Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (May 9, 2012) – The focus will be squarely on the Ocean Sprints championship contenders on Friday night, as race fans who come out to Ocean Speedway Watsonville are guaranteed a wide-open event. Friday’s feature will produce a new winner for the 2012 season with opening night winner Bud Kaeding and second race winner Brent Kaeding are expected to miss the show due to rescheduling conflicts.
The rain make-up races that the Kaedings will attend put the Friday’s event in the hands of the 2012 series regulars. Stockton’s Brad Furr, 2011 champion Ronnie Day of Salinas, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, and San Martin’s “Cowboy” Craig Smith are all looking for their first trip to the top of the new victory lane podium at John Prentice’s Ocean Speedway this season.
Furr is second in the series standings in his return to regular action at Watsonville. Driving the Price Rite Restaurant Equipment #2, Furr topped qualifying and his heat race before finishing fourth last Friday night to go along with a fifth place effort on opening night.
Golobic is just one point behind Furr in the standings and has been equally impressive, placing the Steve Osborne Motorsports #9j in third last Friday night and fourth in the season opener.
“Cowboy” Craig Smith salvaged a bad heat race to charge from 17th to fifth in the feature last Friday night, allowing him to leapfrog Day to fourth in the standings. Day rounds out the top-five of the series standings after a blown engine last week. Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson is knocking on the door in sixth in the points with a best finish of 10th on opening night.
Joining this group of series contenders on Friday night will be a host of talented drivers including San Jose’s Nick Green, who was a pleasant surprise in sixth last weekend. First and second year pilots Jason Chisum, Carter Train, Cole Wood, and Jeremy Chisum have also competed in both Ocean Sprints events held this season. 16 year-old Wood, towing in from Auburn, scratched from Friday’s feature after a crash in his heat race.
Friday’s activities will include the 2nd Birthday for Prentice’s daughter Kayla, with a petting zoo, balloon art, and face painting for the kids (or young at heart).
Friday’s races for the Ocean Sprints will also include racing for the Four Bangers, Ocean Late Models, Sport Mods, 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.