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Topic: Tarlton & Larson just 5-points apart going into Friday at Ocean Speedway
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July 26, 2010 at
10:08:34 PM
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Hot and heavy Ocean Sprints point battle resumes at cool confines of Ocean Speedway this Friday night with Tarlton and Larson just five-markers apart
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 26, 2010…Easton, California’s Tommy Tarlton will bring a five-point lead over the red-hot Kyle Larson of Elk Grove into the Ocean Speedway this Friday night July 30, during what will be the ninth race of the season for the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo.
This Friday’s event will mark the third of four qualifying races for the 50th running of the $5,000-to-win/$300-to-start Johnny Key Classic, with Larson and Salinas, CA’s Ronnie Day being the first two drivers to lock into the show that will be held on Saturday August 28.
In addition to the main event purse there is also lap money continuing to be sold for the Johnny Key Classic. The cost is $50 a lap with $25 going to the leader, $15 for second and $10 for third. For anyone that would like to purchase a lap please contact Gary at [email protected] or Samantha at [email protected] or simply see us at the track on Friday.
Including this weekend there will be six races remaining in the 2010 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo season and for the second year in a row the point race is anybody’s game with two of Northern & Central California’s finest fighting it out at the top of the standings.
After taking the point lead during the second round of action in April, Tarlton now finds himself only a handful of digits up on Larson, with the duo also being the only drivers that have scored multiple wins this year with the Ocean Sprints. Whereas Tarlton is coming off a couple of less than hoped for outings, Larson goes into Friday night with momentum on his side having captured three of the last four main events at Ocean Speedway, including the Ocean Sprints vs. Civil War show two Friday’s ago.
Just three races back Tarlton had held a 23-point edge over Larson, who had sat third in the standings at the time, but a couple night’s of tough luck for the driver of the Corporate America Lending No. 21 have resulted in finishes of 11th and eighth respectively during the last two events. Taking full advantage of those nights the 17-year-old Larson claimed victory in each of those two races to help cut the point margin down drastically and put him in position to challenge for the title aboard his Stadelhofer Construction No. 99x mount.
Larson also comes into the weekend tied with Chico’s Jonathan Allard as the winningest winged sprint car driver in Nor Cal this season, following his eighth main event victory of the year last Saturday night with the Golden State Challenge 410 Series in Marysville. It was also good enough to put him into the series point lead as he attempts to become youngest King of California ever. Tarlton likewise has also had a successful season with GSC, claiming nine top-five finishes in nine starts with the series, which will invade Ocean Speedway on Saturday August 7.
Campbell’s Brent Kaeding goes into this Friday night third in the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo standings and will be looking to rebound after bad luck has left him with finishes outside the top-10 during the most recent two events. The driver of the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69 sits 23-points out of the lead. Former King of California Ronnie Day has moved to fourth in the standings and will also be gunning for his first win of the year on Friday aboard the Keith Day Trucking No. 22. The Salinas driver brought home an Ocean Speedway season-best finish of second at the last event on July 16.
Currently tied for the fifth spot in the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo points are Visalia’s Cory Eliason and Clovis, CA’s Peter Murphy. Eliason has been one of the hottest drivers as of late at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds quarter-mile having finished among the top-four in each of the last four nights of racing at the track behind the wheel of his Advance Auto & Smog No. 00x. Murphy however, will be looking to regroup this Friday after a tough night during the Ocean vs. Civil War event on July 16, where he finished 16th in the b-main aboard the Buster & Ziggy Enterprise No. 11 sprinter.
Rounding out the top-10 in the standings going the ninth race of the year are Pleasanton’s Brad Furr, who finished third on July 16, Prunedale’s Justin Sanders, Campbell’s Bud Kaeding and Gilroy’s Eric Rossi. Other possibilities to be on hand this Friday will include Grass Valley’s Jason Statler, Scotts Valley’s Evan Suggs, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Morgan Hill’s Devon Ostheimer & Ricky Wright Jr., San Jose’s Matt Sargent, San Martin’s Craig Smith, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson and more.
The front gate of the Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night July 30 with hot laps at 5:45, qualifying around 6 and racing to follow. All seating will be general admission with adult tickets costing $16, children 6-12 $11 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $45 and seniors 65 and older with id will be $14. The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California.
Johnny Key Classic Qualifying Procedure:
Starting Friday June 25 and continuing thru August 20 drivers will pre-qualify for the 50th running of the Johnny Key Classic. This will be accomplished by taking the winner from June 25(Kyle Larson); July 16(2nd place finisher Ronnie Day); July 30 & August 20 A-main main events and locking them into a starting spot for the Johnny Key Classic race.
After the first night of pre-qualifying if the winner of the next week event is the same, we will take the #2 finisher, until the final night of pre-qualifying. After August 20 the top two (2) DRIVERS in Ocean 360 Sprints presented by Taco Bravo Series points that have NOT secured a starting spot in the Key race will be included in the pre-qualified Key race line up.
For more information on the Ocean Sprint Cars presented by Taco Bravo log onto http://www.oceansprints.com and for more on the Ocean Speedway visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com
Coming up- Following this week’s event the next Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo show will be held on Friday night August 20, which also be the final qualifying race for the 50th Johnny Key Classic.
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With eight races down and six remaining in the season Easton’s Tommy Tarlton holds a slim five-point lead over Elk Grove’s Kyle Larson in the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo standings going into this Friday night at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Photo by Paul Trevino of http://www.paultrevinoracingphotos.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 26, 2010 at
10:10:22 PM
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The hottest driver in Northern California sprint car racing at the moment is current GSC point leader Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, who has captured three of the last four main events held at Ocean Speedway and will look to cut into Tommy Tarlton’s five-point advantage on Friday.
