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Ocean Speedway set for GLR Investments vs. California Sprint Car Civil War Series event this Friday night
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – September 22, 2009…Following a very exciting and entertaining night of racing at the Ocean Speedway in mid-July the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds quarter-mile will now play host to the second and final GLR Investments vs. California Sprint Car Civil War Series event this Friday September 25.
The initial co-sanctioned event between the two winged 360 sprint car series' this season saw 17-year-old Kyle Larson set fast-time and drive his way from the fourth row in the main event to capture his second Ocean Speedway victory of the season, to go along with his Golden State Challenge Series triumph in May. "I knew that this would be one of the toughest 360 races of the year next to the Trophy Cup and Fall Nationals," Larson said after his win on July 17. "I think this is becoming my new favorite track and my car owner Dave Vertullo always gives me a great car so I can't thank him enough."
Headlining the two respective series’ going into this Friday's event will be Easton's Tommy Tarlton, who sits atop the GLR Investments Series standings and Oroville's Sean Becker, who has dominated the California Sprint Car Civil War Series season and sits on top of the points with a large lead as he looks to put a cap on his second consecutive title this weekend.
Tarlton is coming off a huge victory at the prestigious Johnny Key Classic on August 29, which was the most recent GLR event held at the Ocean Speedway. With that victory under his belt the driver of the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, Tarlton & Son Inc. No. 21 has now won four main events at the track this season, which is the most of any competitor and has also claimed the point lead with only three races remaining.
Tarlton has been one of the hottest sprint car drivers on the West Coast for much of the season and is also fresh off an impressive eighth place finish at the World of Outlaw sanctioned Gold Cup Race of Champions less than two weeks ago, in what was his first start at the Silver Dollar Speedway since last year's Gold Cup. The former two-time Thunderbowl Raceway champion will look to continue his strong season this weekend to try and help stretch his point lead with the year winding down. Tarlton also finished runner-up during the first GLR/Civil War event on July 17 and will be searching to move up one more spot in the order on Friday.
Hot on Tarlton's heels however, is two-time & defending Ocean Speedway track champion Brent Kaeding of Campbell, who sits just eight points back of the lead as he searches for his third straight title at the quarter-mile bullring. "BK" hasn't won at the Ocean Speedway since the opening round on April 3 and will be looking to break the winless drought at this weekend's co-sanctioned event. Kaeding this season also won four main events with the touring Golden State Challenge Series and finished third in the final standings aboard his familiar Al's Roofing Supply, High Five Pizza No. 69. The 13-time King of California is also coming off a strong podium finish during the Friday prelim at the Gold Cup Race of Champions.
Scotts Valley's Evan Suggs ranks third in the GLR Series standings and will be searching for his first victory of the season this weekend at the helm of his Suggs Racing, Lucas Oil Products No. 33e. The 22-year-old driver has scored a pair of runner-up finishes and has also been the top-qualifier at the Ocean Speedway this season having set fast-time on three occasions, including a new track record on August 14. In addition to that Suggs also finished fourth in the final Golden State Challenge Series standings with four fast-time efforts.
Young 16-year-old Justin Sanders of Prunedale goes into the weekend fourth in the GLR Series points and will look for his second career Ocean Speedway victory this Friday. The driver of the North County Plastering, STS Trucking No. 17 has been one of the bright spots at the track this season after scoring a big upset win on May 8. Pleasanton's Brad Furr continues to search for his first victory of the season and currently rounds out the top-five in the GLR standings. The veteran driver is coming off an impressive showing during his preliminary night at the Gold Cup Race of Champions where he scored a fifth place finish aboard his Ray Scheidts Electric, Brad Furr Racing No. 2.
Other than Tarlton, Grass Valley's Jason Statler is the only other driver with multiple victories to his name with the GLR Investments Series this season. The former King of California has had a strong year overall and should be a top contender as always on Friday as he competes behind the wheel of the Statler Racing, DF Rios Construction No. 00. Other GLR Series drivers expected to be on hand Saturday will include former King of California Ronnie Day of Salinas, Morgan Hill's Ricky Wright, Gilroy's Kurt Nelson, San Jose's Jason Newton, Salinas' Keith Day, Fremont's Brent Bjork, Visalia's Cory Eliason and more.
