By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (May 9, 2013) – The Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo has seen the competition level heating up and the fifth race of the 2013 season this Friday night should be another exciting contest! John Prentice’s Ocean Speedway Watsonville will welcome the cars and stars of the West Coast’s premiere weekly 360 Sprint Car Series to do battle on the quarter-mile dirt oval.
Stockton’s Brad Furr has a strong 25 point advantage over Watsonville’s Justin Sanders in the championship points standings, with Sanders coming off a big win in last Friday’s feature event. Sanders and Furr have been consistently at the top of all qualifying and race sessions this season and will look to continue that tussle on Friday.
Sanders inherited last week’s win after 2012 Ocean Sprints champion Shane Golobic of Fremont spun from a half lap advantage while navigating lapped traffic. The driver of the Keith Day Trucking #22 entry is expected back in action along with two-time Johnny Key Classic winner Tommy Tarlton in the Tarlton & Son #21.
2012 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car champion Bud Kaeding finished third last weekend with the wings on and is planning a return in the Buster & Ziggy Enterprises #29.
San Jose’s Ryan Rusconi has quietly steered the Dynicron Cylinder Heads #98 to third in the points, just eight points behind Sanders. Salinas’ Jeremy Chisum is having a career year lurking in fourth in the points after charging from 15th to seventh in last Friday’s contest.
Former USAC and CASA asphalt sprint car standout Nick Rescino, Jr. of San Francisco ranks fifth in the tally, after his first finish outside of the top-ten last week.
The balance of the top-ten in the points includes popular Kurt Nelson of Gilroy in the Taco Bravo #72, San Martin’s “Cowboy” Craig Smith, top rookie contender Nick Foster, Jr. of San Jose in Wayne Katen’s #199, and Morgan Hill’s Nicholas Ringo.
Fresno’s Koen Shaw and Pleasanton’s Nathan Washam, another Rookie of the Year contender, have also appeared in all four Ocean Sprints events to date.
Friday’s races for the Ocean Sprints also includes Four Bangers, American Stocks, Ocean Late Models, IMCA Sport Mods, and Wingless Sprints. Adult tickets are just $17 with seniors 65+ $16 and kids ages 6-12 are $15. 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.
The first 200 mothers through the gate on Friday will receive a rose for Mother’s Day courtesy of Obie’s Nursery.
For more information on the Ocean Sprints 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, Nobel Construction, Get Som Sports, Ray Scheidt’s Electric, Hoosier Tires West, and Kaeding Performance for their support.