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Justin Sanders narrowly beats out Ryan Bernal to win a thrilling Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo finale on Friday/ Brad Furr wraps up 2nd title
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – September 23, 2016…Watsonville’s Justin Sanders & Hollister’s Ryan Bernal waged an epic duel on Friday night to help finish off the 2016 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo season. In the end it was Sanders just sneaking by off the final corner to claim his fifth victory of the year and fourth in a row to conclude the campaign.
After winning the championship in 2015 Sanders came back this year and admittedly fought the car early on, but worked on it and certainly showed the speed late in the season from his title run. Friday’s event could definitely be billed as an instant classic, with he & Bernal going back & forth for the lead on numerous occasions.
“That sure was a fun race tonight with Ryan (Bernal) and I couldn’t be happier to end the season in victory lane,” said the driver of the North County Plastering/ Rodgers Diner No. 17 Sprinter. “We weren’t quite as good tonight and Ryan was really good so he definitely made me work for it. Off that final corner he left just enough room for me to get under him and luckily we were able to get by. I can’t thank my whole team enough for their support. We got into a nice roll late in the season and don’t want to see it end. I’ll be back hereOctober 7 with KWS so we’re looking forward to that.”
Early on in the feature things got off to a slow start with yellows and an extended red flag period, but once the race got into a flow fans were treated to best A-main of the season. Sanders jumped into the lead, but had Bernal keeping pace with him every step of the way. The track had slicked off & widened out very nicely for the feature and made for a slide fest throughout the field. Sanders & Bernal proceeded to play a high-speed chess match, with the lead changing hand on multiple occasions, as they crossed each other over with regularity.
When the race wound down Bernal found himself in the lead looking for his first ever Ocean Speedway Winged Sprint Car win. On July 29he had come close, only to have Sanders squeak by in traffic late in the race. With the white flag in the air this time around Bernal accepted it as the leader, but going into turn one a lap car slowed him up just enough, allowing Sanders the chance to power underneath to scoop up the top spot. Bernal was able to diamond the exit off turn two however, and drive back underneath to re-take the lead.
As the pair rounded the fourth corner coming to the checkered flag Bernal slid up and Sanders got to his inside, with slight contact taking place, and was able to nip him at the line for the stunning win. The official margin of victory was just 0.086 seconds. Sanders ended up claiming five of the 12 races held this season with the Ocean Sprints, after coming off a season in which he scored nine wins.
Bernal’s runner up effort matched his best career Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo finish aboard the Mike Phulps owned Metal Works No. 56 machine. The versatile driver was the youngest Wingless Sprint Car champion at Ocean Speedway when he claimed the title at just 14 years of age. “That was a great race tonight, although I wish we could have come out on top of course. Justin (Sanders) is always tough here so to race like that with him is a testament to my guys. We’re getting better & better with the wing and that gives me a lot of confidence. We’ll get a win here one of these days. We’ve been knocking on the door and getting closer.”
Campbell’s Brent Kaeding had a solid run in the feature to come third at the helm of the Al’s Roofing Supply/ High Five Pizza No. 69 Sprinter. The two-time Ocean Sprints champ made some nice moves to slide underneath cars and earn a podium finish. “It was a good run for us tonight so I’m happy to be standing on the front stretch. The guys gave me a really good car all night and I had a great seat to watch Sanders & Bernal in the feature. That was an outstanding race between those two so hopefully the fans enjoyed it, because I know I did. We’ll be back here October 7 with KWS and hope everyone will bring a friend as well.”
Rounding out the top-five was 12th starter Bud Kaeding of Campbell and this year’s Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo champion Brad Furr. It marked the second track title for the Stockton driver, who earned one win this year and used solid consistency to bring home the championship. “We’re really happy to wrap up our second title tonight. I want to give a big thanks to each & every person that helps out on this team and supports us. We love coming over here to Ocean Speedway. It’s one of the best tracks in California and we hope to keep doing this for as long as we can. We’ll head up to Chico next week to try and have some fun at the Fall Nationals.”
The top-10 was completed by Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson and Hanford’s DJ Netto. Full results will be available at www.racepmg.com
Ryan Bernal won the night’s dash, with Brent Kaeding, Colby Copeland and Justin Sanders claiming the heat races. Brad Furr started off the night by setting his fourth Ray Scheidts Electric Fast Time of the year by clocking a blazing fast 11.511 around the quarter-mile.
The Sprint Car season at Ocean Speedway comes to a close on Friday October 7 with the third & final appearance this year by the traveling King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series.
Championship night on tap for the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo this Friday at the Ocean Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – September 19, 2016…What started back in April will officially come to a close this Friday night September 23, with the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo set for their 2016 season finale at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway.
The event on Friday will ultimately mark the 12th race of the year, in what has been the 10th anniversary season for the Ocean Sprints.
During those races there have been six different winners, including the hottest driver at the speedway as of late, Justin Sanders. The reigning Taco Bravo champion won’t take home the title this year, but has captured a track-high four victories this season, including the last three. The Watsonville based competitor looks to finish off the campaign with win number five on Friday.
Going into the finale Stockton’s Brad Furr is searching to lock-up his second career Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo championship.
The veteran driver has used one win and solid consistency to maintain the point lead for much of the season. He last claimed the title in 2013 and goes into Friday with a 44-point cushion over young upstart Buddy Kofoid of Penngrove. Furr has spent time in his career traveling with the World of Outlaws and throughout California at times, but has found a home at the Ocean Speedway in recent seasons.
Kofoid has also raced to a single victory this season and looks to wrap up Rookie of the Year honors on Friday, something he’s already done at the Placerville Speedway. The talented 14-year-old rising star capped the Placerville campaign with a third place finish in the standings. Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, Fremont’s Dustin Golobic and another rookie this season, Lucas Ashe of Cottonwood, round out the top-five in points going into Friday.