Shown here with Larson is Visalia’s Cory Eliason, who has also been hot recently at Ocean Speedway having finished fourth or better during the last four races held at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. The 18-year-old will be gunning for his first career Ocean Sprints win this Friday night.
Photo by L&J Photography http://picasaweb.google.com/jmart16164?pli=1
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 26, 2010 at
10:11:18 PM
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In addition to the $5,000-to-win/$300-to-start main event purse there is also lap money continuing to be sold for the Johnny Key Classic. The cost is $50 a lap with $25 going to the leader, $15 for second and $10 for third. If you are interested in sponsoring a lap, please contact either Gary Thomas at [email protected] or Samantha Harper at [email protected] or see us at the track on Friday.
Here are the laps currently taken:
Lap 1- Kyle Larson Fan Club
Lap 3- Stadelhofer Construction
Lap 4- BF
Lap 5- Stadelhofer Construction
Lap 7- 7 Industries
Lap 8- Larson Legacy (Bob, Don and Steve)
Lap 9- Abreu Vineyards Management
Lap 11- Swimming Pool Perfections
Lap 13- Carwash Mike
Lap 15- In memory of Rod Furtado
Lap 17- George Hague
Lap 19- Howard Kaeding
Lap 20- Swimming Pool Perfections
Lap 21- Stadelhofer Construction
Lap 24- Abreu Vineyards Management
Lap 33- Suggs Racing
Lap 37- The Thomas Family
Lap 50- MAJ1K Motorsports
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 26, 2010 at
10:12:26 PM
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7413
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Kyle Larson, who celebrates his 18th birthday this Saturday, has won the first two qualifying races for the Johnny Key Classic and will be looking for three in a row on Friday at Ocean Speedway. http://picasaweb.google.com/jmart16164?pli=1
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 26, 2010 at
10:14:33 PM
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This message was edited on
July 26, 2010 at
10:15:13 PM by Gary Thomas
Johnny Key Classic trophy:
Johnny Key Classic
Saturday
August 28, 2010
The qualifying and race format will be as follows.
Qualifying
Starting Friday, June 25, 2010 and continuing thru August 20, 2010 Drivers will pre-qualify for the 50th running of The Johnny Key Classic. This will be accomplished by taking the Winner June 25; July 16; July 30 & August 20 A-main main event and “locking” them into a starting spot for the Johnny Key Classic race. After the first night of pre-qualifying if the winner of the next week event is the same, we will take the #2 finisher, until the final night of pre-qualifying. After August 20, 2010 the top two (2) DRIVERS in Ocean 360 Sprint presented by Taco Bravo Series points that have NOT secured a starting spot in the Key race will be included in the pre-qualified Key race line up.
Race night format
Drivers not “locked” into the Key race will hot lap and take two (2) timed qualifying laps. Then will run a B-Main for the next 16 starting spots in the Key race. The B-Main format will be the multiple B format, [# of B-Mains will be determined by number of entrants the night of the Key race], with no more than 12 cars per B-Main. B-Main line-up will be the same as the nightly heat race line ups, we will invert the top 4, regardless of how many B’s ran that night. The B-mains will be 20 laps. We will take a total of 16 cars from the B-Mains to complete the 22 car starting field. The drivers that qualified thru the B-Mains will get their times back and start behind the pre-qualified drivers for the Key.
Drivers that have pre-qualified will be allowed an opportunity to hot lap during the night before the Key race. There will be a six (6) lap dash consisting of the six (6) Drivers that have pre qualified. The starting order of the dashes will be determined by pill draw. The finishing order of the dash will determine their starting spots for the Key. The B-main cars will follow in the line-up as stated previously
Johnny Key Race Laps
The Key race will consist of a total of fifty (50) laps. There will be two (2) twenty-five (25) lap segments. At the conclusion of the first segment the cars will be stopped on the front straight in front of the grandstands. There will be a 12-15 minute intermission in which cars can refuel, change tires, and make whatever adjustments the crews can do on the front straight before teams are signaled to leave the track and cars are pushed off. Cars will be lined up to resume the race in the order in which they finished the first segment. For the final 5 laps, if we have a yellow flag, the lapped cars will be put the rear of the field.
Purse
Purse will be $5000 to win, with a guaranteed $300 to start the A-Main. In addition to the stated purse, we will also be selling laps for $50 each ($25 to 1st, $15 to 2nd and $10 to 3rd), adding $2500 to the total purse. The Key night Dash will also be a “Dash for Cash” amount will be determined that night.
To participating teams
Please work with us to make this a great event. We know everyone has their own opinion of how things should be done. Unfortunately we can never make everyone happy. So please keep that in mind. Minor adjustment may be made to this as deemed necessary by the track.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 30, 2010 at
11:22:17 AM
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Joined:
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12/03/2004
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7413
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Reminder we'll be walking around collecting lap money tonight and also don't be shy to come up to the booth if you'd like a lap. Thanks to those that have already got a lap or multiple laps. My friends Andrea and Judy will be roaming the pits collecting laps tonight.
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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July 30, 2010 at
11:48:31 AM
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08/14/2009
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595
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that trophy is bad ass! who made it? I wish I could go but it's the weekend of my daughter's 4th b-day so will have to plan better next year. Big thanks to everyone involved for keeping this one going. The '81 Key Classic was my first race so it will always be special to me and something I looked forward to every year even when I wasn't going to SJS every week.
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