Placerville's only professional spectator sport.

Although I knew him on a personal level before I could even walk, my friendship with Al Hinds became very special when I began working in public relations and announcing at Placerville Speedway. Every Saturday afternoon when I arrived at the fairgrounds I always took some extra time to visit with this man whose efforts still inspire many of us today. Those simple moments I spent, sitting in the empty stands before a race listening to Al Hinds taught me far more than any college ever did. While those college majors may have gotten my to the higher levels of this sport, it is lessons taught by people like Al Hinds that have helped me survive.

Hinds was always the first spectator there, possessing his gold plated lifetime pass that we had presented to him on one fourth of July a few seasons back. To Hinds that shiny little plaque meant as much as an Oscar statue does to an accomplished actor and was a small token when compared to the contributions and sacrifices this man made to build the sport of auto racing in El Dorado County.

During the last few years of his life, Al Hinds rarely missed a race at the track just a few miles from his Placerville home. He would often visit the speedway during the week and visit with Alan Handy during breaks from preparing to the track. During each visit here he always shared his deep knowledge of the sport, as well as many tales of the early days, with all of us those inspirational words of wisdom were almost always accompanied with a great joke that he would laugh at right along with you each and every time he told it.

For eight years now there has been an empty seat in the grandstands at Placerville Speedway. There has since been an empty place in my own heart and the hearts of many ever since we all learned that Hinds had passed away following complications from pneumonia. Just days after the news of his passing reached the racing community, a simple phone call the now defunct Family Chevrolet in Shingle Springs insured that our special friend would long be remembered here.

With the closure of the longtime auto dealer last year, the future of Placerville's second richest annual race was in question at the end of last year. Now, thanks to the gratitude and community sport of Ron Thompson of Thompson's Auto Centers, the Tribute to Al Hinds continues for it's eighth straight year with a $3000 to win feature race. This year the event is bigger than ever as the 2011 Civil War champion will earn a $10,000 bounty.

The Tribute to Al Hinds event has never been a somber style memorial event, it's been a party of power and speed which is exactly how he would have wanted it. Due to the current economic times and the scheduling of the penultimate series race on Friday night in Watsonville, this will mark the first year the event will not feature a car show in the area. The reason the longtime feature was scratched was simply do to the effect many teams would be unable to make the trip early in the morning due to the Friday night event.

Much like Hinds, Ron Thompson believes in supporting the community that surrounds his business including the Tribute to Al Hinds" Civil War race with the $1000 bonus going to the winner courtesy of the local auto dealer. With the added bonus this race is the highest paying victory on the regular Civil War Series tour. We thank you Ron Thompson for insuring a great event continues in El Dorado County.

Al Hinds had a philosophy that all of us have heard at one time or another from the famous baseball movie starring Kevin Costner called "Field of Dreams." Hinds believed strongly, if you build it they will come. Thanks to Hinds' philosophy, they continue to come today as Placerville Speedway maintains one of the strongest weekly fan bases in the region. Saturday night, we will test that philosophy once again with the 8th annual Tribute to Al Hinds at the place where Al Hinds life in auto racing began and will long be remembered, on his very own "field of dreams." Surely, the fans will come in the thousands.