By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA…The cool confines of Watsonville Speedway will be the destination for the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour this Saturday June 20th.
The 66th running of the “Johnny Key Classic” marks the lone SCCT appearance of the season at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds venue.
This Saturday will be the initial visit to Watsonville Speedway for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour since 2023. It’s also the first SCCT event held at the track since SRE Promotions assumed leadership of the venue earlier this year.
The pit gate for competitors opens at 1pm on Saturday, while the front gate for spectators opens at 3:30. The drivers meeting will be held at 3:45pm, with track packing a little after 4. Please advise of the earlier starting time. Hot laps, Sierra Foothills Wine Services qualifying and heat races will follow.
The Johnny Key Classic originally started out at the paved San Jose Speedway following the passing of driver Johnny Key during a racing crash in 1954. It then moved to the fairgrounds dirt track in 1978 and had been a staple at the speedway until the closing of the dirt oval in 1999.
After several years sitting idle, Watsonville Speedway brought the event back in 2007 and this year commemorates the 20th consecutive season that it is held at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility.
Former SCCT champion Justyn Cox brings the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour point lead into Watsonville Speedway on Saturday. The Clarksburg racer will be looking to rebound following a DNF last week in Petaluma.
Cox holds a 30-point advantage over his nearest competitor that is expected on Saturday, with that being Marysville’s Dawson Hammes. Dunnigan’s Luke Hayes and Colfax driver Cole Croft round out the top five in points.
Sacramento’s Landon Henry is fresh off his first career Sprint Car win last week and sits atop the Gold Star GMC Sprint Car standings at the track. Cotati’s Jake Haulot, Croft, Salinas’ Caleb Debem and Brentwood’s Adrianna DeMartini complete the top five.
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Adult tickets at Watsonville Speedway this Saturday June 20th cost $27, while kids 6-12 are $15. Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on pre-sale via https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1870/tickets/1519626?rKey=1569
Watsonville Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.
For those who can’t make it to the track CaliDirt.TV provides live coverage of every Sprint Car Challenge Tour event. The service also covers every championship point race at Placerville Speedway. Fans can purchase through a cost savings monthly membership or on a per race basis via https://calidirt.tv/
The Sprint Car Challenge Tour is managed by Russell Motorsports Inc., which also runs the Placerville Speedway in Placerville, California. For sponsorship opportunities and inquiries, RMI can be reached at 530-344-7592 or office@sprintcarchallengetour.com
More information on the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour can be found at our official website www.sprintcarchallengetour.com โ Be sure to also like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sprintcarchallengetour and follow on X https://x.com/360SCCT for the latest breaking news regarding SCCT. You can also find us on Instagram by searching scct360.
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Saturday June 20: Watsonville Speedway (66th Johnny Key Classic)
(Western Sprint Tour Speedweek)
Friday July 17: Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico (13th annual Tyler and Chuck Wolf Memorial)
Saturday July 18: Placerville Speedway (Gold Pan Rampage presented by Marshall)
Monday July 20: Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Oregon
Tuesday July 21: Coos Bay Speedway
Wednesday July 22: Cottage Grove Speedway
Friday July 24: Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington (Fred Brownfield 360 Nationals Opener)
Saturday July 25: Skagit Speedway ($26,000-to-win Fred Brownfield 360 Nationals Finale)
Sunday July 26: Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington (Hall of Fame Tribute-360 Battle Royale Speedweek Finale)