By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 1, 2024) – The second weekend of the inaugural Western Midget Racing Triple Crown hits the dirt at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Friday August 9 and Saturday August 10 for the 64th Johnny Key Classic. WMR racers will compete for $500 to win Friday’s feature and $1200 to win / $150 to start on Saturday.
Both nights of the Johnny Key Classic feature the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo. Friday racing also includes Hobby Stocks and Four Bangers. Saturday will be a three-division bill of Ocean Sprints, Western Midget Racing, and Hobby Stocks. For more information, visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Top finishers in Friday night’s race will lock into the fast heat for Saturday’s action, with the second heat race setting the grid behind them. A field over 16 cars will lock in the top-eight from Friday while a field under 16 cars will lock in the top-six from Friday. Friday’s feature is a 20-lap contest while Saturday is scheduled for 25-laps.
The opening Triple Crown weekend came over July 12 and 13 with the 14th Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway. 2023 Western Midget Racing champion Bryant Bell of Oakley, Calif. executed a perfect weekend with a pair of victories and a seizing of the overall series points lead. Bell has ridden that hot streak to a sweep of last weekend’s races at Ocean and Antioch as well, giving the driver of the Boscacci Racing No. 09 Spike Chassis plenty of momentum heading into the Johnny Key.
In addition to the strong race purses, the Triple Crown points fund pays $1000 to win, $750 for second, and $500 for third. Finishes of second and third during the HK Classic place Payette, ID’s Teddy Bivert into second in the Triple Crown championship. Bell’s Boscacci Racing teammate Anthony Bruno of San Jose scored finishes of fifth and second to rank third. Jerry Kobza’s pair of fourth place runs and performances of sixth and fifth for Todd Hawse give them fourth and fifth in the Triple Crown standings.
The 2024 Triple Crown then concludes on October 25 and 26 for the So-Cal Shootout, with Friday’s action at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway Dirt Track as part of the famed October Classic event with NARC 410 Sprint Cars also competing. Both the Triple Crown and the 2024 WMR championship wrap up with their finale on Saturday October 26 at Ventura Raceway.
In the 2024 overall Western Midget Racing championship battle, Bell leads Santa Cruz’s Logan Mitchell, Bruno, Las Vegas’ Kyle Hawse, and Santa Clarita’s Adam Weisberg.
For more information visit www.WesternMidgetRacing.com