3/28/2012
Sprint Source
2012 OCEAN SPRINTS SEASON KICKS OFF FRIDAY NIGHT IN WATSONVILLE
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (March 28, 2012) – The 2012 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo season will begin on Friday night at Ocean Speedway Watsonville, kicking off a busy 16 race schedule for one of the West Coast's premier Winged 360 Sprint Car series.
2011 track champion Ronnie Day of Salinas will be back aboard the Keith Day Trucking #22 for a title defense, hoping to become the third two-time champion of the Ocean Sprints division. Brent Kaeding won the 2007 and 2008 championships, while Tommy Tarlton won the title in both 2009 and 2010. If history repeats itself, Day could be atop the championship standings again come October.
A pair of young drivers come into 2012 with every intention of knocking Day off his pedestal. Justin Sanders of Prunedale will return in the #17 North County Plastering machine after finishing fourth in the 2011 standings. Sanders went winless in 2011 and will be hungry to get back to victory lane this year.
Fifth in the 2011 standings was popular young gun Shane Golobic. The San Jose State engineering student out of Fremont had four wins last year including three consecutive victories to end the season. Golobic has split time between the Joe Vonschriltz #121 and the Steve Osborne #9j but this year's championship run will be fully aboard the Getsomsports.com #9j.
"I don't want to jump the gun too much but we ended last season very well and I'm looking forward to keeping it rolling in Steve Osborne's 9j," Golobic said. "I'm sure we'll be contending for the championship but there's a lot of good drivers out there so we'll see how it goes."
A bevy of other talented area drivers could spoil the party between Day, Sanders, and Golobic including San Jose's Ryan Rusconi, Salinas' Tommy Laliberte, and San Martin's "Cowboy" Craig Smith, along with the return of Stockton driver Brad Furr to the championship fight. Salinas' Zane Burke and Gilroy's Kurt Nelson are also expected in action on Friday night.
"Watsonville has to be one of the toughest local shows especially on the West Coast," Golobic said. "Watsonville seems like they have a stout field with more than five or six guys that can win on any given night. I love racing Watsonville and I'm really excited."
Many of the Ocean Sprints contenders will also race in a separate nine race track championship at Ocean Speedway Chowchilla, beginning on May 12th. Three of the events will also pay points for the Hanford-based Rebel Cup Sprints.
Friday's opening night for the Ocean Sprints will also include racing for the American Stocks, Sport Mods, and Four Bangers. Adult tickets are just $17 with seniors 65+ $15 and kids ages 6-12 are $13. The family pass for two adults and two children is value priced at just $55. Qualifying will get underway at 6 p.m. with fan gates opening at 4:30 p.m.
For more information on the Ocean Sprint Cars presented by Taco Bravo log onto http://www.oceansprints.com and for more on the Ocean Speedway visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com
Ocean Speedway would like to thank Taco Bravo, Digital Delivery Networks, Get Som Sports, Ray Scheidt's Electric, and Kaeding Performance for their support of the 2012 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo.
Article Credit: Steven Blakesley / Blakesley Sports Media
Submitted By: Steven Blakesley
