WATSONVILLE, CALIF. (April 16, 2022) – 16-year-old Corey Day of Clovis enjoyed a Good Friday in Watsonville, taking his first career Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo victory at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt track. Day earned fast-time, then charged past former track champions Shane Golobic of Fremont and Aromas’ Justin Sanders for the breakthrough performance.
“There’s definitely some luck involved with Justin’s wing falling down and then Shane made that mistake in two and gave me the lead. Super pumped. Ran second here way too many times last year to not win one this year,” Day said. “It’s tough man (to win in 360 Sprint Cars). Last year was my first year but we came really close. These guys are no joke. I didn’t feel a difference running up front with the Outlaws as I did with these guys.”
Dirt.Travel qualifying went to Day with an 11.256 second lap but it was Sanders earning the pole position after winning the dash. Sanders and Dwarf Car dash winner Danny Wagner helped officials award two bikes and bags full of Easter candy to the kids in the crowd for Easter weekend. Sanders then slotted alongside Golobic for the 30-lap feature in a champion vs. champion front row for the feature.
Sanders was the early race leader while Day and former NARC 410 champion DJ Netto worked past Jason Bright of Antioch to take fourth and fifth respectively by lap four. The first look at traffic presented itself by just the seventh lap with a 22-car field competing. Action slowed with a caution on lap nine for Keith Day, Jr. spinning.
Lincoln’s Blake Carrick emerged in fifth on the following restart. The caution waved for 2021 Rookie of the Year Bryce Eames of Santa Maria slowing in turn two with a flat left front tire. Golobic seized the lead from Sanders on lap 13 on the restart, while Sanders began to fight a broken front wing mount. He had several wheel stands down the backstretch as he defended second from Day.
Day took over second on lap 20 then turned his attention to Golobic. Day showed his nose to “Sugar Shane” in turn three on lap 21 in traffic, but the caution fell for Bright stopping in turn four.
Golobic had used the bottom throughout the main event but went to the top on the restart, hitting the curb at the top of turn two while maintaining the lead. On the following lap, Golobic hit the curb much harder and kicked his No. 17w sideways. Day jumped underneath to take the lead on lap 24. Golobic tagged the curb again on lap 25 but kept second over Sanders. Keith Day spun in turn two for a caution on lap 26 and was hit by Brad Dillard.
Corey Day faced pressure from Golobic throughout the final four laps, with Golobic diving low in turn three on multiple occasions. Corey Day kept the lead and earned his first win over Golobic, Sanders, incoming points leader Tanner Carrick, and Redding’s Max Mittry. Keith Day won the Beer Optics Hard Luck Award.
Delta Dwarf regular Danny Wagner of Baypoint swept the South Bay Dwarf Cars opening Watsonville round on Friday night. Wagner started near the back of the first heat race and won, then dominated the dash. He led all 20-laps of the feature for the victory. The race was slowed several times for minor spins with the most serious incident requiring a red flag on lap three. Mike Aceves flipped but the San Jose driver was OK. Wagner led Joe Barket of Morro Bay, Mark Biscardi of San Jose, Dan Zuger of San Jose, and Barry Waddell of Redwood City at the finish.
Hobby Stock points leader Joe Gallaher won his third main event of the year by leading wire-to-wire in the 20-lap contest. The lone caution came out on lap 11. Teddy Ragsdale of Merced and Watsonville’s Jerry Skelton hooked bumpers in turn two, sending Ragsdale spinning and nearly collecting last week’s winner Terry Campion of Santa Cruz.
Former IMCA Sport Modified champion Adriane Frost of Watsonville challenged Gallaher briefly in turn four on the restart, but Gallaher drove ahead for the win. Tim Ragsdale, Skelton, and Santa Cruz’ Brady Muller rounded out the top-five.
In what he described in victory lane as the last night for the popular purple “Circle 3” car, DJ Keldsen of Freedom won the 15-lap Four Banger feature. Keldsen took the lead from points leader Troy Moore of Santa Cruz on lap two and never looked back. Keldsen led Moore, Watsonville’s Richard Mitchell, Kenny Stragalinos of Boulder Creek, and TJ Santos of Gilroy at the finish.
Ocean Speedway continues Friday April 22 with round five of the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo plus IMCA Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers, Police-in-Pursuit, and South Bay Dwarf Cars.
Ocean Sprints Presented by Taco Bravo Feature – April 15, 2022 (30 Laps)
- 41-Corey Day[6]; 2. 17W-Shane Golobic[2]; 3. 2X-Justin Sanders[1]; 4. 83T-Tanner Carrick[4]; 5. 121-Caeden Steele[18]; 6. 38B-Blake Carrick[10]; 7. 2XM-Max Mittry[7]; 8. 88N-DJ Netto[5]; 9. 69-Bud Kaeding[12]; 10. 98-Michael Pombo[13]; 11. 12J-John Clark[11]; 12. 21X-Gauge Garcia[19]; 13. 83V-Joel Myers[16]; 14. 72W-Kurt Nelson[22]; 15. 5-Mark Chaves Jr[21]; 16. 72JR-Chris Nelson[14]; 17. 8-Jeremy Chisum[15]; 18. 22-Keith Day Jr[8]; 19. 72S-Bradley Dillard[20]; 20. 68-Jayson Bright[3]; 21. 50-Bryce Eames[17]; 22. 25Z-Jason Chisum[9]