Sanders looks to wrap up championship at Ocean Speedway

Justin Sanders. (TDS Shots)

Justin Sanders. (TDS Shots)
Justin Sanders. (TDS Shots)
From Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA — (October 5, 2015) — Watsonville’s own Justin Sanders brings a near insurmountable point lead into this Friday’s season finale for the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo and will be gunning to add one final victory to his record breaking 2015 campaign.

It has been a fantastic year for the Ocean Sprints with great racing, historical moments and new faces emerging throughout 2015. This Friday is also the first event since the 55th Johnny Key Classic on August 29, which saw Andy Forsberg race to one of the biggest wins of his career. Forsberg is set to return this Friday for championship night, an event he has won the last two seasons. The seven-time Civil War champ is also coming off a big win at last week’s Fall Nationals Tribute to Stephen Allard in Chico.

This season has no doubt been the year of Justin Sanders at the Ocean Speedway. The now 23-year-old has driven to eight wins, which broke the all-time Ocean Sprints record set by Brent Kaeding in 2007. Sander’s is looking to become the sixth champion of the Taco Bravo Sprints and it’s all over but the shouting, as he maintains a 120-point advantage over his nearest rival. In theory all he has to do is start the A-main on Friday and he will be crowned Ocean Sprints champion for 2015. Sanders has already wrapped up the track title at Marysville Raceway.

Stockton’s Brad Furr has one victory so far this year and hopes to add a second to that total on Friday. The 2013 Ocean Sprints champ sits second in the standings going into the finale. Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson has had a solid season and looks to lock up third in the points on Friday. Nelson has tallied multiple top-five’s this year and brought home a runner up finish on August 21. Salinas driver Jeremy Chisum is also gunning to take home the fourth position in the standings, but is only six-digits up on fifth place Dustin Golobic, who is in just his second year of Sprint Car racing.

The top-10 in points going into the finale is rounded out by Salinas’ Jason Chisum, Fresno’s Koen Shaw, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Morgan Hill’s Nicholas Ringo and rookie contender Danny Malfatti of Hayward. Golobic has been the biggest challenger to Sander’s over the course of the year and will be searching for his fourth Taco Bravo win of the season during championship night. More possibilities for Friday will include Jerry Bonnema, Kyler Shaw, Jarrett Soares, Ken Fredenburg, Nick Ringo Jr. Darrell Taylor and others.

This Friday’s event is also the opener of another Prentice Motorsports Group Double Down Bonus Weekend. If a driver wins this Friday at Ocean Speedway and can go on to win the King of the West race on Saturday in Tulare, they’ll go home with an extra $3000 bonus.

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. 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.

A-main winners so far this year: Justin Sanders (8), Shane Golobic (3), Tommy Tarlton (2), Brad Furr (1), Andy Forsberg (1)

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.

Ocean Speedway & the Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West, Bullet Proof Energy Drink, Flowmaster and Kaeding Performance for their support. For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log onto www.racepmg.com