Story By: PJ PETERSEN / JFM – PLACERVILLE, CA – Getting his first look at Placerville Speedway over the weekend during the NorCal Posse Shootout, Cole Wakim admitted to having some struggles on the bullring but was able to survive a wild feature on Saturday night and record a 10th place finish.
“For being my first trip to Placerville I definitely feel like I learned a lot and will be better when we get back there later this year,” Cole Wakim said. “It was really a struggle of a weekend, but with how wild the feature turned out to be Saturday I was glad we escaped in one piece.”
The two-day show kicked off on Friday night where the Simi Valley, CA driver timed the Quick Change Liquid Energy/Inland Rigging/MPe backed No. 73 mount in second in his group before finishing third in his heat race.
Lining up on the front row of the feature event, Wakim went to work on the slick quarter mile as he settled into the Top-Five as action was all over the track. Holding his own in the top spot, Wakim felt the brunt of another competitors right rear tire as he was moved off the racing surface and forced to the back of the pack.
Able to restart, Wakim worked his way back to 13th when the race came to a close.
Back at it on Saturday night, Wakim again got off to a quick start in the Jimmy May prepared entry as he timed in second fastest in his qualifying group before picking up a second place finish in his heat race.
Gridding the field from the inside of the fourth row for the 30-lap feature event, Wakim settled into ninth as a wild feature event came to life. Running inside the Top-10, Wakim had issues of his own on the eighth lap and was relegated to the back of the pack.
Restarting in 16th, Wakim was able to avoid some of the carnage that took place on the bullring as he worked his way back into the Top-10 by the time the race was called on the 20th lap.
“It was just a bit of a struggle all weekend trying to figure a new place out,” Wakim said. “Thanks to the JFM team for all of their hard work.”