From Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA — (April 27, 2015) — The second of four straight weeks of racing for the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo is set to go green this Friday night May 1, in what will be the opener for the second PMG “Double Down Bonus” weekend. This Friday’s event is paired with Saturday’s King of the West Series’ Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial in Chico.
Last week’s Ocean Sprints event provided the crowd with excellent racing all night long, with the feature being won by 2013 Taco Bravo champion Brad Furr of Stockton. The former World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series regular claimed a pair of victories last season and will be looking to duplicate that this Friday evening. Furr now ranks second in the standings and is just 14 back of the lead going into round four at the helm of the Brad Furr Racing/ Price Rite Restaurant Equipment No. 2.
With it being a Double Down Bonus weekend there is the possibility of some substantial money being taken home this week. If a driver wins at Ocean Speedway on Friday and then can win the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial on Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway, they’d go home with upwards of $7500 for the weekend. With lap money added in at the Bradway, that number will go even higher if they could lead a number of laps in the feature come Saturday.
On the strength of top-five’s in each of the first three races Watsonville’s Justin Sanders comes into Friday leading the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo points. The always exciting driver was part of a great race up front last week, where he ultimately came home in third for his second podium finish in a row. Sander’s has yet to win the title at his home track and is poised to change that this season aboard his family owned North County Plastering/ Fire Protection Management No. 17 machine.
Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson is right there within striking distance as well, as he sits 19-markers behind Sander’s in the third spot. The veteran driver of the Taco Bravo Racing/ Babe’s Lightning & Muffler No. 72w has finished fifth in the last two events and will look to move even further up on Friday. Nelson scored second in the standings a couple years ago and has started off strong so far in 2015. Corralitos Jerry Bonnema and Salinas, CA’s Jason Chisum round out the top-five in points.
The remainder of the top-10 in the Ocean Sprints standings going into Friday is Salinas’ Jeremy Chisum, Fremont’s Dustin Golobic, Hayward’s Danny Malfatti, San Jose’s Darrell Taylor and Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg. Golobic is fresh off a career best Taco Bravo finish of fourth last week and will be gunning to get on the podium Friday.
Past Ocean Sprints champs Tommy Tarlton of Easton and Shane Golobic of Fremont will be looking for victory as well. Tarlton won the first two rounds of the year, before missing last Friday due to being under the weather. Golobic last week took the Back Row Challenge and despite getting a flat tire on lap 10, was still able to make his way up to sixth. The reigning track champ will be a favorite to try his hand at the Double Down Bonus this weekend.
More possibilities for Friday will include Morgan Hill’s Nicholas Ringo, Fresno’s Koen & Kyler Shaw, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal & Tony Gualda, Tracy’s Austin Liggett, Fremont’s Anthony Espinosa and others.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:15pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. The pit gate will open at 2pm this season. All seating will be general admission with adult tickets costing $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.
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 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 www.racepmg.com