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Strong field
expected to converge at Ocean Speedway this Friday
night with Taco Bravo Ocean Sprints vs. Civil War
Series event on tap
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA
– July 12, 2010…Coming
off a pair of very successful shows last year the
Ocean Speedway in
Watsonville, California will play host to the
first of two Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by
Taco Bravo vs. California Sprint Car
Civil War Series events
in 2010 this Friday night July 16.
Last season’s two co-sanctioned events between the
360 sprint car groups featured fields of 39 and 41
cars and were picked off by Elk Grove’s
Kyle Larson and
Sacramento’s Mike Henry
respectively. This Friday’s exciting night of action
will also mark the second of four qualifying races
for the 50th running of the
$5,000-to-win/$300-to-start Johnny Key Classic,
after Larson claimed victory on June 25 and became
the first entrant to lock into the event.
Following last year’s success Ocean
Speedway
promoter John Prentice is excited for Friday’s
event, which should see nearly 40-cars on hand at
the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds quarter-mile.
“We’re all looking forward to the Ocean Sprints vs.
Civil War show this weekend and it should be every
bit as good they were last year,” Prentice said.
“Whenever you can bring two series’ together it’s
going to be a great thing and we invite everyone to
come on down and join us, because you won’t be
disappointed.”
Going into Friday defending Ocean Sprint Car Series
presented by Taco Bravo titlist Tommy Tarlton
continues to sit atop the standings, but will be
looking to rebound after a last lap accident
relegated him to an 11th place finish
during the most recent event. After that the
Easton
driver saw his lead cut to just 12-digits and this
weekend will be searching to extend the advantage
back out aboard his Corporate America Lending, Tachi
Palace Hotel & Casino No. 21. The defending Johnny
Key Classic champ will also be trying for his third
win of the season to lock himself into this year’s
running of the event.
On the strength of his victory last time out on June
25 Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson has moved up to second in
the Ocean Sprint Cars presented by Taco Bravo
standings and will be trying to make it back-to-back
this Friday night, in an attempt to shorten the
margin between himself and Tarlton at the top of the
points. The 17-year-old driver of the Stadelhofer
Construction, Peppermill Resort-Spa-Casino-Reno No.
99x mount is the defending winner of the July ‘Ocean
vs. Civil War event,’
with him setting fast-time last year and then
capturing the main event after starting in the
fourth row of the 30-lapper.
Third in the Ocean Sprints standings is Campbell’s
Brent Kaeding, who will be looking to regroup after
ignition issues left him with a 13th
place finish in the main event on June 25 and has
put him 20-points back of the lead going into
Friday’s eighth race of the season. “BK” was running
third in the feature when problems arose and caused
him to slow on the final lap, which put a tough end
to the night, as he looked to take advantage of
Tarlton’s late race accident and close in on the
lead aboard his Al’s Roofing Supply, Williams
Roofing No. 69 machine.
Fan favorite Peter Murphy
ranks fourth in the Ocean 360 Sprints standings and
will be gunning for his first victory of the year at
Ocean Speedway, after scoring a season-best finish
of second on June 4 at the helm of his Buster &
Ziggy Enterprise, Kiwi Transport No. 11 sprinter.
Going into Friday the Australian native sits
37-markers back of the point lead in his first year
driving for car owner’s Junior Bowman and
George Snider.
Former King of California Ronnie Day of
Salinas
currently rounds out the top-five in the Ocean
Sprints presented by Taco Bravo standings going into
Friday and will also be searching for season win
number one. During the event on June 25 Day had a
strong run going, but was collected in the same late
race incident as Tarlton and eventually finished 12th
behind the wheel of his brothers' Keith Day
Trucking, El Camino Machine and Welding No. 22
sprint car.
This Friday’s race will also mark the seventh round
of action for the California Sprint Car
Civil War Series and
coming into it the standings are extremely close
with the top-five separated by only 16-markers.
Former four-time series champion Andy Forsberg goes
into Friday as the point leader in his first season
driving the Autism Awareness, Coors Light No. 47
sprinter owner by long time
crew chief Brian Cannon. The Auburn driver
has scored one victory this year on the
Civil War tour, but
a 12th place finish during the most
recent event in Petaluma has allowed a
number of drivers to close in on his lead. Forsberg
was a winner at the Ocean Speedway on opening night
of Trophy Cup in the year 2000 and another victory
on Friday would certainly go a long way in
preserving his place atop the standings.
