This message was edited on
August 30, 2009 at
05:45:23 PM by Gary Thomas
Photo by http://www.stevesracingphotos.com
Tommy Tarlton stays composed and holds off all challengers to pick up victory in 49th Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – August 29, 2009…After leading a number of laps and finishing runner-up at last years Johnny Key Classic, Easton's Tommy Tarlton was poised to move up one more spot in this seasons running of the event and the veteran driver accomplished that goal on Saturday night by holding off a strong late race charge from Campbell's Bud Kaeding to claim his fourth GLR Series triumph of 2009 at the Ocean Speedway.
Tarlton was forced to fend off several challenges from other competitors, as well as survive through a number of caution and red flag periods for much of the 50 lapper on Saturday evening. "Wow this is just an awesome feeling to win this event with all the history and prestige behind it and that was definitely a lot of fun racing with Bud Kaeding late in the feature," said Tarlton, after Kaeding executed multiple slide jobs within the final 10 laps, which each time saw Tarlton cut back underneath to maintain the lead. "I just had to keep my focus during all those cautions because I knew there were some fast guys behind me and thankfully we were able to hang on and get another win."
The 50 lap Johnny Key Classic main event initially started out with Elk Grove's Kyle Larson getting a great jump on the field to blast into the lead aboard his Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management No. 83v, although it was all for naught as the yellow lights flashed on for a spun car in turn two, before the red was then brought out when Nick Ringo Jr. didn't see the yellow lights and climbed another car to get upside down on the front stretch. The subsequent restart then saw Tarlton get the better jump off the fourth corner to move his way into the top spot.
With traffic soon coming into play the intensity heated up as Larson was all over the rear of Tarlton when the pair entered the slower cars and began to fight it out for the lead, until a caution appeared on lap 12 to give the leaders an open track. When the green came back out Larson continued his pursuit of the leader and looked to be faster, but needed to find the right opening in traffic as Tarlton cut smooth and consistent laps, that was until the 21st circuit when Tarlton very nearly spun out just as Larson looked to his inside. It then allowed Bud Kaeding the opportunity to get right on their bumpers as it looked to be a three-way dogfight for the top spot, before another caution came out on lap 22.
With the lap 25 mandatory stoppage coming up drivers tried to get all they could on the restart and Oroville's Sean Becker began to show his strength as he made an aggressive move to charge under Campbell's Brent Kaeding and move into fifth from his 11th starting position. At that same time Larson continued to be relentless in his challenge for the lead and was able to make the move under Tarlton for the top spot in turn one on lap 24, but Tarlton would cut back underneath and the duo would cross the stripe on lap 25 side-by-side as the yellow/red lights flew to mark the halfway stoppage.
During this time crews could make any adjustments needed to try and get their machines in tip-top shape for the final 25 lap segment. When cars pushed back off the top-10 cars on the speedway were Tarlton, Larson, Bud Kaeding, Salinas' Ronnie Day, Becker, Brent Kaeding, Morgan Hill's Ricky Wright, Placerville's Andy Gregg, Grass Valley's Jason Statler and Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs. After a fairly smooth opening segment, the final 25 were marred by a number of stoppages that never truly allowed the race to get back into a steady flow. In-between the yellows and reds however, the action continued to be entertaining as a well prepared track allowed competitors the chance to race all over the quarter-mile bullring.
Following a red flag period on lap 28 Larson finally got the momentum he needed coming off turn four and would slice his way into the lead, but just after that the yellow flag would come out again and negate the pass to put the Tachi Palace, Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21 back out front for the restart. The talented 17 year-old didn't let it deter him though and continued his strong pursuit when racing got back underway as he once again made the pass for the lead on lap 30, but Tarlton would come back at him and the duo ran wheel-to-wheel until the yellow flew to slow things down just as soon as soon as it was getting good yet again.
After going back green another caution would appear a couple laps later and on lap 33 the complexion of the race would change up front as Larson got a bit high in turn two and it gave Bud Kaeding the opportunity to shoot into second. It would set up a great shootout between the two Ocean Speedway regulars, but the pace continued to be hampered by yellows and reds with no more than four laps being completed at a time over the final 17 circuits.
With the race winding down the car on the move was the Guts Racing, Dale Miller Plumbing No. 16x of Gregg as he steadily carved his way through the field and charged into the top-five on lap 34 from his 15th starting spot. The Placerville racer suffered heart-break city with just 10 laps remaining however, when a broken rear-end put a tough end to his exciting run from the back.
The final 10 circuits of racing to conclude the 50 lap contest featured some of the best racing for the lead we've seen this year as Kaeding got up on the wheel and gave Tarlton everything he could handle beginning with an exciting slide job in the first and second corners to move into the lead on lap 41, but Tarlton was able to cut back underneath the Sala/Matherly Racing, Kaeding Performance No. 19 and retake command heading down the backstretch. Kaeding continued to drive the wheels off his machine though and executed the exact same move on lap 44, but Tarlton would once again cut back to the bottom and drive back into the lead.
The hot and heavy fight for the top spot continued the next lap with the two-time USAC Silver Crown Series champ charging again to the low side in turn one to slide in front of the black No. 21 sprinter however, Tarlton would once again slice back to the inside to maintain the lead by the time a yellow flag flew that same lap to set up a final five lap dash to the finish. When the green came back out for the final time it was all about Tarlton up front and the former two-time Pombo/Sargent Classic champion drove off to cross under the checkered flag with ease and score his first career Johnny Key Classic victory.
Kaeding would score the runner-up position at the stripe with Larson just behind in third after the pair fought it out for the second position over the final few circuits. Brent Kaeding claimed fourth at the finish aboard the Al's Roofing Supply No. 69 with Suggs making a late rebound to get by and hold off Statler to score fifth at the conclusion behind the wheel of his Suggs Racing No. 33e. Rounding out the top-10 were Statler, Wright, Visalia's Cory Eliason, Becker and San Jose's Jason Newton. Becker had run as high as fifth in the main event, but was forced to pit when a broken wing ram left him with issues while sitting in the sixth spot.
The next event for the GLR 360 Sprint Car Series will be on Friday September 25 when the California Sprint Car Civil War Series invades the Ocean Speedway for the second and final co-sanctioned race at the track this season.
Full results will be available at http://www.oceanspeedway.com and http://www.oceansprints.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
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