By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (July 20, 2025) – Justin Sanders continued his winning ways Saturday night, getting his sixth NARC King of the West sprint car victory of the season, but it was probably one of the most special of his career as it came at the 15th Annual Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway.
Sanders had to contend with traffic, and a determined Shane Golobic, to pick up his third career win in the event, but this year’s event carried much more emotional weight as it was the first Howard Kaeding Classic without the man the race honors, as Howard had passed away earlier this year.
“Glad to get the first two HK’s while HK was here, so that’s pretty special and that’s something I’ll remember for a long time down the road,” Sanders said about his first HK win without the late patriarch of the Kaeding Family in attendance.
Sanders started the pole for the 30-lap feature and led all but one lap, but it was not easy for last year’s NARC champion. Sanders was challenged early by Washington state visitor Jesse Schlotfeldt, who briefly passed him only for Sanders get back by on the same lap and continue in the top spot when Schlotfeldt got into the loose clay at the top of Turn 4. Schlotfeldt then had to surrender second place and the leave the track during the next caution due his muffler coming off the car.
Sanders continued to lead, but soon traffic became a factor and Shane Golobic, the 2023 Kaeding Classic winner, went after Sanders for the lead. With 20 laps down, Golobic threw a slider in Turns 3 and 4 and made it stick, taking the lead and leading Lap 21, but Sanders returned the favor on other end of the track to regain the lead on the 22nd lap.
As the track began to take rubber, Sanders again had to contend with slower car and Golobic closed back in. Sanders struggled with slower cars, but Golobic couldn’t take advantage as Sanders made late key passes around a couple of slower cars to maintain the lead at the end, taking the checkered flag aboard the Yuba Sutter Aviation-sponsored Mittry Motorsports No. 2x Fisher-powered KPC.
The win was a Howard Kaeding Classic record $10,000 to win with many sponsors pitching in and other money raising efforts adding to it, and that followed Sanders’ $5,000 win in Friday’s NARC race at Ocean Speedway.
Sanders won the Trophy Dash to secure the pole position for the main event, with Parker starting to his outside. Heat races earlier in the evening were won by Carrick, Tim Kaeding, Golobic and Schlotfeldt. D.J. Netto won the Last Chance Qualifier, taking Dylan Bloomfield, Ancona and Jake Andreotti with him to the feature.
Nick Parker was the fastest in Qualifying, pacing the 29-car field in split qualifying with a time of 10.879 seconds to best the second flight.
Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick scored a big win in the WMR-BCRA California Midget Super Series on a prestigious night, claiming Saturday’s 20-lap feature at the 15th annual Howard Kaeding Classic at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. Carrick kicked off the night by leading time trials over a 20 car field, worth $200. Carrick then earned the big $2,000 prize in victory lane of the feature.
Dane Culver started on the pole for the main event but Jake Andreotti of Castro Valley drove around the outside of him to lead lap one. Ben Covich flipped in turn three from the fifth position to require a red flag on lap two.
A serious crash on the backstretch on lap four brought a halt to the action for an extended delay. Jerry Kobza of Folsom and Moorpark’s Todd Hawse flipped violently and required an extensive clean up.
Carrick nabbed second from Culver on the restart before Culver slowed to a stop and out of the event in a tough break for the driver second in the standings.
Randi Pankratz of Atascadero spun battling with Santa Cruz’ Logan Mitchell for the sixth spot, bringing out the event’s final caution flag with just five laps to go.
Tanner Carrick took advantage on the following restart, driving to the outside of Andreotti to take the lead. Carrick paced the final three laps for the $2,000 Howard Kaeding Classic prize with Andreotti settling for second. Points leader Caden Sarale of Stockton finished third while Logan Mitchell charged from 13th to fourth to win the Hard Charger worth a free right rear tire. Tenth starting Matt Streeter of Galt rounded out the top-five.
Dane Culver, Ben Covich, and Jake Andreotti won the heat races.
