Ocean Speedway
Location | Watsonville, California |
---|---|
Coordinates | 36°57′07″N 121°44′01″W / 36.95201°N 121.73348°W |
Capacity | ~2,200 |
Operator | Prentice Motorsports Group |
Opened | 1960 |
Former names | Watsonville Speedway |
Major events | Johnny Key Classic, Howard Kaeding Classic |
Surface | Clay |
Length | .25 miles (.402 km) |
Race lap record | 10.715 (Keith Day, Jr., Keth Day Trucking, August 20, 2021, Ocean Sprints) |
Ocean Speedway, formerly known as Watsonville Speedway, is a dirt oval located in
History
The track was the brainchild of retired driver Bert Moreland and a small group of others in late 1959.
Ocean Speedway era
Former street stock and dwarf car driver Prentice took over operation of the track in 2006 and renamed it "Ocean Speedway", in alliance with the Ocean
Notable drivers
Some notable drivers who have made appearances at Ocean Speedway over the years include World of Outlaws champions Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, and Brad Sweet. Indianapolis 500 competitor, Bryan Clauson made his winged sprint car debut at the track in 2011.[21] Current NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, former NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Kraig Kinser, Tayler Malsam, and Tyler Walker have also raced at the track, along with Cheryl Glass, Doug McCoun, Ron Shuman, Lance Norick, Gio Scelzi, Jesse Love, Logan Seavey, Tanner Thorson, Shane Golobic, James Bondurant, David Gravel, Jac Haudenschild, Kerry Madsen, Joey Saldana, Lucas Wolfe, Dale Blaney, Johnny Herrera, Cory Kruseman, Brady Bacon, Michael Pickens, and Olympic athlete Josh Lakatos. 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer won at the track in a USAC Jr. Ford Focus midget in 2011. Super Bowl XXIII champion linebacker, Sam Kennedy, races at the track in the hobby stocks on a now-and-then basis.[22]
List of track champions
Track championships have been awarded since the track opened in 1960 in the Claimer Division. The division was discontinued in 1964 in favor of the sportsman class.[23] The micro 600s was a short-lived division at the track, awarding championships from 2008 to 2012. Champions in the division were: Devon Ostheimer in 2008, Orval Burke Jr. in 2009–10, Tomas Bray in 2011, and Alexander Mead in 2012.
Season | Sprint car | Wingless sprint | Modified | SportMod | Sportsman | Claimer/stock car | Street stock/late model | Figure 8 | Dwarf car | American/hobby stock | 4-banger |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960 | Hap Barber | ||||||||||
1961 | Art LaCost | ||||||||||
1962 | Art LaCost | ||||||||||
1963 | Lloyd Beard | ||||||||||
1964 | Lloyd Beard | ||||||||||
1965 | Ray Elder | ||||||||||
1966 | Vic Irvan | ||||||||||
1967 | Art LaCost | Dave Alonzo | |||||||||
1968 | Vic Irvan | Dave Snyder | |||||||||
1969 | Dennis Moomjean | Cecil Irvan | Cecil Irvan | ||||||||
1970 | Jerry Cecil | Joe Esperanca | Lloyd Keldsen Sr. | ||||||||
1971 | Ron Gravelle | Dave Tannahill | Lloyd Keldsen Sr. | ||||||||
1972 | Vern Willhoite | Johnny Brazil Jr. | Lloyd Keldsen Jr. | ||||||||
1973 | John Harper | Ray Johnson | Johnny Brazil Jr. | ||||||||
1974 | Jerry Cecil | Dennis Wilson | Ken Nott | ||||||||
1975 | Roy Pruett | Doug McCoun | Bob Benge | ||||||||
1976 | George Steitz | Ray Johnson | Ken Naber | ||||||||
1977 | Duane Noe | Dave Brightwell | Ken Nott | ||||||||
1978 | Jerry Cecil | Ray Morgan | Jerry Cutler | ||||||||
1979 | Duane Noe | Ray Morgan | John Keldsen | ||||||||
