KELLER, FROST, JONES, FLOWER, AND OGG WIN FRIDAY NIGHT OCEAN SPEEDWAY FEATURES

WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (July 19, 2024) – Tracy’s KC Keller prevailed over a strong field of IMCA Sport Modifieds to claim Friday’s 20-lap feature at Ocean Speedway on Watsonville. Keller was one of five race winners during the night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Dirt Track. Photo by Top Dawg Photos

“I had a little baby girl in February, she’s five months old now. It was going to be kind of a lot (to keep racing),” Keller said. “But my son has taken a huge interest this year. So we took the car off the market and as long as he’s going with me and the rest family, we’re going to keep going.”

Keller snagged the pole position against a 19-car starting grid. The first caution fell on lap five when Brian Baggett of Prunedale spun in turn two. On the restart, Steven Allee of Santa Cruz back pedaled a bit from second to fourth. Yreka’s Bo Crebs crashed in turn four with front end up damage for the next caution on lap seven. Cody Bryan pitted with a right front flat tire as well.

Prunedale’s Matt Hagio and San Jose’s Rob Gallaher, the fourth row starters, went head-to-head in a back and forth battle for second. After a pair of cautions for spins, Hagio was clear of Gallaher and turned his attention on Keller. The leaders approached traffic on lap 15 and the lead shrunk to one car length. A caution lap 16 for Atascadero’s Matthew Pwtorak spinning changed the game.

Keller used the free real estate ahead of him to dart away for the win. Hagio settled for second over Gallaher, Allee, and Watsonville’s Jeff Mead.

2020 IMCA Sport Modified champion Adriane Frost of Watsonville earned her third Hobby Stock feature win of the season in a 20-lap contest. Frost led every lap and has kept herself within arms-length of the Hobby Stock championship battle with 2023 champ Joe Gallaher of San Jose as well.

Bobby Gallaher held off Grandpa Joe for second position, followed by Watsonville’s Lilly Mead finishing fourth in her first career Hobby Stock start. Norm Ayers of Corralitos rounded out the top-five.

San Jose’s Shawn Jones dominated a non-stop 20-lap South Bay Dwarf Car feature. Brandon Wiley of Santa Maria and Jones jumped ahead of the pack early in the event. Wiley slipped off the bottom in turn four, opening a hole for Jones to lead lap three.

12-year-old Marek Pipe of Greeley, Colo and Baypoint’s Danny Wagner had an entertaining duel for third which highlighted the feature. Jones grabbed victory over Wiley, Wagner, and Pipe in fourth. Ellie Russo was a late arrival without any practice time or heat race laps yet finished fifth in the feature.

Amaya Flower of Watsonville scored her second Four Banger feature win of the season in a non-stop, wire-to-wire performance. Joshua Silva of Watsonville made hay on the inside line early in the event, driving underneath Watsonville’s Tony Gullo and showing his nose inside of Flower. Silva eventually fell back due to persistent mechanical gremlins.

Flower cruised home for the win after 15-laps of competition. Gullo finished second, nearly two seconds in arrears of Flower. Felton’s Peter Vannerus, Nicole Beardsley of Felton, and Silva were the balance of the top-five finishers.

Jerry Ogg of Santa Clara Police Department won his first 15-lap Police-in-Pursuit for Special Olympics feature of the season. Scotts Valley Fire’s Terre Rothweiler led the first six circuits before getting sideways in turn four and surrendering the lead. Ogg, a 14-year veteran of the Santa Clara force, tasted victory followed by AJ Waltrip of Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Department.

Ocean Speedway races again on Friday night July 26 with the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo, Western Midget Racing, IMCA Sport Mods, and Four Bangers. For more information, visit www.OceanSpeedway.com

Ocean Speedway July 19, 2024 – Race Results

IMCA Sport Mods A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 38-KC Keller[1]; 2. 14H-Matthew Hagio[8]; 3. X-Rob Gallaher[7]; 4. 39-Steven Allee[3]; 5. 16M-Jeff Mead[5]; 6. 32-Chuck Golden[4]; 7. 4M-Emali VanHoff[16]; 8. 30H-Orion Messina[9]; 9. 71-Aaron Farrell[11]; 10. 75-Matthew Pwtorak[13]; 11. 22X-Jim DiGiovanni[14]; 12. 42B-Max Baggett[2]; 13. 15-David Crocker[18]; 14. 54R-Brian Baggett[12]; 15. 2B-Braden Claborn[10]; 16. 33-Mike Gil[17]; 17. 22W-Charlie Hunter[19]; 18. 34-Cody Bryan[15]; 19. 168-Bo Crebs[6]

Hobby Stocks A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 22-Adriane Frost[1]; 2. X1-Bobby Gallaher[7]; 3. 1-Joe Gallaher[8]; 4. 01-Lilly Mead[4]; 5. 51-Norm Ayers[2]; 6. X2-Joyce Gallaher[6]; 7. 30-Cameron Pywtorak[3]; 8. (8)-Cody Keldsen[5]; 9. 333-Sam Mason[9]

South Bay Dwarf Cars A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 80N-Shawn Jones[3]; 2. 33B-Brandon Wiley[1]; 3. 11D-Danny Wagner[8]; 4. 21MP-Marek Pipe[4]; 5. 31B-Ellie Russo[9]; 6. 66B-Mark Biscardi[2]; 7. 96-Pete Piantanida[7]; 8. 0-Jason Lazzerini[10]; 9. (DNS) 45B-Terre Rothweiler; 10. (DNS) 64B-Eric Weisler

Four Bangers A Feature (15 Laps): 1. 10-Amaya Flower[1]; 2. 52-Tony Gullo[3]; 3. 37-Peter Vannerus[4]; 4. 2-Nicole Beardsley[5]; 5. 28J-Joshua Silva[2]; 6. 06-Tom Summers[6]; 7. 5-Bill Beardsley[8]; 8. 43-Kate Beardsley[9]; 9. 8-Thomas Cumming[12]; 10. 50F-Shelbie Freeman[10]; 11. 50A-Aiden Doupnik[14]; 12. 7-Charlie McElroy[7]; 13. (DNS) 16-DJ Keldsen; 14. (DNS) 50-Tony Smith

Police-in-Pursuit A Feature (15 Laps): 1. K9-Jerry Ogg[2]; 2. 14-AJ Waltrip[5]; 3. 45-Terre Rothweiler[1]; 4. 62-Kimbal Stanley[3]; 5. 134-Pat Sullivan[4]