By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – April 14, 2014…After a long off-season of work & preparation the time has finally come for the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo to kick-off the 2014 campaign at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, California this Friday night April 18. In total there are 15 rounds of competition scheduled for the Winged 360’s at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds based facility this season. 
The upcoming year will mark the eighth season for the Ocean 360 Sprint Cars & the fifth held with the partnership of Dennis Wuolett and local San Jose area business Taco Bravo. Last year saw Stockton’s Brad Furr join the list of past Ocean Sprints champions that includes Campbell’s Brent Kaeding, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Salinas’ Ronnie Day and Fremont’s Shane Golobic.
“We’re really excited to have Dennis Wuolett & Taco Bravo back on board with the Ocean Sprints in 2014,” said John Prentice of Prentice Motorsports Group. “It should be a strong season and it all gets underway this Friday night. Last year there was lots of parody and it was really competitive, so we definitely look for more of the same this season. It’s amazing to think this will already be the eighth year for the Ocean Sprints after we started it all back in 2007 with Rick Wright. We’ve definitely been blessed with some great partners over the years so we can’t thank everyone enough for their support.”
Last year’s Ocean Sprints campaign saw 10 different winners throughout the season, including champion Brad Furr, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding & Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, who led the way with three victories apiece. Other winners included Auburn’s Andy Forsberg, Shane Golobic, Brent Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Sacramento’s Kyle Hirst, Rutherford’s Rico Abreu & Hanford’s DJ Netto.
Furr this season will be gunning for his second consecutive Ocean Sprints title and looking to join Brent Kaeding & Tarlton as one of only three drivers to win the championship on multiple occasions. In addition to his three wins last season the veteran competitor scooped up 10 top-five finishes and finished outside of the top-10 only twice all year. The wheel-man of the Price Right Restaurant Equipment No. 2 machine also led the way with five fast time efforts throughout the course of the campaign.
Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson had one of the best years of his Sprint Car career last season & brought home a runner up finish in the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo standings. The veteran driver earned 10 top-10 finishes and seven top-five’s, including an impressive five podiums. Nelson this season will be looking to break his way into victory lane aboard the Taco Bravo Racing No. 72 Sprinter. Rounding out the top-five in points last season and also looking to start the season off strong on Friday will include Salinas’ Jeremy Chisum, Fresno’s Koen Shaw and San Jose’s Ryan Rusconi.
Local hot shoe Justin Sanders is a favorite to contend for his first Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo championship, as he returns to full-time action once again at the track. The youngster is known as one of the top rising talents in California and is never shy with the loud pedal, but will look for the consistency this season to help bring home the title. Sanders’ three wins last year with the Ocean Sprints came on May 3, August 16 and October 4.
Other past champs set to join the field on Friday and looking to get the season started off with a bang will include Tommy Tarlton and Shane Golobic. For Tarlton it will be his first time back at the track since suffering the heartbreak of all heartbreak’s at the Johnny Key Classic last August, where he looked to be on way to victory, until a final corner excursion relegated him to a third place finish. The pilot of the Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21 however, is always tough when he signs in at the Ocean Speedway and will be one of the favorites on Friday night.
Golobic last season ran part-time at Ocean Speedway and picked up a victory on May 17 at the track aboard the Keith Day Trucking No. 22 mount. This season the 2012 Taco Bravo champ will be back on a regular basis looking to put himself into title contention once again. Golobic last year had a very strong and consistent campaign that was highlighted by his first career World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series win at the Antioch Speedway in April.
Chico’s Jonathan Allard is also expected to make his first ever attempt at the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo title this season aboard the Tri-C Manufacturing No. 3c Sprinter. The three-time King of the West presented by WFO Apparel champion is gunning for the California Triple Crown this season, which includes KWS, Civil War and the Ocean Sprints. Allard has been one of the top drivers in the Golden State for many years and will be a strong contender each & every week.
Other possibilities to be on hand at this Friday’s opener will include reigning Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo Rookie of the Year Nick Foster Jr. of San Jose, Lemoore’s Carson Macedo, Hanford’s Mitchell Faccinto & Collin Markle, Salinas’ Jason Chisum, San Francisco’s Nick Rescino Jr., Pleasanton’s Nathan Washam, Morgan Hill’s Nick & Nicholas Ringo, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Hollister’s Tomas Bray-Scully, Fresno’s Kyler Shaw, Riverdale’s Landon Hurst, Laton’s Heath Duinkerken and more.
A highlight of the 2014 schedule for the Ocean Sprints is of course the grand-daddy of them all at Ocean Speedway, the 54th “Johnny Key Classic” on Saturday August 23. Something adding even more excitement about the coming season’s version is the fact it will be a “Civil War 360 Sprint Car Series presented by Flowmaster vs. Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo” event for the first time.
The Key Classic will utilize the same format it has in past years; however, there will be two Qualifying Nights held at Ocean Speedway, as well as two Qualifying Nights held outside of the track. The two Qualifying Shows at Ocean Speedway will be Friday July 25 & Friday August 15. The other two Qualifying Shows will take place in Civil War events on July 5 at Petaluma Speedway & on August 9 during the annual “Mark Forni Classic” at Placerville Speedway.
The A-main winners during each of those four events will be locked into the 54th “Johnny Key Classic” on Saturday August 23. This year the highest point earner not locked into the race in both the Civil War Series presented by Flowmaster and the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo will also be locked into the Dash, which pits all of the locked-in drivers against each other to set the first three rows of the main event.
The front gate at the Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:15pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. All seating will be general admission with adult tickets costing $17, seniors 65 & older $16, children 6-12 $15 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $55. 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, Nobel Construction, Ray Scheidt’s Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West and Kaeding Performance for their support.
For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log onto http://www.oceansprints.com and for more on the Ocean Speedway check out http://www.oceanspeedway.com