Other drivers that have picked off wins this season include past Ocean Sprints champs Shane Golobic of Fremont & Tommy Tarlton of Easton, along with two-time King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series champion Kyle Hirst. Both Golobic & Tarlton have scooped up two victories apiece and have been in the thick of things all season long.
More drivers expected Friday will include Hanford’s DJ Netto, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Salinas’ Jason Chisum, Fresno’s Koen & Kyler Shaw, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Oakdale’s Shawn Conde, Templeton’s Kaleb Montgomery, San Jose’s Darrell Taylor and others.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:30pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. The pit gate will open at 2pm. Friday’s event also features the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sports Mods, American Stocks and 4-Bangers.
All seating will be general admission with adult tickets $17, seniors 65 & older $16, children 6-12 $13 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $55. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.
A-main winners this year: Justin Sanders (4), Shane Golobic & Tommy Tarlton (2), Buddy Kofoid, Brad Furr, Kyle Hirst (1)
Following this Friday the Sprint Car season will then come to a close at the Ocean Speedway on Friday October 7 when the King of the West 410 Sprints invade the quarter-mile.
The Ocean Sprints & Ocean Speedway is held under the management of Prentice Motorsports Group, which also operates the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster, the Wingless Sprint Car Series presented by Hunt Magnetos & the All Star Modified Tour.
The Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West, Flowmaster, Budweiser and Kaeding Performance for their support. For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log ontowww.racepmg.com
Remaining Winged Sprint Car events at Ocean Speedway in 2016
Friday September 23: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo (Championship Night)
Friday October 7: King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series
Watsonville’s own Justin Sanders battles past Hollister’s Ryan Bernal in heavy traffic to earn the final automatic spot into the 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 29, 2016…A thrilling late-race duel at the Ocean Speedway on Friday saw last year’s Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo champion Justin Sanders sneak by Ryan Bernal in heavy traffic to claim victory and score the final automatic bid into the 56thrunning of the Johnny Key Classic.
It marked Sanders second triumph of the season aboard the North County Plastering/ Lancaster Locksmith No. 17 and couldn’t have been more exciting, as he made the move with just three-laps left for the lead that he would never relinquish.
He now joins Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Roseville’s Sean Becker and Visalia’s Steven Tiner as the fourth driver locked in for the Saturday August 20 Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway. The feature on Friday reminded the fans a bit of last year when Sanders made a number of similar exhilarating late-race charges.
“It feels great to be back up here in victory lane tonight and I couldn’t be happier,” said a jubilated Sanders on the front stretch. “We’ve really fought with this car all year long, but have definitely been making gains and it was great tonight. It’s huge having the chance to lock into the Johnny Key Classic with all the great cars that will be here. Lapped traffic sure was wild in the feature tonight and kept us all on our toes. Ryan Bernal did a great job out front, but luckily it worked out for us and we’re standing up here. I’m looking forward to going back to Knoxville now for the 360 Nationals next week and then it’s back here to get ready for the Key.”
The 30-lapper started off with Bernal getting the jump on pole sitter & dash winner Ryan Robinson from Foresthill. Bernal had his way out front for much of the race and kept his composure through various stoppages early on. The Hollister driver held command working traffic to perfection, but the complexion certainly changed when Sanders moved around Robinson for second just past a restart on lap 16.
As the race wore on Sanders methodically closed the gap between himself and the leader. With just under 10-circuits remaining things heated up and it became a battle for the top-spot between the two locally based competitors.
Bernal was able to do a nice job fending him off, until lapped traffic bunched everyone up on the front stretch coming down for lap 27. Bernal got pinched just enough and Sanders executed a pinpoint move to slip under and steal the lead away.
Bernal stayed close and looked to his inside coming down for the white flag, but Sanders cut a great corner, which allowed him the breathing room he needed to take the checkered flag by just under half a second for the win. Despite being disappointed after the race Bernal had an ultra impressive night and continued to show the versatility that makes him one of the very best Sprint Car drivers in California.
Los Angeles wheel-man Tyler Walker had a great run in the feature to charge from 13th to third, earning the High Five Pizza Hard Charger Award. Fremont’s Shane Golobic came home fourth at the checkered, with Robinson rounding out the top-five. The remainder of the top-10 was comprised of Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, Fresno’s Giovanni Scelzi, Stockton’s Brad Furr and Fremont’s Dustin Golobic.
As noted Ryan Robinson captured the dash, while the three heat races were picked off by Justin Sanders, Brad Furr and Tommy Tarlton. Ryan Bernal opened the night by pacing the 21-car field in qualifying to earn his first ever Ray Scheidts Electric Fast Time Award with a blistering fast lap of 11.523. Full results will be available at www.racepmg.com
A-main finish: #17 Justin Sanders #56 Ryan Bernal #3C Tyler Walker #22 Shane Golobic #83 Ryan Robinson #21 Tommy Tarlton #72W Kurt Nelson #41 Gio Scelzi #2 Brad Furr #9J Dustin Golobic #58 Jerry Bonnema #33 Lucas Ashe #21X Cole Macedo #25Z Jason Chisum #99 Wayne Katen #34 Darrell Taylor #4S Buddy Kofoid #7H Jake Haulot #34B Glenn Bryan #88 Koen Shaw
The Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo will now take a couple weeks before returning on Saturday August 20 for the 56th running of the prestigious Johnny Key Classic. The event also marks the final appearance of the season by the traveling Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster. More info on the night will be out soon.
The Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West, Flowmaster, Budweiser and Kaeding Performance for their support.
