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49th 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 49th 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 14th 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 15th 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 49th 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
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