After winning his first Civil War Series championship last season, Becker has come back this year to be the class of the field with the traveling 360 series once again and has put together four wins, eight top-five finishes, 10 top-10's and four fast-time's in 12 starts aboard the Scott Miller Racing, Robinson Engineering No. 2sb. “It’s been a great partnership ever since I started driving for this team and I always have a lot of confidence whenever I sit behind the wheel of this car,” Becker has said. “They always give me a great car and I really couldn’t have asked for more the last couple years.”
During the biggest Civil War event of the year on Wednesday September 9 the "Shark" raced to his first career victory at Silver Dollar Speedway's Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational and currently holds a commanding 104-point lead in the standings. Becker this year also captured the $5,000 to win Mark Forni Classic at Placerville Speedway for the second straight year and in his career has also claimed championships with the Golden State Challenge Series and at the Silver Dollar Speedway. It has been reported that all Becker has to do this weekend is make the main event on Friday and he will secure the Civil War title for the second consecutive season.
Former two-time California Sprint Car Civil War Series champion Mike Henry has had a strong season since returning to action behind the wheel of the Rudy and Bev Warrington owned No. 18 sprinter. The veteran driver missed the first three events of the year, but still ranks sixth in the series points and picked up a victory with the traveling club on July 3 at the Petaluma Speedway. Loomis, CA's Kyle Hirst has been a top driver whenever he competes with the Civil War Series and claimed victory at the season opener in Petaluma aboard his Gary Perkins Motorsports, A.R.T. Enterprise No. 6. The 21-year-old competitor has been one of the winningest drivers in California this season having claimed eight overall victories so far this year.
Other drivers among the top-10 in the Civil War standings coming into Friday's event include Sacramento's "Hang-on" Herman Klein, Rohnert Park's Brett Rollag, Escalon's Myles Bishop, Chico's Stephen Allard, Placerville's Jimmy Trulli, Auburn's Andy Forsberg and Elk Grove's Chad Compton.
After winning the first GLR/Civil War Series co-sanctioned event earlier this year Elk Grove's Kyle Larson is expected to return this Friday looking for his third overall win of the season at the Ocean Speedway. The driver of the Vertullo Racing, Starr Property Management No. 83v has been very impressive in recent weeks during some of the biggest sprint car events of the Northern California year, including a third place finish at the Johnny Key Classic. Larson this year also finished fifth in the Golden State Challenge Series standings while at the same time taking home Rookie of the Year honors.
More drivers expected to be in action on Friday night include Clovis, CA's Peter Murphy, Placerville's Andy Gregg, Princeton's Mason Moore, Fremont's Shane Golobic, San Martin's Wes Gutierrez, Chico's Kenny Allen, Fresno's Anthony Simone, Nevada City's Pat Harvey and others.
The front gate at the Ocean Speedway on Friday will open at 4:00 pm with adult tickets being $15, seniors $12, kids 6-12 $9 and five and under free. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California.
Up next for GLR Series- Following this Friday's event the GLR Investments 360 Sprint Car Series will take next week off before finishing off the season with back-to-back events on October 9 and 16.
Up next for Civil War Series- This Friday's race at Ocean Speedway will mark the penultimate event for the California Sprint Car Civil War Series as the tour will conclude its season Saturday evening at the Placerville Speedway.
For more information on the GLR Investments Series and Ocean Speedway log onto http://www.oceansprints.com and http://www.oceanspeedway.com and for more info the California Sprint Car Civil War Series visit http://www.civilwarsprints.com
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Current GLR Investments 360 Series point leader Tommy Tarlton will lead the Ocean Speedway regulars into Friday nights GLR vs. Civil War Series event. The Easton, California veteran has won four main events at the track this season, including the 49th Johnny Key Classic on August 29. Tarlton also recently finished 8th in the A-main at the prestigious Gold Cup Race of Champions. Photo by http://www.stevesracingphotos.com
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