Photos courtesy Collin Markle & TDS Shots
Final Johnny Key Classic Qualifier on tap at Ocean Speedway this Friday July 29 for the Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Cars
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 25, 2016…After a week off the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo will return to competition this Friday night July 29 with the fourth & final Qualifying Race for the fast approaching 56th running of the prestigious Johnny Key Classic.
Already locked in by way of winning the three Qualifying Races held so far are Visalia’s Steven Tiner, who picked up the victory on June 11 in Placerville, as well as Roseville’s Sean Becker, who claimed the win on June 18 in Petaluma and Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, the winner at Ocean Speedway on July 8. Only the race winners will automatically lock into the Johnny Key Classic Dash. Tarlton earned his second victory of the season that night and has definitely begun to show the speed that made him a two-time champion at the quarter-mile.
Stockton’s Brad Furr goes into Friday leading the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo standings on the strength of one victory and a number of consistent finishes in recent events. The 2013 champion will look for a strong run this week to try and lock himself into the Key aboard the Price Rite Restaurant Equipment No. 2 machine. Including this Friday there are just four races remaining, as Furr guns to become a two-time Ocean Sprints titlist.
Talented youngster Buddy Kofoid of Penngrove ranks second in the points and has also driven to one victory this season. The 14-year-old has been very impressive at times in 2016 and will be one of the favorites on Friday at the helm of his Dan Simpson Racing No. 4s mount. Salinas brothers Jeremy & Jason Chisum and Fremont’s Dustin Golobic round out the top-five in points going into Friday’s round nine for the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson sits just on the cusp of the top-five and is only six-markers back of Golobic.
Two-time Ocean Sprints champion Shane Golobic will be a favorite to lock himself in on Friday night. Along with Tarlton the Fremont wheel-man is the only repeat winner thus far in 2016. Golobic also has a King of the West 410 win at the Ocean Speedway this season and finished runner up with the series a couple weeks back at the Howard Kaeding Classic. Reigning Ocean Sprints titlist Justin Sanders also hopes to punch his ticket into the Johnny Key on Friday. The Watsonville driver has one win so far this season and wants to get number two this week.
After finishing third on opening night of the HK Classic Hollister's Ryan Bernal returns to the Ocean Speedway on Friday. Bernal has quickly become one of the most versatile drivers in the entire Western United States. More drivers expected in competition this Friday will include Cottonwood’s Lucas Ashe, Fresno’s Koen & Kyler Shaw, Hayward’s Danny Malfatti, Oakdale’s Shawn Conde, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, San Jose’s Darrell Taylor and others.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:30pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. The pit gate will open at 2pm. Friday’s event also features the IMCA Sports Mods, American Stocks and 4-Bangers.
All seating will be general admission with adult tickets $17, seniors 65 & older $16, children 6-12 $13 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $55. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.
The Ocean Sprints & Ocean Speedway is held under the management of Prentice Motorsports Group, which also operates the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster, the Wingless Sprint Car Series presented by Hunt Magnetos & the All Star Modified Tour.
The Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West, Flowmaster, Budweiser and Kaeding Performance for their support. For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log onto www.racepmg.com
Remaining Winged Sprint Car events at Ocean Speedway in 2016
Friday July 29: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo (Final Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Saturday August 20: 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic (Civil War vs Ocean Sprints)
Friday August 26: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Friday September 23: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo (Championship Night)
Friday October 7: King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series
Friday July 29: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo (Final Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Saturday August 20: 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic (Civil War vs Ocean Sprints)
Friday August 26: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Friday September 23: Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo (Championship Night)
Friday October 7: King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series
Photos by TDS Shots
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Kyle Hirst makes it back-to-back at the Howard Kaeding Classic with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at Ocean Speedway on Saturday
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 16, 2016…Two-time King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series champion & current point leader Kyle Hirst of Paradise put on a masterful drive Saturday night to bring home the $4,000-to-win Howard Kaeding Classic for the second consecutive season at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway.
For Hirst it was his third King of the West victory of the 2016 campaign and the 19th of his career with the series, which ranks fifth all-time. Hirst battled 13-time KWS champ Brent Kaeding early on for the lead and then held off all challengers to claim the win aboard his Roth Motorsports/ Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21x machine.
“I couldn’t be happier to win this race for the second straight year and to sweep the weekend is pretty special,” said Hirst, who captured Friday’s Civil War vs Ocean Sprints event to open the HK Classic. “We had such a great car in the main event so I have to give a big thanks to Paul Baines & this entire team. I also want to give a huge thanks to Roth Motorsports & the Tarlton family for giving me the opportunity to drive this car. Hats off to the track prep crew for giving us a great surface both nights. That made it a lot of fun. We’ll now get ready for the Peter Murphy Classic next week in Tulare.”
The feature started off with dash winner Brent Kaeding of Campbell jumping out into the lead with a pack of hungry racers following suit. Hirst quickly fought his way forward from the third row and charged into second on lap-seven. He would then scoop up the lead with 10 laps complete, only to have Kaeding take it back on a lap 11 restart. Hirst would not be denied however, and carved his way back underneath to steal the lead one lap later. After that he had his way out front for much of the remaining distance, but the action behind remained extremely intense.
Three-wide racing was seen multiple times on the quarter-mile, as a number of drivers raced closely together for the runner up spot. Fremont’s Shane Golobic moved into second just past the halfway point and looked to make it close on a late race restart, only to have a caution slow things to a halt. When going back green Hirst clicked off four perfect laps and took the checkered flag for victory over Golobic by 1.417 seconds.
It marked Golobic’s second career runner up finish at the HK Classic and came at the helm of the Keith Day Trucking/ Gabilan Ag Service No. 22 mount. It continued what has been a very solid season overall for the two-time Ocean Speedway champion. He has now finished no worse than fourth in his last five King of the West starts, which includes four podium efforts. Campbell’s Bud Kaeding had a nice run in the feature to round out the podium in the Williams Motorsports/ Alviso Rock 0 Sprinter. Kaeding early on battled for the lead, before capping the weekend with a podium finish for the second straight night.
