By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (September 19, 2012) – Fremont’s Shane Golobic will try to continue his push for the 2012 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo championship as the series resumes with round 13 on Friday night from John Prentice’s Ocean Speedway Watsonville. The winged 360 Sprint Cars hit the quarter-mile clay after a three week break following the $10,000 to win DDNi Johnny Key Classic on August 25.
The Johnny Key Classic proved a points boomtown for Golobic, who finished fourth in the 50 lap feature against a turnout of 36 entries from across the Western United States. Second in points Brad Furr of Stockton won the trophy dash in a flag-to-flag performance but suffered a setback with a serious flip in the feature to finish 19th.
Furr trails Golobic by 33 points coming into Friday’s contest with each driver still searching for their first wins in the 2012 season. Leading the win count is Tommy Tarlton after claiming his sixth victory in the Key by leading all 50 laps.
If Tarlton can visit victory lane on Friday night, he would tie Brent Kaeding for the all-time most wins in a single Ocean Sprints season. Tarlton looks poised to do so after winning in his last four Ocean Sprints starts during a limited campaign driving the Tarlton & Son #21.
2011 Ocean Sprints champion Ronnie Day of Salinas has three wins this season but missed much of the summer schedule due to a back injury. Day made a triumphant return at this year’s Key after winning the 2011 edition. The driver of the #22 Keith Day Trucking entry ran as high as seventh before loosing laps due to a flat tire.
The youth invasion at Ocean Speedway this year has been led by central valley rookies Carson Macedo and Dominic Scelzi. Scelzi, son of NHRA legend Gary Scelzi, won the Johnny Key qualifier on August 17 for his first career Sprint Car win and followed that up with a sixth place performance in the Key one week later.
Behind Golobic and Furr, the balance of the top-ten in the Ocean Sprints points includes Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, San Jose’s Ryan Rusconi, San Martin’s “Cowboy” Craig Smith, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Tarlton, Salinas’ Carter Train, San Jose’s Wayne Katen, and San Jose’s Nick Green, son of the legendary Tim Green.
Other regulars in 2012 have included Jason and Jeremy Chisum of Salinas, Watsonville’s Justin Sanders, Petaluma’s Jason Toft, Hollister’s Jon Maiwald, San Jose’s Michael Twitchell, Nick Ringo, Jr. and Nicholas Ringo of Morgan Hill, and Fremont’s Anthony Espinoza.
Friday’s races for the Ocean Sprints will also include racing for the American Stocks, Dwarf Cars, IMCA Sport Modifieds, and Wingless Sprints. Adult tickets are just $17 with seniors 65+ $15 and kids ages 6-12 are $13. The family pass for two adults and two children is value priced at just $55. Qualifying will get underway at 6 p.m. with fan gates opening at 4:30 p.m.
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.