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49^th Johnny Key Classic on tap for GLR 360 Sprints at Ocean Speedway this Saturday night August 29

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA – August 25, 2009…Whenever the summer months slowly come to a close the abundance of "big races" seem to take precedent throughout the Northern California sprint car scene and the start of a huge three weeks of racing in the area will kick off this Saturday night with the GLR 360 Sprint Car Series sanctioned 49^th Johnny Key Classic at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.

Following the passing of Johnny Key during a racing crash in 1954 the Key Classic started out at the paved San Jose Speedway, before moving 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 a number of years sitting idle the Ocean Speedway decided to bring the event back in 2007 and this year will mark the third straight season that it will be held at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility.

Since taking over the Ocean Speedway in 2006 promoter John Prentice and his staff have helped mold the track into one of the premier dirt track venues on the west coast and a big night is expected at the Key Classic on Saturday. "The Johnny Key means a lot to the racers and me as I'm aware that this race carries a lot of history," Prentice said in past press release. "I'm just really proud to have the event held at Ocean Speedway."

Anticipation for the event is also mounting among the local community as the race nears on Saturday. "I remember going to the Johnny Key Classic a lot of years at San Jose, but haven't had the chance to go since it moved to Ocean so I'm looking forward to it this weekend," said super-fan Mike Avilla of San Jose. "Each time I've been to the track the last few years it's been a well organized and well run show so it should be a good deal."

A total of 14 drivers are already locked into the Johnny Key Classic and will be led by Campbell's Brent Kaeding and Easton's Tommy Tarlton, who will continue their entertaining battle for the GLR 360 Series title. The duo also happened to be the top-two finishers in last year's Key Classic main event and will come into this years running sitting just four points apart at the top of the standings.

Kaeding just recently finished third in the final Golden State Challenge 410 Series standings and will be looking to make it back-to-back wins at the Key Classic after claiming his second career victory in the event last season aboard the familiar Al's Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza No. 69. Despite not winning with the GLR 360 Series since the opening round on April 3, "BK" has been consistent enough to give him a four point lead in the series standings as he looks to win the Ocean Speedway title for the third straight year. "Winning the Key last year was pretty cool and we're going to be trying hard to do it again on Saturday," Kaeding said on the front stretch after last weeks GSC finale in Placerville.

After finishing runner-up at the Johnny Key Classic last year Tarlton will be gunning to improve one more position on Saturday. The veteran has driven his Tarlton & Son Inc, Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino No. 21 to a series high three victories this year, including the most recent event on August 14 and will go into the Key Classic looking to close the four point gap between himself and Kaeding. Tarlton has put together his best season in recent memory and has also scored a pair of runner-up finishes with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway this year.

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs comes into the weekend sitting third in the GLR Series standings and will look for redemption on Saturday after getting upside down while challenging for the lead at last years Johnny Key Classic. The 22 year-old driver of the Suggs Racing, Riley Collins Body Shop No. 33e machine has set a GLR Series high three fast-times this season, including a new 360 track record on August 14, but is still searching for his first win of the year. Suggs last weekend wrapped up the Golden State Challenge Series season with a fourth place finish in the standings.

Youngster Justin Sanders has been solid this season and comes into the Key Classic ranking fourth in the GLR standings. The 16 year-old, Prunedale resident picked up a huge victory on May 8 at the Ocean Speedway, which marked his first career sprint car win and has also shown immense talent from all accounts during the year. Sander's scored a fifth place finish during the most recent series event at the helm of his North County Plastering, STS Trucking No. 17 sprinter.

Rounding out the top-five in the current GLR 360 standings is former World of Outlaw regular Brad Furr of Pleasanton, who is still looking for his first of the season. The wheel-man of the Brad Furr Racing, Ray Scheidts Electric No. 2 scored his best finish of third on June 26. Veteran Ronnie Day ranks sixth in the standings and will look for his second career Johnny Key Classic victory on Saturday aboard the Werbach Motorsports, Los Gatos Construction Company No. 20. Like Furr, Day is also searching for his first win of the season and the former King of California will look to make it happen this weekend.