Hanford’s DJ Netto had a strong outing to come from 12th to fourth in the feature, as did Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, who completed the top-five at the checkered flag. Johnson spent time running in the second spot during the main event and looked very solid all night. The remainder of the top-10 was filled out by Brent Kaeding, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Citrus Height’s Kalib Henry and Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto. Statler was the hard charger after starting 19th and went home with a right rear tire courtesy of Hoosier Racing Tires.
Brent Kaeding as noted captured the dash, with the three 10-lap heat races picked off by Kyle Hirst, Colby Copeland and Bud Kaeding. All three also went home with a right rear tire from Hoosier. Mitchell Faccinto opened the night by setting his first fast time of the season by clocking an 11.639 around the Ocean Speedway. Jeremy Chisum went home with the hard luck award and received a right rear tire from Hoosier and a set of nerf bars, bumpers and fuel from Pippin Motorsports. Norm Martin Motorsports has also donated a front wing, 4 sleeves of tear offs & 10 gallons of fuel to the night.
A-main finish: #21X Kyle Hirst, #22 Shane Golobic, #0 Bud Kaeding, #88N DJ Netto, #68 Chase Johnson, #69 Brent Kaeding, #19 Colby Copeland, #00 Jason Statler, #M21 Kalib Henry, #37 Mitchell Faccinto, #3C Tyler Walker, #31C Justyn Cox, #25Z Jason Chisum, #21I Michael Ing, #33 Lucas Ashe, #12 Jarrett Soares, #21 Cole Macedo, #99 Wayne Katen, #98 Sean Watts, #91C Shawn Conde, #72W Kurt Nelson, #17 Justin Sanders, #94 Steven Tiner
Special thanks to Buster & Ziggy Enterprise, Alviso Rock, Kyle Larson Racing, Rico Abreu Racing, Riley Collins Body Shop, Emadco Recycling, Swift Metal, Williams Roofing, Roth Motorsports, Maxima Oil, High Five Pizza and FK Rod Ends for all their support of the HK Classic.
The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series is now geared up for the third annual Peter Murphy Classic this coming Friday & Saturday July 22 & 23 at the Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare. Friday night following the races on the fairgrounds there will be a post race party with a live band, plus food & drinks available. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and enjoy the evening with us. Camping is available on the fairgrounds with info found by calling 559-686-4707 or at www.tcfair.org
Reserved grandstand seats for the Peter Murphy Classic on July 22 & 23 cost $20 each night; with general admission bleacher tickets $18. To reserve your seats contact (559) 688-0909. The front gate will open at 4pm with racing expected to get underway around 7pm.
The Merle Stone Chevrolet Thunderbowl Raceway is located at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on the corner of Bardsley and K Streets in Tulare, California. From the junction of SR 99 and SR 137, go west on SR 137. At South K go south one-half mile to the Fairgrounds. More info can be found at
Sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic invades Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway this Friday & Saturday
Overall weekend helps benefit NARC Benevolent Fund
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 12, 2016…Since debuting in 2011 the Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway has become a destination event for race fans around Northern California and this weekend the Watsonville based quarter-mile is geared up to host the sixth edition of the showcase.
Howard Kaeding was a multiple-time California state super-modified champion, a four-time Johnny Key Classic winner and once captured a record 17-straight races at the San Jose Speedway. The driver known as the “Campbell Comet” claimed over 300 main event victories in his career and raced into his 60’s, before retiring in the 1990’s. The HK Classic has been a great weekend of re-living memories from the past and will certainly be so once again in 2016.
The racing weekend fires-off this Friday July 15 with the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster taking on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. Over the years at Ocean Speedway the Civil War Series vs Ocean Sprints events have been must see outings, with large & deep fields on hand each time.
Going into Friday night eight-time Civil War champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn holds onto a slim 13-point advantage in the series standings over Princeton’s Mason Moore. Sebastopol’s Geoff Ensign, Bradley Terrell & Redding’s Chase Majdic round out the top-five. Chico’s Michael Ing, Citrus Heights’ DJ Freitas, Visalia’s Steven Tiner, Fresno’s Koen Shaw & Roseville’s Sean Becker complete the top-10 in points.
On the Ocean Sprints side of things Stockton’s Brad Furr holds a 41-point lead over Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid going into one the biggest events of the year for the Taco Bravo 360’s. Salinas brother’s Jeremy & Jason Chisum and Fremont’s Dustin Golobic round out the top-five in the standings. Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, Cottonwood’s Lucas Ashe, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Koen Shaw & Hayward’s Danny Malfatti complete the top-10.
The Howard Kaeding Classic then concludes on Saturday July 16 with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series taking to the Ocean Speedway for the second time in 2016. The finale will see an hour earlier start time as usual during all Saturday events at Ocean Speedway. Also on hand will be the Wingless Sprints presented by Joe Hunt Magnetos, making it an all Sprint Car show to cap the weekend. The night of racing marks the 10th round of action for the King of the West Sprints.
Defending HK Classic winner Kyle Hirst from Paradise brings a 50-point lead into Saturday over 2014 winner Bud Kaeding of Campbell. Hirst has two wins this year, while Kaeding has three to his credit. Hanford’s DJ Netto, Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox & Grass Valley’s Jason Statler round out the top-five going into the weekend. Completing the top-10 in points are Gilroy’s Jarrett Soares, Atwater’s Sean Watts, Watsonville’s Justin Sanders, Chico’s Jonathan Allard & Fresno’s Cory Eliason.
More than $10,000 in extra cash & prizes will be on the line during the night with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series. In addition to the beefed up $4,000-to-win/ $700-to-start A-main, each heat race winner with KWS on Saturday will receive a right rear tire courtesy of Hoosier Racing Tires! Norm Martin Motorsports has also donated a front wing, 4 sleeves of tear offs & 10 gallons of fuel to be awarded during the night.
Special thanks to Buster & Ziggy Enterprise, Alviso Rock, Kyle Larson Racing, Rico Abreu Racing, Riley Collins Body Shop, Emadco Recycling, Swift Metal, Williams Roofing, Roth Motorsports, Maxima Oil, High Five Pizza and FK Rod Ends for all their support of the HK Classic.
More drivers set to take part in this weekend’s Howard Kaeding Classic will include two-time Ocean Sprints titlist & past Civil War champion Shane Golobic of Fremont, former King of the West champion Tyler Walker of Los Angeles, Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto, Roseville’s Colby Copeland, Penngrove’s Chase Johnson, Fresno’s Craig Stidham, Oakdale’s Shawn Conde, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, Rio Linda’s Scott Hall, Murrieta’s Cori Andrews and others.
The event as a whole begins this Thursday July 14 with the annual HK Classic Car Show & BBQ, held at Martial Cottle Park in San Jose at 5283 Snell Ave. Various drivers, hot rods and race cars will be on hand at the get-together that runs from 4pm-8pm and is the official kick-off for the Howard Kaeding Classic weekend.
There will be a delicious BBQ dinner from 5pm-7pm for a $20 donation, with proceeds going to the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund, which uses 100% of the funds raised to support the families of injured drivers, crew members and officials in West Coast Sprint Car racing. Martial Cottle Park is located near High Five Pizza at the Snell & Branham Plaza in San Jose.
Following Friday’s action High Five Pizza will be putting on a post-race party at the track with appetizers, drinks and a lot of fun to be had.On Saturday afternoon the annual HK Classic Luncheon takes place. Both events are also held to support the NARC Benevolent Fund, with the HK Classic Luncheon featuring an excellent steak meal for a $20 donation to the benevolent fund. Teams & fans are all encouraged to come and join in.
The Friday night post race party & Saturday afternoon luncheon will both be held in the Big White Tent located just off turn four. Easy access is available to enter from both the pit area and the fairgrounds. Camping is available for the Howard Kaeding Classic behind the grandstands on the main lawn area and is a perfect way to spend the weekend with the special events taking place on site.
Tickets for the Friday July 15 Civil War 360 Series vs Ocean Sprints event will be $22 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. The front gate will open at 4:30pm with hot laps at 5:30pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. All seating is general admission.
Tickets for the Saturday July 16 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints event will be $25 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. The front gate will open at 3:30pm with hot laps at 4:30pm, qualifying around 5 and racing to follow. All seating is general admission. Tickets for both nights can be pre-purchased at http://racepmg.com/tickets/ as well as at the car show on Thursday. Saving seats on Saturday will not be allowed prior to the races.
The Williams Roofing of Fremont, CA Royal Fan Draw will also take place both nights. On Friday the usual bonus of $1000 will be up for grabs to the driver whose starting position is drawn. On Saturday Williams has upped the ante to a $2500 bonus for the driver whose position is drawn. As always a trivia question will be asked and a fan will win $100, before drawing the random number out of a bag.
The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, two miles east of Watsonville, California on SR 152. The physical address is 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076. More info on all things Prentice Motorsports Group can be found atwww.racepmg.com 
Photos courtesy George Lucas & TDS Shots
Tommy Tarlton works traffic to perfection & locks into 56th Johnny Key Classic by way of winning Friday with the Ocean Sprints 
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 11, 2016…Already a two-time Johnny Key Classic winner in his career Easton’s Tommy Tarlton greatly improved his odds at getting number three this season by claiming victory on Friday during Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo round seven.
It was Tarlton’s second triumph of the season at Ocean Speedway and punches his ticket into the 56th running of the Key Classic onAugust 20. He now joins already locked in drivers Steven Tiner & Sean Becker with one Qualifying Race still to go on July 29. Tarlton’s victory came aboard the Executive Auto Sales/ Elite Landscape Construction No. 21 Sprint Car.
“We haven’t seemed to automatically lock ourselves into the Johnny Key Classic a whole lot recently, so to be able to do that tonight is pretty awesome,” said Tarlton on the front stretch. “We had a great car tonight and it was pretty wild going through lapped traffic. I can’t thank my crew chief Paul Baines and this entire team enough for all their hard work. Big thanks also to all of our marketing partners and all the fans that came out to support us tonight.”
Tarlton ended up leading all 30-laps in the feature, but had to fend off the relentless challenges from Los Angeles driver Tyler Walker. The former King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series champ was making his first Ocean Speedway start of the season aboard the Tri-C Manufacturing No. 3c machine. Lapped traffic in the main event made things very interesting and kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. Walker stalked Tarlton for a majority of the race, but the two-time Ocean Sprints champ made all the right moves and was able to keep him at bay.
A yellow flag with two-laps left created a single file restart and during it Tarlton got a solid lead and that was all she wrote, as he took the Ed Entz checkered flag for victory. Walker came home in second to mark his third straight runner up finish since joining the Clyde & Marion Lamar owned team. Fremont’s Shane Golobic was able to claim the final spot on the podium after an intense battle with Watsonville’s Justin Sanders through traffic. The pair put on a great show fighting back & forth.
Sander’s ended up fourth, with Hollister’s Ryan Bernal taking home the High Five Pizza Hard Charger Award by carving his way from 11th to fifth. The remainder of the top-10 was filled out by Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Stockton’s Brad Furr, Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid and Salinas’ Jeremy Chisum.
