When the Civil War series returns to Calistoga Speedway on Saturday, Northern California’s premier touring series for “360” sprint cars will bring a torrid championship battle that could see any one of four drivers inherit the top spot by the end of the night.

Leading the Civil War brigade is Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, a two-time series champion, who has a scant 25-point lead over Colby Weisz of Colfax, while defending champion Greg DeCaires of Elk Grove and Placerville’s Jimmy Trulli lurk right behind.

The four top runners showed their muscle last weekend in Placerville, taking the top four spots at the checkered flag and three of them within a fraction of a second behind winner DeCaires.

DeCaires hopes that his first Civil War win of the season gives him momentum as the series heads to the Calistoga half-mile oval, the biggest and fastest of the five tracks that the series tours.

“This season has been tough on us,” said DeCaires, who won the first race that the Civil War series ever ran at Calistoga three years ago.

“We’ve been consistent, but we didn’t have the edge it takes to pull off a win.”

Forsberg, a two-race winner in the series this year, isn’t taking his slim point lead for granted. “Everybody in this series is tough and they all have hitter motors,” said Forsberg, who also has raced at Calistoga in the Golden State Challenge series.

That experience may give him a competitive edge, Weisz acknowledges. “Getting laps at Calistoga is important because it’s the biggest track around here and the speeds are tremendous,” says Weisz, who made his first appearance at Calistoga last year.

“It can take five or six races to learn the characteristics of the track,” he added, noting that tire choices, gears and chassis set-up are much different on the half-mile than on the other tracks where the series runs.

Even so, Weisz is confident of keeping pace with Forsberg for the title. “He got a pretty good start at the beginning of the season and we got caught up in some wrecks early on,” he said. “But we’ve come back and we’re right on his tail,” adds Weisz, who acknowledged that the Civil War title is the team’s goal for the year.

Another local favorite is Mike Bensen of Calistoga, who will have a rare opportunity to race in his hometown. Bensen sits eighth in the point standings driving for a different owner.

“We’ve had our problems all year and it hasn’t gone the way we wanted,” he said, after finishing last Saturday night in the infield when the car broke a rear end.

“On Saturday, I’ll be there in my own car and we know it’s fast,” Bensen said.

Gates open at 5 p.m. with qualifying beginning at 6 p.m.

A full racing program is scheduled, including heat races, a semi-main event and a 25-lap main event for the top 24 cars.

The field will be racing for a purse fattened by sponsor M and M Structures of Woodland, which has added $1,500.

Calistoga Speedway is located on the Napa Valley Fairgrounds, and for ticket information, call 942-5111.