Bobby Hogge claimed the 20-lap IMCA Modified feature. Hall of Famer Jim Pettit II finished second while Bakersfield visitor Robby Sawyer finished third. Cody Burke and Jonathan Hagio rounded out the top-five.
2024 Hobby Stock champion Joe Gallaher earned his second win of the season in the 20-lap feature. Points leader Ryan Hart continued a strong season with a runner-up finish. Bobby Gallaher, Matt Kile, and Rob Gallaher in the four-seater X4 car rounded out the top-five.
Ocean Speedway races again on Friday night July 25. For more information, visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Ocean Speedway July 19, 2025 – Race Results Night No. 2 of Howard Kaeding Classic
NARC King of the West 410 A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 2X-Justin Sanders[1]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic[6]; 3. 73-Ryan Bernal[7]; 4. 21L-Landon Brooks[3]; 5. 7B-Sean Becker[12]; 6. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[13]; 7. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[8]; 8. 83T-Tanner Carrick[5]; 9. 15-Nick Parker[2]; 10. 41-Dominic Scelzi[17]; 11. 17-Colby Copeland[9]; 12. 29-Bud Kaeding[15]; 13. 88A-Joey Ancona[22]; 14. 10-Dominic Gorden[18]; 15. 88N-DJ Netto[20]; 16. 83V-Dylan Bloomfield[21]; 17. 121-Caeden Steele[11]; 18. 21-Jesse Schlotfeldt[4]; 19. 72W-Kurt Nelson[14]; 20. 12J-John Clark[19]; 21. 12-Jarrett Soares[16]; 22. 7P-Jake Andreotti[23]; 23. 10X-Jace Park[10]; 24. 0-Tim Kaeding[24]
WMR-BCRA Super Series A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 51-Tanner Carrick[3]; 2. 00-Jake Andreotti[2]; 3. 32-Caden Sarale[7]; 4. 96X-Logan Mitchell[13]; 5. 14T-Matt Streeter[10]; 6. 20-CJ Sarna[8]; 7. 20J-Dale Johnston[9]; 8. 1T-Terry Nichols[18]; 9. 1P-Adam Weisberg[12]; 10. 8-Randi Pankratz[5]; 11. 1X-Jim Aveggio[16]; 12. 18-Floyd Alvis[15]; 13. 3P-Nick Purdy[17]; 14. 50-Dane Culver[1]; 15. 7A-Jerry Kobza[6]; 16. 18H-Todd Hawse[14]; 17. 65-Ben Covich[4]; 18. 55-Hailey Lambert[11]; 19. (DNS) 2ND-Mike Smith
IMCA Modifieds A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 2-Bobby Hogge[6]; 2. 6-Jim Pettit II[7]; 3. X-Robby Sawyer[9]; 4. 20-Cody Burke[4]; 5. 46N-Jonathan Hagio[12]; 6. 15F-Markus Frazier[3]; 7. 22-Robert Marsh[5]; 8. 7-Katelyn Robertson[8]; 9. 01-Raymond Keldsen Jr[13]; 10. 46-Kyle Bryan[2]; 11. 3-Todd Hermosillo[11]; 12. 75-Andrew Peckham[10]; 13. 29-Andy Obertello[1]
Hobby Stocks A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 1-Joe Gallaher[2]; 2. 38-Ryan Hart[3]; 3. X1-Bobby Gallaher[1]; 4. 5-Matt Kile[5]; 5. X4-Rob Gallaher[10]; 6. 73B-Brady Muller[6]; 7. 22-Adriane Frost[12]; 8. 22K-Kodie Dean[7]; 9. 51-Norm Ayers[14]; 10. 8-Wayne Reeder[4]; 11. 13-Cory Souza[9]; 12. 511-James Geary[15]; 13. 16-Adam Kujala[11]; 14. 38P-Indy Kirchenbauer[13]; 15. 117-Lilly Mead[8]