Tommy Tarlton picked off the night’s six-lap dash with the two heat races captured by Tarlton & Jerry Bonnema. Shane Golobic opened the night by setting the Ray Scheidts Electric Fast Time by touring the Ocean Speedway quarter-mile in 11.768 seconds. Full results are available at www.racepmg.com
The Ocean Speedway now gears up for the sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic this weekend. Everything begins on Thursday night July 14, with the third annual HK Classic Car Show & BBQ, held this year at Martial Cottle Park located at 5283 Snell Avenue in San Jose. Various drivers, hot rods and race cars will be on hand at the get-together that runs from 4pm-8pm, which is the official kick-off for the Howard Kaeding Classic weekend.
There will be a delicious BBQ dinner from 5pm-7pm for a $20 donation, with proceeds going to the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund. Please come out and enjoy a fun night with some great food, all put on for a terrific cause. Martial Cottle Park is located near High Five Pizza at the Snell & Branham Plaza in San Jose.
The racing weekend then begins on Friday night July 15 at Ocean Speedway with the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster taking on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. The event concludes Saturday July 16 with the Howard Kaeding Classic finale featuring the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints. The finale will see an earlier start time like usual during all Saturday events at Ocean Speedway.
Following Friday nights races High Five Pizza will be putting on a post-race party at the track with appetizers, drinks and a lot of fun to be had. Teams & fans are all encouraged to come and join in following the races. On Saturday afternoon the annual HK Classic Luncheon takes place, which kicks-off the final night’s action. Both events are also held to support the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund.
The Friday night post race party & Saturday afternoon HK Classic Luncheon will both be held in the Big White Tent located just off turn four.
Tickets for the Friday night July 15 Civil War 360 Series vs Ocean Sprints event will be $22 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. Tickets for the Saturday July 16 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints event will be $25 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. Tickets can be pre-purchased at http://racepmg.com/tickets/
Sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic shaping up to be another can’t miss weekend on July 15 & 16 at Watsonville’s Ocean SpeedwaySpecial events include July 14 Car Show & BBQ, Post Race Party Friday & Saturday Afternoon Luncheon
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 6, 2016…One of the most anticipated events of the year in Northern California will take place next weekend when the sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic converges at the comfortable confines of Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
Everything begins on Thursday night July 14, with the third annual HK Classic Car Show & BBQ, held this year at Martial Cottle Park located at 5283 Snell Avenue in San Jose. Various drivers, hot rods and race cars will be on hand at the get-together that runs from 4pm-8pm, which is the official kick-off for the Howard Kaeding Classic weekend.
There will be a delicious BBQ dinner from 5pm-7pm for a $20 donation, with proceeds going to the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund. Please come out and enjoy a fun night with some great food, all put on for a terrific cause. Martial Cottle Park is located near High Five Pizza at the Snell & Branham Plaza in San Jose.
The racing weekend then begins on Friday night July 15 at Ocean Speedway with the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster taking on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. The event concludes Saturday July 16 with the Howard Kaeding Classic finale featuring the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints. The finale will see an earlier start time like usual during all Saturday events at Ocean Speedway.
Following Friday nights races High Five Pizza will be putting on a post-race party at the track with appetizers, drinks and a lot of fun to be had. Teams & fans are all encouraged to come and join in following the races. On Saturday afternoon the annual HK Classic Luncheon takes place, which kicks-off the final night’s action. Both events are also held to support the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund.
The Friday night post race party & Saturday afternoon HK Classic Luncheon will both be held in the Big White Tent located just off turn four.
The NARC Benevolent Fund uses 100% of the funds raised to support the families of injured drivers, crew members and officials running Sprint Car Series’ in California. Various beneficiaries of the fund over the last 10-years include Dennis Moore Jr., Billy Sellers, Danny Faria Jr., the family of Alan Urias, Randy Hannagan, Tom Milne, Brad Bumgarner, the family of David Tarter and Peter Murphy.
“We definitely hope to see everyone at the Howard Kaeding Classic in Watsonville,” said Brent Kaeding, one of the NARC Benevolent Fund coordinators. “The special events support a very good cause and it’s an opportunity for everyone to have the chance to socialize and enjoy some great food. We always love getting the opportunity to hang with all the fans and we look forward to seeing everyone there. It’s going to be a big weekend with Civil War, the King of the West Series and the Hunt Series all at Ocean Speedway.”
“We definitely hope to see everyone at the Howard Kaeding Classic in Watsonville,” said Brent Kaeding, one of the NARC Benevolent Fund coordinators. “The special events support a very good cause and it’s an opportunity for everyone to have the chance to socialize and enjoy some great food. We always love getting the opportunity to hang with all the fans and we look forward to seeing everyone there. It’s going to be a big weekend with Civil War, the King of the West Series and the Hunt Series all at Ocean Speedway.”
The HK Classic Luncheon on Saturday July 16 at the track will feature an excellent steak lunch for a $20 donation to the benevolent fund. Howard, Brent & Bud Kaeding, along with other drivers will all be available for photos and autographs at the luncheon. Easy access is available to enter from both the pit area and the campgrounds. All race teams & fans are encouraged to come enjoy a great lunch prepared by Myles & the crew at Catering by 5.
“We really want to thank Myles at High Five Pizza & Catering by 5 for all of his support at the Howard Kaeding Classic,” said Kaeding. “Myles is doing a lot for us as always when it comes to the food and set up for these extra functions. We’re trying to make this event one of the big happenings in Northern California and one that fans want to attend every year. This event has really grown into being a premier showcase for Sprint Car racing in our state and we want to continue building on that.”
The Williams Roofing of Fremont, CA Royal Fan Draw will also take place both nights. On Friday the usual bonus of $1000 will be up for grabs to the driver whose starting position is drawn. On Saturday Williams has upped the ante to a $2500 bonus for the driver whose position is drawn! As always a trivia question will be asked from the booth and a fan will win $100, before drawing the random number out of a bag.
