By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 24, 2011) – In the midst of a hotly contested battle for the 2011 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo championship, the series favorites and a host of outside contenders will battle it out for the $5,000 to win Johnny Key Classic this Saturday night at Ocean Speedway. The highly anticipated event will bring together open-wheel racing’s best to honor the late Johnny Key in the 51st running of the classic.
2011 series points leader Tommy Tarlton comes into the Key with back-to-back wins at Ocean Speedway and appears poised for his second classic victory. The driver of the #21 Corporate American Lending mount will busy with an all-star lineup however.
Six drivers have already made their way into the race through the four qualifying races and the two points provisionals. Tarlton, 2010 Johnny Key Classic winner Tim Kaeding, 2010 King of California Kyle Larson, 1998 Johnny Key Classic winner Ronnie Day, rookie sensation Rico Abreu, and fourth place in Ocean points Justin Sanders of Prunedale are all locked into the show.
Kaeding won the first two qualifying races including the event against the California Sprint Car Civil War on July 9th where Larson finished second to lock himself in. Larson has been busy winning races in the USAC National Midgets this year after winning the 2010 King of California and finishing second in the Ocean Sprints points. Larson recently won with the wing on at Yreka, California and the 19 year-old is seeking his first Key victory.
18 year-old Abreu has been one of the highlights of the 2011 season as he is third in the Ocean Sprints standings, qualifying for the Key with a second place finish behind Tarlton last Friday night. Abreu drives the #89 Abreu Vineyards / Stadelhofer Construction entry out of the Kaeding Performance shop.
Second in points Day earned one of the two positions in the Key for top points earning cars. Day has only had a pair of finishes outside of fourth this season but both have come during Johnny Key Classic qualifiers. Day’s string of bad luck allowed Tarlton to take a narrow lead in the points but a Johnny Key Classic win for Day could turn the championship battle on its head.
Some extremely high-profile drivers will be racing their way into the 50 lap feature on Saturday, among them Fremont gasser Shane Golobic. Golobic narrowly missed making the field in last week’s qualifier but he will have a good teammate in the Joe Vonschriltz stable. Former Carmichael, CA resident Bryan Clauson, 2010 USAC National Drivers Champion and 2011 Firestone Indy Lights pole sitter, will make his first ever winged sprint car start on Saturday night in a car numbered #121 ½.
Other drivers racing their way in will be former Key winners Brent Kaeding, Craig Smith, Jason Statler, and Eric Rossi. New track record holder Evan Suggs of Scotts Valley will also have to race his way to the Key. Salinas’ Tommy Laliberte, Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson, San Jose’s Ryan Rusconi, San Jose’s Nick Green, San Francisco’s Nick Rescino, Jr., Salinas’ Orval Zane Burke, Salinas’ Jeremy Chisum, and Clovis’ Koen Shaw are among Ocean Speedway regulars expected on Saturday night.
The format for Saturday’s events will not include heat races. Instead drivers not locked into the Key will get hot laps and qualifying to set the starting orders for the b-mains. No more than 12 cars will start each b-main and all told the b-mains will transfer a total of 16 cars to join the six already qualified.
Each b-main event will invert the top-four as usual for Ocean Sprints heat races and the b-mains will be 20 laps. Drivers who make the Key through their b-main will get their qualifying times back and start behind the qualified six.
The six qualified cars will hot lap then pill draw for positions in a six lap dash. The finishing order of the dash for cash will make up the starting line-up for the feature.
Purse for the Johnny Key Classic A-main will be $5,000 to win and $300 to start. There will also be lap money awarded $25 going to first, $15 to second and $10 to third during the sponsored laps.
The Johnny Key Classic will be a 50 lap feature in two 25 lap segments. During the break, teams will be allowed to refuel, change tires, and make adjustments before the race resumes.
Laps are still for sale for the Johnny Key Classic with interested parties urged to contact samantha@oceanspeedway.com Laps are $50 each to be paid out to the top-three cars each lap.
The Johnny Key Classic this Saturday night also includes racing for the Wingless Sprints and 600 Micros along with the Okie Bowl Hardtops. Adult tickets are $18 with seniors 65+ $16 and kids ages 6-12 are $13. The family pass for two adults and two children is value priced at just $55. Please note special Saturday night times with qualifying at approx. 5 p.m. and racing to follow. Fan gates will open at 3:30 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
Johnny Key Classic winners
1954 Danny Graves
1955 Al Pombo
1956 Clyde Palmer
1957 Ray Raineri
1958 Rick Henderson
1959 George Benson
1960 Marshall Sargent
1961 Clyde Palmer(2)
1962 Clyde Palmer(3)
1963 Marshall Sargent
1964 George Snider
1965 Burt Foland
1966 Burt Foland(2)
1967 Bill Scott
1968 Howard Kaeding
1969 Bill Scott(2)
1970 Don Epperson
1971 Everett Edlund
1972 Nick Rescino
1973 Howard Kaeding(2)
1974 Nick Rescino(2)
1975 Nick Rescino(3)
1976 Tony Ringo
1977 Danny O’Neill
1978 Johnny Brazil
1979 Howard Kaeding(3)
1980 Brent Kaeding
1981 Mike Sargent
1982 Nick Rescino(4)
1983 John Viel
1984 Nick Rescino(5)
1985 Rich Voss
1986 Nick Rescino(6)
1987 Howard Kaeding(4)
1988 Rod Spencer
1989 Scott Luhdorff
1990 Danny Olmstead
1991 Terry McCarl
1992 Scott Luhdorff(2)
1993 Chuck Miller
1994 Chuck Miller(2)
1995 Rick Martin
1996 Bud Kaeding
1997 Craig Smith
1998 Ronnie Day
1999 Eric Rossi
2007 Jason Statler*
2008 Brent Kaeding (2)*
2009 Tommy Tarlton*
2010 Tim Kaeding*
* = Held at Ocean Speedway