Hogge, Kniss win IMCA openers at Ocean

By Ben Deatherage  WATSONVILLE, Calif. (April 8, 2022) – Markus Frazier was the IMCA Northern SportMod winner as Ocean Speedway hosted another great night of racing action on Friday. After two attempts to get a lap in the books, Igor Gandzuk jumped out to the early race lead. However, Gandzuk was overtaken on lap five by Frazier, who set a quick pace while dealing with several restarts. Despite the stop-and-go action, Frazier cruised about the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds ¼-mile oval to win his first race of 2022. Ocean Speedway now has three different winners in three shows in the current season. Jim DiGiovanni was second over Adriane Frost. Gandzuk rallied from an early race spin to place fourth while fifth was Charlie Hunter.

By Don Martin II WATSONVILLE, Calif. (March 11, 2022) – Bobby Hogge IV opened the 63rd season of racing at Ocean Speedway with a dominant IMCA Modified feature win Friday night. One early tangle proved to be the only slowdown of the race. Hogge led the restart ahead of reigning KMJ Performance State champion Jim Pettit II and four-time and defending track champion Cody Burke. Burke took second from Pettit on the fourth lap and Pettit fell back to fifth on lap six as Matthew Hagio settled into third.  Hogge held a half-lap lead over Burke by the 11th circuit. Burke fell out on lap 12 as Hagio was now second ahead of Anthony Copeland. Pettit slipped past Copeland for third on lap 18 but was a lap down as Hogge won ahead of Hagio and Pettit. Fred Ryland won the 20-lap IMCA Northern SportMod main event.  The race got a complete restart before Ryland led past Jim DiGiovanni and Igor Grandzjuk on the restart. Grandzjuk took second on lap four, only to surrender the [Read More]

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 29) – What Nick DeCarlo called “an awesome weekend” ended with his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and more than $4,000 in the bank. DeCarlo held off Troy Foulger for the $3,003 IMCA Modified Pettit Shootout victory Saturday at Ocean Speedway. He’d started outside the front row and led all 36 laps. Hogge, winner of the Friday feature at Watsonville, Shane DeVolder and 21st starting Ryan McDan­iel completed the top five. Three cautions came out early but a long green flag run preceded the checkers. “Friday I ran the bottom and led most of the way before Hogge passed me on the top,” DeCarlo said. “Saturday we ran the high side, then ran the last eight laps wherever to pass lapped cars.” In addition to the lion’s share of the Saturday purse, DeCarlo took home $700 for his second place showing on Friday, $500 for having the top point total for the two days and the $100 fan favorite award. “This was my highest paying weekend ever and it [Read More]