Tickets for the Friday night July 15 Civil War 360 Series vs Ocean Sprints event will be $22 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. Tickets for the Saturday July 16 King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints event will be $25 for adults, $15 for kids 6-12, children five & under free. Tickets can be pre-purchased athttp://racepmg.com/tickets/
Camping is available for the HK Classic behind the grandstands on the main lawn area and is the perfect way to spend the weekend with the special events taking place on site.
The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, two miles east of Watsonville, California on SR 152. The physical address is 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076. More info on all things Prentice Motorsports Group can be found at www.racepmg.com
Johnny Key Classic Qualifier on tap at Ocean Speedway this Friday July 8 for the Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Cars
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 5, 2016…After being dark over the 4th of July weekend the cool confines of Ocean Speedway will heat back up with the first Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo Qualifying Race for the 56th Johnny Key Classic this Friday nightJuly 8.
There has already been a pair of Johnny Key Classic Qualifiers held with the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster, with the final two now taking place with the Ocean Sprints in Watsonville this Friday July 8 & on July 29. Already locked in by way of winning the two main events respectively are Visalia’s Steven Tiner, who picked up the victory on June 11 in Placerville, as well as Roseville’s Sean Becker, who claimed the win on June 18 in Petaluma. Only the race winners will automatically lock into the Key Classic Dash.
Stockton’s Brad Furr goes into this Friday sitting atop the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo standings aboard his Price Rite Restaurant Equipment No. 2 machine. The 2013 champion captured the most recent event on June 17 and has finished no worse than second in the last three races. Furr will be gunning to lock himself into the Johnny Key Classic on Friday. Penngrove’s Buddy Kofoid ranks second in the points and will be another top challenger. The talented 14-year-old scored a victory on April 29 in Watsonville and has been a consistent front runner.
Salinas, CA’s Jason Chisum, Fresno’s Koen Shaw and Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson round out the top-five going into Friday’s round seven. Last time out Salinas driver Jeremy Chisum had one of the finest runs of his Sprint Car career, coming home a close second to Furr at the finish. Chisum in fact has earned two straight podium finishes with the Ocean Sprints. Watsonville’s Justin Sanders is expected back in competition after missing the most recent event. The reigning Ocean Sprints champ will no doubt want to lock himself into the 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic.
Fremont’s Shane Golobic claimed the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series visit to Ocean Speedway on June 24 and will be looking to duplicate that on Friday with the Ocean Sprints. The two-time Taco Bravo champion has been close in the past at the Johnny Key Classic and certainly wants to punch his ticket into the event. Golobic has been the only repeat A-main winner so far in 2016.
Two-time Johnny Key Classic winner Tommy Tarlton claimed an Ocean Sprints win on June 10 and will be gunning for anotheron Friday. The Easton wheel-man scored wins at the Key in 2009 & 2012. More drivers set to be on hand Friday will include Hollister’s Ryan Bernal, Cottonwood’s Lucas Ashe, Fremont’s Dustin Golobic, Hayward’s Danny Malfatti, Coarsegold’s Scott Parker, San Jose’s Craig Frandsen, Fresno’s Anthony Simone and others.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:30pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. The pit gate will open at 2pm. Friday’s event also features the IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Dwarf Cars, American Stocks and 4-Bangers.
All seating will be general admission with adult tickets $17, seniors 65 & older $16, children 6-12 $13 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $55. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.
After this Friday’s event Ocean Speedway will gear up for the sixth annual Howard Kaeding Classic on Friday & Saturday July 15 & 16. Things will kick-off on Thursday July 14 with the annual HK Classic Car Show & BBQ, which will be held this year at the Martial Cottle Park located at 5283 Snell Avenue in San Jose. There will be a BBQ dinner from 5pm-7pm for a $20 donation, with proceeds going to the Northern Auto Racing Club Benevolent Fund. Martial Cottle Park is located near High Five Pizza at the Snell & Branham Plaza in San Jose.
The racing weekend then begins on Friday night July 15 with the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster taking on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. The event concludes Saturday July 16 with the Howard Kaeding Classic finale featuring the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series & Joe Hunt Magnetos Wingless Sprints. More info on the overall event will be out this week.
The Ocean Sprints & Ocean Speedway is held under the management of Prentice Motorsports Group, which also operates the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series, the Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster, the Wingless Sprint Car Series presented by Hunt Magnetos & the All Star Modified Tour.
The Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West, Flowmaster, Budweiser and Kaeding Performance for their support. For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log onto www.racepmg.com
Upcoming Winged Sprint Car events at Ocean Speedway
Friday July 8: Ocean Sprints (Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Friday July 15: Civil War vs. Ocean Sprints (Howard Kaeding Classic opener)
Saturday July 16: King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series (Howard Kaeding Classic finale)
Friday July 29: Ocean Sprints (Final Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Saturday August 20: 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic (Civil War vs Ocean Sprints)
Friday July 8: Ocean Sprints (Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Friday July 15: Civil War vs. Ocean Sprints (Howard Kaeding Classic opener)
Saturday July 16: King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series (Howard Kaeding Classic finale)
Friday July 29: Ocean Sprints (Final Johnny Key Classic Qualifier)
Saturday August 20: 56th running of the Johnny Key Classic (Civil War vs Ocean Sprints)
TDS Shots Photo
Shane Golobic & Bud Kaeding pick up entertaining King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series wins over double header weekend in Watsonville & Calistoga
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – June 26, 2016…Fremont, California’s Shane Golobic & Campbell, CA’s Bud Kaeding shared King of the West Sprint Car Series victory lane this past weekend, with Golobic claiming the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic at Ocean Speedway on Friday, while Kaeding capped the weekend by winning an exciting Wine Country Classic at Calistoga Speedway on Saturday.