Morgan Hills Ricky Wright sits seventh in the points and will come into the Johnny Key Classic on the heels of a victory at the Chowchilla Speedway last Saturday. The driver of the Wright One Construction, Red Line Oil No. 35 also picked up a win at the Ocean Speedway on June 5 and last season brought home a strong fifth place finish at the Key Classic. Completing the top-10 in the GLR 360 Series standings and also qualified for the Key are Gilroy's Kurt Nelson, San Jose's Jason Newton and Salinas' Keith Day.

Current California Sprint Car Civil War Series point leader Sean Becker has had a very strong year and will be looking for his first Key Classic victory on Saturday aboard the always potent Scott Miller Racing, Robinson Engineering No. 2sb machine. "The Shark" has won three main events with the Civil War tour this season and holds a commanding 78-point lead in the series standings. The Oroville driver has always seemed to do well at the Ocean Speedway and in May of 2007 tallied a clean-sweep with the Golden State Challenge Series after setting fast-time, winning his heat race, the dash and the main event during the night. Becker this season has also captured a $5,000 win at the Mark Forni Classic in Placerville and this past Friday captured his first 410 victory of the year in Chico.

Former Johnny Key Classic winner Jason Statler has won twice on the season with the GLR Series and will look to make it number three on Saturday behind the wheel of his Statler Racing, DF Rios Construction No. 00. "The Big Guy" last season tallied a third place result at the event and will be searching to continue his successful 2009 campaign this weekend at the prestigious race. Last Saturday night saw Statler charge from 14^th to fifth in the main event at the Placerville Speedway to finish off the Golden State Challenge Series season seventh in the standings, having competed in 18 of the 21 events.

Elk Grove's Kyle Larson is sure to be a front runner in the Johnny Key Classic at the helm of his Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management No. 83v sprint car. The 17 year-old driver has had a big year at the Ocean Speedway having raced to victory during a GLR/Civil War Series co-sanctioned event on July 17 and also picked up his first career Golden State Challenge Series win at the track on May 29. During his most recent visit to the quarter-mile bullring Larson charged from 15^th to sixth in the GSC main event and last weekend wrapped-up his first 410 campaign with a fifth place finish in the series standings.

Two-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion and current point leader Bud Kaeding goes into Saturday looking to grab his second career Key Classic victory. The 29 year-old will be back aboard the Sala/Matherly Racing, M&M Powder Coating No. 19 as he searches for his first GLR 360 Series win of the season at the track he calls home. Kaeding raced to an impressive triumph at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility on August 8 when he dominated the Golden State Challenge main event for his second 410 victory of the year. Other possibilities on Saturday will include San Martin's Craig Smith and Wes Guiterrez, Visalia's Cory Eliason, Fremont's Brent Bjork, Corralitos' Jerry Bonema, Fresno's Anthony Simone and Mike Stallings, Campbell's Burt Foland Jr, Morgan Hills Devon Ostheimer and more.

Please note an earlier start time is also scheduled for Saturday's Johnny Key Classic with the front grandstand gate opening up at 3pm. The pit board meeting will be held at 3:45 with track packing at 4 and racing scheduled to get underway around 5. This is the same time frame used during all Saturday shows at the Ocean Speedway.

Adult tickets will be $15 with seniors $12, kids 6-12 $9 and five and under free. Ocean Speedway officials also want to stress that the appearance rule from last season is not in place so all teams are invited and welcome to come and compete during the night. The evening will be capped with a 50 lap main event, which will feature a break at midway to allow teams the chance to adjust their cars for the final 25 lap segment that will crown the Key Classic winner.

The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California. For more info on the 49^th Johnny Key Classic, including the format, log onto the site with great documentation concerning the GLR Series done by Lance Jennings and Gary Costa at http://www.oceansprints.com and for more info on the Ocean Speedway visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com

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Campbell's Brent Kaeding goes into this Saturday's 49th Johnny Key Classic looking to win the event for the second year in a row and the third time overall in his career. "BK" also goes into the evening holding a four point lead in the GLR 360 Series standings as he searches for his third straight Ocean Speedway title. Photo courtesy Joe Martinez
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmart16164?pli=1

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Photo's courtesy Joe Martinez
http://picasaweb.google.com/jmart16164?pli=1