1980 | Duane Noe | Ted Stofle | Jim Reno | Johnny Brazil Jr. | |||||||
1981 | Jerry Cecil | Ray Morgan | Bobby Large | Ken Nott | |||||||
1982 | Doug McCoun | Kevin Pylant | John Keldsen | ||||||||
1983 | Dave Byrd | Kevin Pylant | Lloyd Keldsen Jr. | ||||||||
1984 | Doug McCoun | Kim Beard | Jim Pettit | ||||||||
1985 | Kevin Pylant | Ken Morgan | Peter Gates | ||||||||
1986 | Ray Morgan | Todd Souza | John Keldsen | ||||||||
1987 | Ed Sans Jr. | Lloyd Antonetti Jr. | John Keldsen | ||||||||
1988 | Ed Sans Jr. | Mike Brumit | Jim Gillespie | ||||||||
1989 | Jim Pettit II | Lloyd Antonetti Jr. | Jim Gillespie | ||||||||
1990 | Scott Busby | Jeff Silva | Bobby Large | Greg McGregor | |||||||
1991 | Mike Brumit | Jeff Silva | Bart Reid | Paul Larsen | |||||||
1992 | Scott Busby | Bobby Scott Jr. | Ron Parker | ||||||||
1993 | Scott Busby | Robert Miller | Kurt Slama | ||||||||
1994 | Dave Byrd | Don Silva | Fred Lind | ||||||||
1995 | Dave Byrd | Mike Cecil | Jim Gillespie | ||||||||
1996 | Kenny Nott | Ricky Sanders | John Keldsen | Ken Jepsen | |||||||
1997 | Bobby Hogge IV | Doug Hagio | John Keldsen | Mike Meazell | |||||||
1998 | Bobby Hogge IV | Dave Soito | Jim Gillespie | Jimmy Bowman | |||||||
1999 | Bobby Hogge IV | Tim Clark Sr. | Mike Finlen Sr. | Sam Kennedy | |||||||
2000 | Bobby Scott | Dennis Pelphrey | Doug Snodgrass | Sam Kennedy | |||||||
2001 | Bobby Scott | Ken Gregg | Jim Gillespie | Rick Ray | |||||||
2002 | Bobby Scott | Dennis Pelphrey | Doug Snodgrass | Sam Kennedy | |||||||
2003 | Bobby Hogge IV | Dennis Pelphrey | John Keldsen | John Prentice | Sam Kennedy | ||||||
2004 | Kenny Nott | Dennis Pelphrey | Jim Gillespie | Howard Fergerson | Sam Kennedy | ||||||
2005 | Steve Pemberton | Garrett Steitz | Dennis Pelphrey | Keith Trusso | Todd Damron | Sam Kennedy | Andrew Camperud | ||||
2006 | Steve Pemberton | Tim Balding | Jeff Decker | Jim Gillespie | Matt Sargent | Tim Clark Sr. | Andrew Camperud | ||||
2007 | Brent Kaeding | N/A | Kenny Nott | Jeff Decker | N/A | Billy Nelson | Kyle Thorne | ||||
2008 | Brent Kaeding | Ryan Bernal | Robert Marsh | Bobby Hogge IV | Ryan Diatte | Austin Burke | Jeff Wilson | ||||
2009 | Tommy Tarlton | Billy Aton | Kenny Nott | Jeff Decker | Gilbert Toste | William Kennedy | Matt Sotomayor | ||||
2010 | Tommy Tarlton | Ryan Bernal | Kenny Nott | Bobby Scott | Ryan Diatte | Billy Nelson | Adriane deSousa | ||||
2011 | Ronnie Day | Jim Christian | Brian Cass | Clay Daly | Shawn Jones | Nick Silva | Adriane deSousa | ||||
2012 | Shane Golobic | Jim Christian | Jim Pettit II | Matt Sotomayor | Clay Daly | Terre Rothweiler | Matt Kile | Dan McCabe | |||
2013 | Brad Furr | Tommy Laliberte | Andy Obertello | Stephen Hopf | Camron Diatte | Terry Campion | Al Sotomayor | ||||
2014 | Shane Golobic | Bryan Grier | Kenny Nott | Nick Spainhoward | Terre Rothweiler | Billy Nelson | Justin McPherson | ||||
2015 | Justin Sanders | Bobby Hogge IV | Matthew Hagio | Gene Pires Jr. | Terry Campion | Luke Babcock | |||||
2016 | Brad Furr | Bobby Hogge IV | Jim DiGiovanni | David Teves | Robert Gallaher | DJ Keldsen | |||||
2017 | Geoff Ensign | Nick DeCarlo | Matthew Hagio | Camron Diatte | Robert Gallaher | Bill Beardsley | |||||
2018 | Brad Furr | Cody Burke | Jim DiGiovanni | Gene Pires Jr. | Matt Kile | Kate Beardsley | |||||
2019 | JJ Ringo | Austin Burke | Jarrod Mounce | Mark Biscardi | Robert Gallaher | Nicole Beardsley | |||||
2020 | Mitchell Faccinto | Cody Burke | Adriane deSousa | Joe Gallaher | Ryan McClelland | ||||||