The man that sits closest to Forsberg in the battle
for the lead is Sacramento’s “Hang On” Herman Klein,
who last season finished third in the California
Sprint Car Civil War standings and has come back
strong once again in 2010 aboard the Dale Wondergem
owned Cost-U-Less No. 91 sprinter. The veteran
driver opened up the Civil War season by winning his
first series main event at the
Placerville Speedway
on March 20 and so far this year had tallied five
top-10 finishes in the first six events of the
campaign, including a third place finish on July 3
to place him just three-markers back of Forsberg.
Two-time and defending California Sprint Car
Civil War Series champion
Sean Becker of Oroville comes into the
weekend ranking third in the standings, but is just
six-digits out of the top-spot as he looks for a
three-peat. “The Shark” has yet to win a main event
this year with the series, but is coming off a very
strong weekend that saw him claim a weekly 410 point
show triumph in Chico,
as well as a Golden State Challenge Series victory
on Saturday in
Santa Maria. This coming
Saturday Becker will also be looking to capture his
third straight win in the $5,000-to-win Mark Forni
Classic in Placerville aboard the Scott Miller
Racing, Robinson Engineering No. 2sb.
Going into Friday just eight-points out of the lead
is Princeton’s Mason Moore, who has come back from
an injury last season to put himself in position to
bring home his first career California Sprint Car
Civil War Series title. The 19-year-old driver of
the Friends & Family Racing, Levin’s Auto Supply No.
x1 sprinter has set a series leading two
fast times so far
this year and is coming off a fifth place effort
during the most recent event on July 3. Moore is also fresh off a pair of runner up finishes last
weekend in Chico and Placerville respectively and will make his
second career Ocean Speedway start on Friday.
Rounding out the top-five in the standings is former
two-time California Sprint Car
Civil War Series champion
Mike Henry of Sacramento, who will be looking to rebound following a
tough ending to the event on July 3 in
Petaluma. On that night Henry
was leading the main event and was in position to
possibly overtake the point lead, when he looped the
car with just a handful of circuits remaining, which
relegated him to a 19th place finish.
Last season the veteran driver set
fast time and led
all 30-laps in the feature to score victory in the
September Ocean vs. Civil War event aboard the Rudy
& Bev Warrington No. 18.
Other possibilities for Friday night will include
Fremont’s Shane Golobic, the most recent winner in
Civil War competition at Petaluma on July 3 and hard
charger at Ocean Speedway last time out on June 25,
as well Chico’s Stephen Allard, Prunedale’s Justin
Sanders, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Grass Valley’s
Jason Statler, Placerville’s Andy Gregg, Visalia’s
Cory Eliason and Steven Tiner, Gilroy’s Eric Rossi,
Pleasanton’s Brad Furr, San Martin’s Craig Smith,
Morgan Hills Devon Ostheimer and Ricky Wright Jr.,
San Jose’s Matt Sargent and more.
The front gate of the Ocean Speedway will open at
4:30pm this Friday night July 16 with
hot laps at 5:45,
qualifying around 6 and racing to follow. All
seating will be general admission with adult tickets
costing $16, children 6-12 $11 and kids five and
under free. A family pack featuring two adults and
two kids is available for $45 and seniors 65 and
older with id will be $14. The Ocean Speedway is
located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville,
California.
Johnny Key Classic Qualifying Procedure:
Starting Friday June 25 and continuing thru August
20 drivers will pre-qualify for the 50th
running of the Johnny Key Classic. This will be
accomplished by taking the winner from June 25(Kyle
Larson); July 16; July 30 & August 20 A-main main
events and locking them into a starting spot for the
Johnny Key Classic race.
After the first night of pre-qualifying if the
winner of the next week event is the same, we will
take the #2 finisher, until the final night of
pre-qualifying. After August 20 the top two (2)
DRIVERS in Ocean 360 Sprints presented by Taco Bravo
Series points that have NOT secured a starting spot
in the Key race will be included in the
pre-qualified Key race line
up.
For more information on the Ocean Sprint Cars
presented by Taco Bravo log onto
http://www.oceansprints.com
and for more on the Ocean Speedway visit
http://www.oceanspeedway.com
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