Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (June 10, 2012) – 2010 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo champion Tommy Tarlton led the final 23 laps to go two-for-two in 2012 Ocean Sprints competition on Friday at Ocean Speedway Watsonville.
“Usually I thank my crew chief but with no brakes that wasn’t very fun,” Tarlton joked. “It means a lot when you overcome adversity. On the first yellow we lost our brakes and it was a long race without brakes.
23 cars started the 30 lap feature with Stockton’s Brad Furr leading from the pole position. Incoming points leader Shane Golobic of Fremont steered the #9J entry up to fourth by lap five, after starting seventh.
Tarlton reeled in Furr in lapped traffic and swept by on the topside to take the lead on lap seven. The top six cars ran under a blanket for the next four laps in a heavy soup of traffic before the first caution flew on lap 11. The caution came out for 15 year-old Carson Macedo spinning in turn two.
On the restart, Golobic took a brief look inside Tarlton for the lead but Tarlton pulled away. A series of cautions for spins came out for San Martin’s “Cowboy” Craig Smith, Michael Twitchell, and Jake Haullot. When racing went back to green on lap 13, Bud Kaeding passed Furr for third bringing 2011 champion Ronnie Day with him up to fourth.
Furr jumped the cushion in turn one and slowed dramatically on lap 18 but the caution came out for Salinas’ Carter Train spinning down the front stretch.
On the next six lap run, the leaders approached lapped traffic and continued to run closely in exciting two and three wide battling when the caution came out again on lap 24 for Jason Toft of Petaluma spinning.
The restart set up a dramatic battle between Golobic and Kaeding for the second position, with wheel banging down the straightaways. Golobic made one of the boldest moves of the season when he drove deep onto the berm in turn one to try to pass Kaeding, but the move was nullified when the caution came out on lap 26.
Tarlton left no question who was the best on Friday night, taking off on the final restart despite Kaeding taking a look on the inside into turn one. Day passed Golobic on the cushion for the third spot in the final restart as well.
The top-five finishers were Tarlton, Kaeding, Day, Golobic, and Furr. The DNNi Hard Charger award worth $100 went to San Jose’s Nick Green who drove from 15th starting spot to finish sixth. Furr won the Ray Scheidt’s Electric fast-time award with an 11.835 second lap around the quarter-mile dirt oval.
Heat race winners were Golobic, San Jose’s Ryan Rusconi, and Gary Pauslon in Ted Finkenbinder’s #3f car.
The Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo take this Friday off for the USAC Sprint Cars, with the next Taco Bravo points race scheduled for June 22.
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
Ocean Speedway would like to thank Taco Bravo, Digital Delivery Networks, Get Som Sports, Ray Scheidt’s Electric, Hoosier Tires West, and Kaeding Performance for their support of the 2012 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo.