|
TDS Shots Photos
Justin Sanders leads the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo into round seven this Friday at Ocean Speedway
Double Down Bonus weekend paired with Civil War event Saturday in Placerville
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – May 26, 2015…The number one question with the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo this Friday night will certainly be can anyone stop hometown driver Justin Sanders at the quarter-mile bullring?
Sander’s has captured the last three events in Ocean Sprints competition and done so in convincing fashion. The 22-year-old Watsonville, CA based wheel-man has been as sharp as ever and has made some terrific moves in lapped traffic during those victories. Sanders goes into Friday holding a 47-year point lead at the top of the standings as he looks to make it four in a row at the Ocean Speedway.
“We’ve really been hitting it these last few races and it’s been a lot of fun,” said the driver of the North County Plastering/ Fire Protection Management No. 17 machine. “Winning the Taco Bravo championship at our home track would be a big deal for us. I can’t thank Eric Rossi and my whole team enough for all their hard work. We’ve also been getting some great race tracks at Ocean Speedway, so I can’t say enough about everyone that works on the surface. Hopefully we get another wide & slick track on Friday so we can put on a show for all the fans.”
So far this year Sanders has finished on the podium in all but one Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo event, with the other being a fourth place effort on opening night April 3. His stats throughout Northern California have been extremely impressive, which have included six wins and 16 top-five finishes in his 21-starts.
Although still looking for his first Ocean Sprints win this year, two-time & reigning Taco Bravo champion Shane Golobic has been equally as impressive when it comes to consistency. The 23-year-old has finished on the podium in all but one of his starts at Ocean Speedway this season. The lone time he was off the podium came when he took the Back Row Challenge April 24 and ran sixth. The Fremont, CA driver is coming off a pair of top-five’s with Civil War last weekend and will be gunning for victory on Friday.
Other winners so far this year with the Ocean Sprints have included Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, who claimed the first two rounds, along with Stockton’s Brad Furr, who ranks second in the standings. Tarlton at the most recent event led a number of laps in the feature and battled Sanders through lapped traffic, before coming home third at the conclusion. The two-time Ocean titlist will be looking to get back into victory lane on Friday. Furr is coming off a sixth place result and will also be searching for a win to try and chip away at Sander’s point lead.
Gilroy’s Kurt Nelson has had a consistent start to the campaign and sits third in the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo points. The veteran drove to a seventh place finish at the last round. Salinas, CA based brother’s Jason & Jeremy Chisum round out the top-five in the standings. The Chisum’s have been great supporters of the Ocean Speedway, at times even running three cars this year with other brother Josh behind the wheel.
More possibilities for Friday night will include seven-time Civil War Series champion Andy Forsberg of Auburn, Fremont’s Dustin Golobic, Fresno’s Koen & Kyler Shaw, Morgan Hill’s Nicholas & Nick Ringo, Corralitos’ Jerry Bonnema, Hayward’s Danny Malfatti, Gilroy’s Ken Fredenburg, San Jose’s Darrell Taylor, Fremont’s Anthony Espinosa and others.
Friday’s event is also part of another Prentice Motorsports Group Double Down Bonus weekend, which is paired with Saturday’s Civil War Series presented by Flowmaster event at Placerville Speedway. If a driver wins Friday and then backs it up by winning Saturday, they will earn an extra $3000 bonus, meaning if they win both nights they’d walk away with $6500 total. Sanders, Golobic & Forsberg have to be considered favorites to try and take on the bonus.
The front gate at Ocean Speedway will open at 4:30pm this Friday night with hot laps at 5:15pm, qualifying around 6pm and racing to follow. The pit gate will open at 2pm. All seating will be general admission with adult tickets $17, seniors 65 & older $16, children 6-12 $13 and kids five and under free. A family pack featuring two adults and two kids is available for $55.
The Ocean Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076.
Ocean Speedway & the Ocean Sprints would like to thank Taco Bravo, High Five Pizza, Ray Scheidts Electric, Beer Optics, Hoosier Tires West and Kaeding Performance for their support. For more information on the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo log onto www.racepmg.com
Upcoming Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo events
Friday May 29
Friday June 12
Friday June 19
Friday July 10 (Civil War vs Ocean Sprints) Howard Kaeding Classic Night One
------------
Fresno brothers Koen & Kyler Shaw have been Ocean Sprints regulars once again this season
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
|