Golobic’s triumph on Friday in Watsonville marked his third career King of the West victory, which moves him into a tie on the all-time win list with Dominic Scelzi, Roger Crockett, Robert Ballou, Stephen Allard and Brad Sweet. He also earned his first ever series win at Ocean Speedway during the 2008 season.
“It feels great to give my guys a win tonight so I couldn’t be happier,” said Golobic, who had spent the previous few weeks competing with the USAC National Midget & Sprint Car Series. “This event has been going on for a long time and to be able to add my name to the win list is pretty special. We’ve built a great team with this Keith Day Trucking 22 and I really want to thank each and every person that helps us out. Thanks to all the fans as well for coming out and supporting us.”
Early on it was dash winner Willie Croft who set a torrid pace out front, before Golobic moved his way to second after dispatching of Jonathan Allard on lap seven and then Kyle Hirst on lap 11. The home track favorite kept the leader within sight and then got the break he needed with just seven circuits remaining, when Croft caught the infield tire marker, resulting in his 29 machine suffering front end damage. After that it was all Golobic up front, who took the checkered flag with just over a one-second advantage back to second place Hirst.
Penngrove’s Chase Johnson had the finest night of his KWS career by crossing the stripe in third. It was really nice to see the Thomas Family Racing team have a strong outing. Allard and Clarksburg’s Justyn Cox completed the top-five. It was also a career night with the series for Cox, who began the night by setting fast time and just missing a new King of the West track record. Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Hanford’s DJ Netto, Watsonville’s Justin Sanders, Grass Valley’s Jason Statler and Auburn’s Andy Forsberg rounded out the top-10.
Pombo/Sargent Classic A-main finish: 1. 22 Shane Golobic, 2. 21x Kyle Hirst, 3. 68 Chase Johnson, 4. 3c Jonathan Allard, 31c Justyn Cox, 6. 0 Bud Kaeding, 7. 88n DJ Netto, 8. 17 Justin Sanders, 9. 00 Jason Statler, 10. 92 Andy Forsberg, 11. 18w Colby Copeland, 12. 4s Buddy Kofoid, 13. 37 Mitchell Faccinto, 14. 72w Kurt Nelson, 15. 98 Sean Watts, 16. 12 Jarrett Soares, 17. 29 Willie Croft, 18. 69 Brent Kaeding, 19. 17s Derrick Overkamp, 20. 9j Dustin Golobic, 21. 73 Steven Tiner, 22. 8 Jeremy Chisum, 23. 33 Lucas Ashe
Kaeding’s win on Saturday marked his third career Calistoga Speedway victory and the second time he has tasted glory with the King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series at the half-mile. It came following an entertaining and close battle with Cory Eliason, who was in search of his first Calistoga win. The action during the main event was as good as it gets at the picturesque Napa County Fairgrounds based facility. The triumph moved Kaeding into a tie for seventh on the all-time KWS win list with Tim Green.
“Whenever you can win a race at Calistoga Speedway it’s a special feeling and to do it like that makes it even better,” Kaeding commented following his third King of the West win of the season. “I hope everyone up there enjoyed that one. Cory Eliason gave me a great race and the work they did before the main event on the track helped big time. I can’t thank Morrie & Katie Williams enough for the opportunity to drive this car and all the guys that help us out. It’s been a great start to the season for us.”
The first few circuits in the 25-lapper saw some great racing up front and featured Kaeding out front, until sixth starting Eliason was able to power his way to the lead on lap four. The heated competition continued throughout the field, before a caution period on lap 14 created a double file restart. Eliason chose the outside lane, but Kaeding was able to get a great run off the bottom and shot into the lead heading down the long front straightaway.
Now in second, after a few laps Eliason regained his composure and with the race winding down would begin to reel Kaeding back in. Eliason closed in on the Williams Motorsports 0 little by little and with the white flag waving it became a battle for the top spot. Going into turn one Eliason attempted to get underneath for the lead, but would lose momentum and that was all she wrote for Kaeding up front. At the checkered flag it was Kaeding that crossed it first by 0.697 seconds over Eliason.
Kyle Hirst would claim third at the finish to earn his second straight podium effort in the Roth Motorsports/ Tarlton & Son No. 21x, which was good enough to give him the point lead by nine-digits over Kaeding. He also started the night by just missing out on a new KWS track record at the Calistoga Speedway. Friday’s winner Shane Golobic had a solid run to come home fourth, with Roseville’s Colby Copeland also having a nice outing to claim fifth. The remainder of the top-10 was filled out by DJ Netto, Brent Kaeding, Jason Statler, Jonathan Allard and Chase Johnson.
Wine Country Classic A-main finish: 1. 0 Bud Kaeding, 2. 00jr Cory Eliason, 3. 21x Kyle Hirst, 4. 22 Shane Golobic, 5. 18w Colby Copeland, 6. 88n DJ Netto, 7. 69 Brent Kaeding, 8. 00 Jason Statler, 9. 3c Jonathan Allard, 10. 68 Chase Johnson, 11. 29 Willie Croft, 12. 31c Justyn Cox, 13. 37 Mitchell Faccinto, 14. 17 Justin Sanders, 15. 98 Sean Watts, 16. 12 Jarrett Soares, 17. 5v Josh Blakely
The King of the West 410 Sprint Car Series will have the 4th of July weekend off, before resuming action with a big double header weekend on July 9 & 10. The two-night outing begins at the Keller Auto Speedway in Hanford on Saturday July 9 and will be capped with the re-scheduled Salute to LeRoy Van Conett at the Stockton Dirt Track on Sunday July 10. More info can be found in the coming week atwww.racepmg.com
Photos courtesy Devon Mayo & Matt Sublett
