6/3/2023
Ocean Speedway
HAGIO CLAIMS IMCA VICTORY IN FRIDAY NIGHT ACTION AT OCEAN SPEEDWAY
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (June 2, 2023) – 2022 Ocean Speedway IMCA Sport Modified champion Jonathan Hagio of Prunedale scored his first win of the season on Friday night, winning the 20-lap feature. Hagio was one of five different feature winners at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt track during Modified Madness.
Pittsburg’s Chuck Golden used an outside pass to lead the opening lap of the Sport Mod contest. The top-six cars broke away from the field in the early stages. Hagio used the outside line to advance, passing 2020 Ocean champion Adriane Frost for second on lap 10. Rookie Matthew Frazier of Santa Maria and Steven Allee of Santa Cruz collided in turn two to bring out a caution flag.
On the restart, Hagio drove around the outside of Golden to take the top position on lap 11. Trevor Clymens of Brentwood went up in smoke while Watsonville’s Billy Robertson spun, requiring an additional caution flag to retrieve both drivers.
Frost came to a stop up against the wall in turn four on lap 14 and restarted at the rear of the field. The caution flew again on lap 16 to bunch up the field. Hagio was undeterred, charging to a 4.2 second victory over Golden. Frost remarkably recovered to charge into third place, followed by a resurgent Robertson and Frazier. Clymens and Hagio claimed the heat race wins.
An all-star cast of South Bay Dwarf Cars produced a last lap pass for the win in their 20-lap feature. The event opened with Terre Rothweiler of Santa Cruz and Brandon Wiley of Santa Maria racing side-by-side. A hard crash stopped the action when Pete Piantanida of Discovery Bay, Corben Kuma of Nipomo, and Zach Morgan of Santa Maria crashed in turn two. Wiley and Shawn Jones of San Jose collided coming to the green flag on the ensuing restart. Wiley suffered a flat right rear tire but was able to return to the race after repairs and Jones continued as well.
Rothweiler inherited the lead after the skirmish, then dealt with pressure from Galt’s Ryan Winter. Winter showed his nose on multiple occasions on the inside, before trying the outside. Rothweiler held station each time. Baypoint’s Danny Wagner was involved in a grinding crash with Mark Biscardi of San Jose in his heat race and started shotgun on the feature field. Wagner soared through the pack and challenged Winter and Rothweiler in a tight group dueling for the win.
Coming to the checkered flag, Wagner drove around the outside of Rothweiler to steal the thrilling victory. Rothweiler settled for second ahead of Winter, Wiley, and Jones.
Adriane Frost of Watsonville also competed in the Hobby Stock 15-lap feature where she came out on top in a battle of champions against 2022 track champion Joe Gallaher. Shane Freeman of Prunedale finished third, one day after his 18th birthday.
Jason Lazzerini of Moss Landing marched to victory in the 15-lap Four Banger event. Lazzerini drove fourth to first in the opening circuit of the race. Amaya Flowers of Watsonville passed Felton’s Matt Hill for second on lap three. A furious pack of drivers raced behind Shelbie Freeman of Prunedale as she maintained fourth position. Charlie Cole spun on the backstretch to bring out the yellow flag on lap 10, erasing Lazzerini’s advantage. Lazzerini drove ahead once again, topping Flowers for the win. Watsonville’s Richard Mitchell drove past both Freeman and Hill in the final five lap sprint to finish third over Hill and Freeman.
Despite smoke billowing from his machine and heavy lapped traffic, San Benito Sheriff Roy Iller won the Police-in-Pursuit 15-lap feature. AJ Waltrip of Santa Cruz County Sheriffs attempted to run him down but finished second. Jackie Yeung of Capitola PD finished third.
Up next at Ocean Speedway is the return of the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo on Friday June 9 along with Western Midget Racing, IMCA Modifieds, and IMCA Sport Modifieds.
For more information visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Ocean Speedway June 2, 2023 Modified Madness RESULTS
IMCA SPORT MODS
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 46N-Jonathan Hagio[6]; 2. 3G-Chuck Golden[2]; 3. 22-Adriane Frost[3]; 4. 15F-Matthew Frazier[7]; 5. 14W-Willy Oathout[9]; 6. 22W-Charlie Hunter[13]; 7. 5-Billy Robertson[11]; 8. 33-Mike Gil[12]; 9. 2C-Trevor Clymens[5]; 10. 82M-Richard Ragsdale[10]; 11. 48-Mike Dean[1]; 12. 39-Steven Allee[4]; 13. 30H-Orion Messina[8]
SOUTH BAY DWARF CARS
A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 11D-Danny Wagner[12]; 2. 45B-Terre Rothweiler[1]; 3. 26N-Ryan Winter[4]; 4. 33-Brandon Wiley[2]; 5. 80N-Shawn Jones[3]; 6. 69-Eddy Claessen[9]; 7. 64B-Eric Weisler[7]; 8. 88B-Travis Day[11]; 9. 96-Pete Piantanida[5]; 10. 3B-Zach Morgan[8]; 11. 3KE-Corben Kuma[6]; 12. (DNS) 66B-Mark Biscardi
HOBBY STOCKS
A Feature (15 Laps): 1. 22-Adriane Frost[1]; 2. 1-Joe Gallaher[3]; 3. 55F-Shane Freeman[2]; 4. 7T-Trent Golden[4]; 5. (DNS) 3OG-Dan Fassler; 6. (DNS) X1-Bobby Gallaher; 7. (DNS) 31W-Steve Remde
FOUR BANGERS
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 0-Jason Lazzerini[6]; 2. 10-Amaya Flowers[5]; 3. 66-Richard Mitchell[7]; 4. 810-Matt Hill[4]; 5. 50F-Shelbie Freeman[1]; 6. 25-Bill Beardsley[9]; 7. 37-Peter Vannerus[8]; 8. 2-Nicole Beardsley[3]; 9. 43-Kate Beardsley[11]; 10. 333-Sarah Ayers[13]; 11. 5-Charlie Cole[10]; 12. 54-Ryder Greene[12]; 13. (DNS) 720-Kenny Stragalinos
POLICE-IN-PURSUIT
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 805-Roy Iler[2]; 2. 14-AJ Waltrip[1]; 3. 520-Jackie Yeung[3]; 4. 45-John Bridges[4]; 5. K9-Jerry Ogg[7]; 6. 134-Pat Sullivan[5]; 7. 36-Kevin Elliott[6]
Article Credit: Steven Blakesley
Submitted By: Steven Blakesley