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Easton's Tommy Tarlton has won a GLR Series high three main events this season and comes into the Johnny Key Classic second in the standings, just four digits back of Kaeding. The veteran driver was also runner-up at last years Key Classic and will look to move up one more position on Saturday aboard his Tarlton & Son Inc, Tachi Palace No. 21

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs comes into the weekend sitting third in the GLR Series standings and will look for redemption on Saturday after getting upside down while challenging for the lead at last years Johnny Key Classic. The 22 year-old driver of the Suggs Racing, Riley Collins Body Shop No. 33e machine has set a GLR Series high three fast-times this season, including a new 360 track record on August 14

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Current California Sprint Car Civil War Series point leader Sean Becker has had a very strong year and will be looking for his first Key Classic victory on Saturday aboard the Scott Miller Racing, Robinson Engineering No. 2sb machine. Becker this season has won three Civil War Series main events and also captured a $5,000 win at the Mark Forni Classic in Placerville. The former King of California also raced to victory this past Friday to capture his first 410 victory of the year in Chico

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Former Johnny Key Classic winner Jason Statler has won twice on the season with the GLR Series and will look to make it number three on Saturday behind the wheel of his Statler Racing, DF Rios Construction No. 00. "The Big Guy" finished third in last years event and has been solid at the Watsonville based track all season long. The former King of California scored a third place finish in the GSC main event at the track on August 8

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Talented youngster Kyle Larson of Elk Grove has been extremely strong at the Ocean Speedway this season aboard the Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management No. 83v. Larson has made four starts at the track this year and has won both a Golden State Challenge Series main event and a GLR/Civil War Series co-sanctioned feature. The 17 year-old also finished fourth with GSC in April and his last visit to the speedway netted a sixth place result after starting 15th on grid with the traveling 410 tour

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Former Johnny Key Classic winners:

1954 Danny Graves
1955 Al Pombo
1956 Clyde Palmer
1957 Ray Raineri
1958 Rick Henderson
1959 George Benson
1960 Marshall Sargent
1961 Clyde Palmer(2)
1962 Clyde Palmer(3)
1963 Marshall Sargent
1964 George Snider
1965 Burt Foland
1966 Burt Foland(2)
1967 Bill Scott
1968 Howard Kaeding
1969 Bill Scott(2)
1970 Don Epperson
1971 Everett Edlund
1972 Nick Rescino
1973 Howard Kaeding(2)
1974 Nick Rescino(2)
1975 Nick Rescino(3)
1976 Tony Ringo
1977 Danny O'Neill
1978 Johnny Brazil
1979 Howard Kaeding(3)
1980 Brent Kaeding
1981 Mike Sargent
1982 Nick Rescino(4)
1983 John Viel
1984 Nick Rescino(5)
1985 Rich Voss
1986 Nick Rescino(6)
1987 Howard Kaeding(4)
1988 Rod Spencer
1989 Scott Luhdorff
1990 Danny Olmstead
1991 Terry McCarl
1992 Scott Luhdorff(2)
1993 Chuck Miller
1994 Chuck Miller(2)
1995 Rick Martin
1996 Bud Kaeding
1997 Craig Smith
1998 Ronnie Day
1999 Eric Rossi
2007 Jason Statler
2008 Brent Kaeding (2)

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Please note an earlier start time is also scheduled for Saturday's Johnny Key Classic with the front grandstand gate opening up at 3pm. The pit board meeting will be held at 3:45 with track packing at 4 and racing scheduled to get underway around 5. This is the same time frame used during all Saturday shows at the Ocean Speedway.

Adult tickets will be $15 with seniors $12, kids 6-12 $9 and five and under free. Ocean Speedway officials also want to stress that the appearance rule from last season is not in place so all teams are invited and welcome to come and compete during the night. The evening will be capped with a 50 lap main event, which will feature a break at midway to allow teams the chance to adjust their cars for the final 25 lap segment that will crown the Key Classic winner.

