From Steve Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, Calif. (April 2, 2021) – 2015 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo champion Justin Sanders continued to add to his accomplishments in the 360 Sprint Car Series, winning his second consecutive feature on Friday night in Watsonville. Sanders’ win equals his win total from a partial campaign in 2021, setting a strong start to his season at the Ocean Speedway.
“(It was) a lot of me getting lucky honestly. I got lucky when Bud missed the rubber. I got lucky with Madjic drove over the lapped car. Everything fell my way but I really wasn’t that good at all. Happy to get the win but just have to go back and get some more drive out of it,” Sanders said.
Redding’s Chase Madjic led the feature from the pole before Fresno’s Corey Day picked up steam on the outside. Day nipped Madjic at the line to lead lap three but the move was nullified by a caution for Max Mittry stopped on the backstretch.
When action resumed both Sanders and 2020 championship runner-up Bud Kaeding moved past Day for second and third. Kaeding edged inside of Madjic to lead lap five with Sanders then going outside Madjic to take second.
The leaders encountered lapped traffic on lap 12 with Madjic immediately re-entering the picture. Madjic made a quick move to nab the lead into turn one, leading lap 13. Exiting turn four to complete lap 17, Madjic and his teammate Mittry made contact which allowed both Sanders and Kaeding to go by before the caution waved. Madjic drove through the infield and rejoined in fifth, surrendering the top position to Sanders.
Multi-time Ocean Sprints champion Shane Golobic of Fremont drove from 18th starting position into the top-ten before retiring after a spin on lap 19. Sanders reached lapped traffic again with two laps to go and tip toed to lead Kaeding by .241 seconds to win the feature. Day finished third followed by ninth starting Tanner Carrick of Lincoln and tenth starting Mitchell Faccinto of Hanford.
Kaeding led time trials while Sanders, Tristan Guardino, Kurt Nelson, and Zane Blanchard split the four heat races. Madjic won the dash and Faccinto won the B-Main.
Ocean Speedway
Watsonville, California
Friday April 2, 2021
Heat Race #1:
1. 17-Justin Sanders
2. 2-James Ringo
3. 69-Bud Kaeding
4. 22-Keith Day Jr.
5. 38B-Blake Carrick
6. 88K-Koen Shaw
7. 19-Art McCarthy Jr
8. 6D-Josh Chisum
9. 12-Jacob Pacheco
Heat Race #2:
1. 15T-Tristan Guardino
2. 2X-Chase Majdic
3. 17W-Shane Golobic
4. 98-Bryce Eames
5. 2XM-Max Mittry
6. 83T-Tanner Carrick
7. 3T-Nick Ringo
8. 34-Ryon Nelson
9. 7P-Jake Andreotti
Heat Race #3:
1. 72W-Kurt Nelson
2. 3-Kaleb Montgomery
3. 41-Cory Day
4. 5C-Trent Canales
5. 88-Kyle Offill
6. 5-Mark Chaves Jr
7. 26-Billy Aton
8. 8-Jeremy Chisum
Heat Race #4:
1. 7Z-Zane Blanchard
2. 46JR-Joel Myers
3. 4-Jodie Robinson
4. 25Z-Jason Chisum
5. 24-Chase Johnson
6. 01-Mitchel Moles
7. 37-Mitchell Faccinto
8. 72JR-Chris Nelson
Dash:
1. 2X-Chase Majdic
2. 41-Cory Day
3. 72W-Kurt Nelson
4. 69-Bud Kaeding
5. 17-Justin Sanders
6. 15T-Tristan Guardino
7. 7Z-Zane Blanchard
8. 22-Keith Day Jr.
B-Main:
1. 37-Mitchell Faccinto
2. 83T-Tanner Carrick
3. 38B-Blake Carrick
4. 2XM-Max Mittry
5. 7P-Jake Andreotti
6. 88-Kyle Offill
7. 26-Billy Aton
8. 88K-Koen Shaw
9. 8-Jeremy Chisum
10. 6D-Josh Chisum
11. 5-Mark Chaves Jr
12. 12-Jacob Pacheco
13. 72JR-Chris Nelson
14. 19-Art McCarthy Jr
15. 34-Ryon Nelson
16. 24-Chase Johnson
17. 01-Mitchel Moles
18. 3T-Nick Ringo
A-Main:
1. 17-Justin Sanders
2. 69-Bud Kaeding
3. 41-Cory Day
4. 83T-Tanner Carrick
5. 37-Mitchell Faccinto
6. 15T-Tristan Guardino
7. 3-Kaleb Montgomery
8. 4-Jodie Robinson
9. 38B-Blake Carrick
10. 2X-Chase Majdic
11. 22-Keith Day Jr.
12. 72W-Kurt Nelson
13. 7P-Jake Andreotti
14. 46JR-Joel Myers
15. 88-Kyle Offill
16. 2-James Ringo
17. 5C-Trent Canales
18. 25Z-Jason Chisum
19. 17W-Shane Golobic
20. 98-Bryce Eames
21. 7Z-Zane Blanchard
22. 2XM-Max Mittry