Baggett Awarded Ocean Speedway SportMod Win

Max Baggett was declared the winner of the July 18 Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod feature at Ocean Speedway. (Photo by Top Dawg Photos)

By Steven Blakesley

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 18, 2025) — Prunedale’s Max Baggett was officially awarded his first Karl Chevrolet IMCA Northern SportMod win of the 2025 season at Ocean Speedway, following the disqualification of initial winner D.J. Keldsen in post-race tech. Keldsen had originally led all 20 laps in a dominant wire-to-wire effort.

The race began with a multi-car tangle on lap one between Rob Gallaher and Steven Allee, while ending the night for Emali VanHoff. Points leader Danny Wagner also encountered early trouble on lap three.

Keldsen built a 5.49-second lead before a lap 17 caution for Gallaher’s spin erased the advantage. He held off the field through the final three laps but ultimately failed post-race inspection, handing Baggett the victory. Wagner rebounded to finish second, with Jim DiGiovanni 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. Don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.