The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California. For more info on the 49^th Johnny Key Classic, including the format, log onto the site with great documentation concerning the GLR Series done by Lance Jennings and Gary Costa at http://www.oceansprints.com and for more info on the Ocean Speedway visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

1998 Johnny Key Classic winner Ronnie Day brought home a third place finish during the most recent GLR 360 Series event on August 14 and will look for his first win of the season on Saturday. The 50 year-old former King of California has won a number of big races in his career including the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup, the Trophy Cup, the Pombo/Sargent Classic, the Salute to Walt Ross and is currently in his first season driving the Tim Werbach owned, Los Gatos Construction Company No. 20 sprint car. In addition to winning the Golden State Challenge title in 2000 Day was also the runner-up in the series standings in 2006, 1996 and 1991

www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Cool to see so many former winners in the race. I hope Cowboy is there and can qualify for the Key.

It makes me feel a little old to say the first Key race I attended was the one Tony Ringo won.

I don't think I missed any from then until 1996 when cancer was trying to kick my a$$.

Saw the race in 1998 when Ronnie Day won. It was the third Key race for crew chief Don Felts. His previous wins were with Danny Olmstead in 1990 and Howard Kaeding in 1979. Ah, 1979, what a great year to be a HK fan. Mike Sargent took off to a HUGE lead. Then when the second half was underway, you could hear the engine starting to sour. Howard took the lead and was being chased by Lloyd Beard. Brent Kaeding who had lost a few laps due to an early race flat tire, charged through the field, and as the race ran down, he passed Beard and chased his dad to the checker. Pretty cool victory lane moment.

I am looking forward to this weekend Gary. Thanks to the folks at Ocean for bringing this race back.

One more memory, on race day afternoon at the old speedway, they used to spectator open the gates at 2pm. That's how early you wanted to get there to grab a good seat and get your linguica.

Speaking of linguica, how long has it been since we've had it at a Hoserville function? Might have to get some at Gold Cup.

Here's a couple of cool shots from last years Johnny Key taken by Alan Messick at http://www.pbase.com/alan/motorsports

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www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com

Thanks for sharing Mike! I know We shared a Beer one time or another in HK's pits after the Races. My 1st Key was 2 years later, 1st Year of Modified Racing at The Fairgrounds when Johnny Brazil Won. I Believe The winning Car was a former Wayne Warmer Modified? Wayne switched to Top Fuel and sol;d the Car a Year or so before if it indeed was the same Warner, which I believe there were 2 Warners involved in Racing in San Jose. I too arrived at 2 pm to watch the Cars unload Turn 1 of he Mile and on the Grass outside the Track, always a must see in the Day.

Loyld Beard #96

The Winning Car, Jammin Joe Bailey, a Crewman, Johnny Looking over the Car

Larry Rudolf #63 always had time to talk with Fans

Some Cars, Scott Murrey #72, Paul Diaz #28, Nick Ringo

There were always pretty Girls aroubnd Ringos Pits

Brazil, 2nd Place Mark Sargent

Mark and The Purple #7

Third picture from the bottom, behind the tail of the 100 car, orange jacket with reflectors on the sleeves...That's me!

does anyone notice anthing in bruce's pics?.................ALL THE PEOPLE!!!!!!

there used to to be so many people around that you couldn't get the cars off the track! we would just wait for a while and bring the trucks and trailers out onto the track to load up! it used to take forever to get out of the track. and that was on a normal night! we would be there for hours and thinking we were the last ones to leave and as we were driving out we would see HK still partying. we would say, "damn, that old man beat us again!" i swear if you see him after the race this week he will still have an "oly" stuffed in his coat pocket! some good times there.

to indy and beyond!!

Mike around 88-89 if You wore a Red Jacket We have better pics!! Yep when the Olys were gone, was time to go Home........After Having more Beers with HK at The Bee-Hive!!!!!! One time this Long Haired Punk comes into The Bar with HK, I ask "Whos That"? HK replys....Thats My Son Brent. I ask, so what does He think Hes going to Drive someday? A Year later, BK was in a Red Modified a Year before His Santa Mari stint in The 00

78 or 89 Mike Sargent's White #7, Beautiful Hagerman Hood One Of My Favorite #7 Colors

Brents Key Win 1980 in The CSC Mechanical Special

Mike's white Car in The Center Picture. Photographer Don Mize must have incredable Pictures from This Era.......