Gallaher Charges to First SportMod Victory of Season at Ocean

Modified, News, Northern SportMod, Results

Rob Gallaher of San Jose returned to victory lane at Ocean Speedway on June 13, charging from third to the lead on lap six and holding on through a green-white-checkered finish to earn his first Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod win of the 2025 season. (Photo by Top Dawg Photos)

By Gary Thomas

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Jun. 13, 2025) — The Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMods once again brought out the best car count of the night at Ocean Speedway, with 16 total racers on hand. A trio of different leaders were seen in another outstanding main event.

Jim DiGiovanni led the opening laps before Max Baggett made the move around him on lap three. San Jose’s Rob Gallaher, however, would not be denied. The driver of the X mount blasted into the top spot on lap six and never looked back—despite a late green-white-checkered restart.

Danny Wagner and Bo Crebs stayed close, but Gallaher held strong to collect the win—his first of the season. Wagner and Crebs completed the podium.

Hogge Rallies Late for Fourth Ocean Modified Win

The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature delivered wild moments throughout the 25-lap contest. Jonathan Hagio claimed the early lead and maintained command for much of the race while the action behind him remained intense.

Katelyn Robertson and Jim Pettit II put on an excellent battle for second, trading positions over several laps. But on lap 17, Pettit exited with mechanical issues in turn one, and Robertson suffered a fire under the hood, ending both of their nights.

That opened the door for Salinas veteran Bobby Hogge IV. Running the high side of the well-prepared bullring, Hogge closed in on Hagio and made the winning pass with five laps remaining. He went on to secure his fourth win of the year at Ocean and seventh in the Shaw Race Cars Western Region for 2025. Hagio held on for second with Matt Kampfraat rounding out the top three.

The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV affiliate Stars On Dirt TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone Docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.

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