2021 | Bud Kaeding | Cody Burke | Randy Miller | Joe Gallaher | Tony Gullo | ||||||
2022 | Kurt Nelson | Jim Pettit II | Jonathan Hagio | Joe Gallaher | Kenny Stragalinos | ||||||
2023 | Rickey Sanders | Jim Pettit II | Chuck Golden | Joe Gallaher | Jason Lazzerini |
See also
- List of dirt track ovals in the United States
- West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame
- Dirt track racing
References
- ^ "Watsonville Speedway Hall Of Fame". March 15, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Speedway celebrates 54 years of racing". June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Broken Axle Snaps Elder's Win Streak At Speedway". September 3, 1965. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Jayski's Ernie Irvan Site". September 21, 2000. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "California results, 15–16 July". 1994-05-08. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ O'Dell, Ron (May 25, 1992). "May 22; Watsonville Speedway". Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Allison is to compete in Watsonville Friday". June 2, 1983. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
- ^ "Jayski's Ernie Irvan Site". September 21, 2000. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Sears Point Will Offer Plenty of Twists, Turns". June 25, 1999. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
- ^ "Winged 410s: Major Changes for 2000". January 2000. Retrieved January 28, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "2000 Trophy Cup Results (Watsonville Speedway)". Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ Gumz, Jondi (August 24, 2010). "Steve John sells Ocean Honda to Michigan dealer". Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Pierce, Jacob (August 10, 2011). "Santa Cruz County Fair Fight". Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Jones, Donna (February 25, 2014). "Ocean Speedway gets green light in lawsuit settlement". Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ Jacquez, Monica (April 10, 2015). "Races resume at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville". Retrieved February 1, 2016.
- ^ "IMCA MODIFIEDS, NORTHERN SPORTMODS ADDED AT WATSONVILLE, CHOWCHILLA". March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ Karis, Tony (July 19, 2014). "Ocean Speedway: Mutoza, CHP sweep Police-N-Pursuit event". Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ Karis, Tony (April 22, 2017). "Ocean Speedway: CHP's Mueller takes opening Police-N-Pursuit race". Retrieved August 21, 2017.
- ^ "Watsonville closes recreation programs, cancels events - COVID-19 closures". March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
- ^ Seimas, Jim (August 22, 2020). "Saturday night's Johnny Key Classic canceled - Local Roundup". Retrieved August 23, 2020.
- ^ "Website Coming Soon!".
- ^ "Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California on January 1, 1989 · Page 23".
- ^ "Auto Racing Legends Of California - Watsonville". 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- Mattish, Dennis (2012), History of Watsonville and Salinas Auto Racing, Dennis Mattish Photos, ISBN 9780988186101
Further reading
- RACE REPORT: Steve Kinser Wins at Ocean Speedway
- KRUSEMAN WINS OCEAN SPEEDWAY CRA/CLASSIC 30-LAPPER
- Ocean Speedway's Prentice invited to speak at race promoters workshop
- 10th Season for Ocean Sprints in 2016
- Berryhill Racing brings gold home to American Canyon
- Watsonville Speedway results