Feature

Obertello, Sanders sail to Pettit IMCA wins at Ocean

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 28, 2024) – Andy Obertello has always been a fan of long races. Now he’s the winner of one. Obertello led the last 78 laps of Ocean Speedway’s of Ocean Speedway’s Pettit Memorial main event for Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds, earning a career-best $3,006 payday for his efforts in the 103-lap marathon. “I’m not a rookie to these longer races. I used all the tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years. My main focus was to not overdrive late in the race,”  said Obertello. “When I got to fourth I did a double take when I saw (multi-time race winner) Bobby Hogge. I knew I had something developing and I made it happen.” From Hollister and newly eligible for Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying, Obertello had run fifth in the Friday feature and started eighth in Saturday’s big show. Hogge and Friday winner Troy Foulger both time at the front before Obertello took charge. “I knew we had our work cut out for us but we had a fast car. I had [Read More]

Modified

Foulger, Shrader pace Pettit Shootout on opening night

By Ben Deatherage WATSONVILLE, California (Sept. 27, 2024) – Troy Foulger got the job done on the first night of the Pettit Shootout at Ocean Speedway in exciting fashion in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division. The defending Shootout winner got the lead late in the race, after a three-car dogfight, to score the $1,003 win and Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational qualifying eligibility. The race started thrillingly when Robby Sawyer rocketed under Paul Stone and Gavyn Manning, made it three-wide going into the first turn, and led the opening lap. After two early cautions, Manning got around Stone to move into second. But the two kept battling, which allowed Sawyer to pull away. Sawyer got out to a really good lead a couple of times, but frustratingly, all of his hard work would be erased due to a few more stoppages, which not only reset the race but also tested Sawyer’s ability to maintain his lead under pressure. On the final restart, with 14 laps to still cover, Foulger started 11th, battled hard with Stone [Read More]

Modified

Champions crowed in exciting finale at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 23, 2024) – Ocean Speedway in Watsonville concluded its 2024 IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing point season Friday night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds on an exciting night on the dirt. Jim Pettit wrapped up back-to-back Friesen Performance IMCA Modified titles while 18-year-old Emali VanHoff claimed her first Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod championship. The Modifieds had an outstanding quality field for a 25-lap feature. Robert Marsh went through the middle down the backstretch to lead lap one after starting third. Marsh then spun in turn two, sparking a chain reaction crash. Fred Lind flipped side over side wildly to draw a red flag. Lind was uninjured. Bobby Hogge drove into the lead on lap seven with former champ Cody Burke and Pettit in pursuit in second and third. A series of cautions over the next 10 laps kept the field in close quarters. Hogge survived an onslaught of challenges from Burke and Pettit to score the championship finale win over Pettit, Burke, eighth-starting Jacob Mallet [Read More]

Modified

Pettit prevails in Ocean IMCA Modified tilt

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Aug. 16, 2024) – Jim Pettit II moved closer to a third consecutive track championship in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified division Friday, during the Terry Traub Tribute program at Ocean Speedway. Austin Burke drove third to first on the opening salvo with Pettit going fourth to second as well. The first caution of the evening flew when Jacob Mallet, Jr. got sideways in turn three and was hit hard by Raymond Keldsen Jr. on lap four. Pettit stormed around Burke on the outside on the restart to lead lap five. Bobby Hogge drove into second as well. Hogge showed his nose in lapped traffic and drove up to Pettit’s bumper on a few occasions, but Pettit held court. Pettit took a one car length win ahead of Hogge, Andy Obertello, Cody Burke and Mallet.  Matthew Hagio earned his second win of the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod season when he grabbed Friday’s 20-lap event. Outside polesitter Brian Baggett took the first lap lead. Fourth starting Rob [Read More]

Northern SportMod

Keller collects Friday checkers at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 19, 2024) – Kc Keller prevailed over a strong field of Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMods to claim Friday’s 20-lap feature at Ocean Speedway. “I had a little baby girl in February, she’s five months old now. It was going to be kind of a lot (to keep racing),” Keller said. “But my son has taken a huge interest this year. So we took the car off the market and as long as he’s going with me and the rest family, we’re going to keep going.” Keller snagged the pole position against a 19-car starting grid. The first caution fell on lap five when Brian Baggett spun in turn two. On the restart, Steven Allee pedaled a bit from second to fourth. Bo Crebs crashed in turn four with front end up damage for the next caution on lap seven. Cody Bryan pitted with a right front flat tire as well. Matt Hagio and Rob Gallaher, the fourth row starters, went head-to-head in a back and forth [Read More]

Modified

Kaeding Classic is stage for Frazier’s first feature win

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (July 12, 2024) – Opening night at Ocean Speedway’s 14th annual Howard Kaeding Classic saw Matthew Frazier collect top honors in the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod main event. The win was the career first for Frazier, 15 years old and a sophomore-to-be at St. Joseph High School in his hometown of Santa Maria. “It’s a pretty crazy feeling to get my first win in my second season” in the class, said Frazier, who topped the 20-lap contest over a 16-car field. “There was a lot of excitement at the end. I pretty much wanted to yell.” Jeff Mead led the opening lap after starting third. Frazier started seventh and used a restart on lap two to advance to second. A caution on lap four allowed Frazier to challenge Mead for the lead. Frazier jumped inside to lead lap five. Emali VanHoff and Mead battled for second place through a series of cautions in a challenging race. Frazier got away cleanly on a green, white, checkered finish attempt [Read More]

Modified

Pettit, Golden take IMCA checkers at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley  Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (June 14, 2024) – Grassroots stock car racing action hit the dirt track at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville on Friday night, highlighted by victory in the 25-lap IMCA Modified feature for the Hall of Famer Jim Pettit II. Raymond Kjeldsen, Jr. drove around the outside of polesitter Kyle Bryant at the start of the Modified nightcap, swooping into the lead on lap one. Robert Marsh and Pettit used the outside line to drive into second and third, respectively. Pettit hounded Marsh but was unable to pass him for second, until Marsh spun in turn four. Marsh continued but surrendered several positions. Keldsen had a nearly 2.5 second advantage on Pettit at that stage on lap 10, but Pettit went to work reeling him in. By lap 16, Pettit drove underneath him in turn four to take the lead position. The caution flew a lap later for Bryan spinning out of the top five in turn four. Pettit fended off a nose to tail line of Cody and Austin [Read More]

Modified

Burke, Mead top IMCA features at Ocean

Steven Blakesley  Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (May 31, 2024) – Ocean Speedway in Watsonville hosted a special Friday night show with Cody Burke and Jeff Mead earning exciting wins at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt track. After a winless 2023 season, former track champion Burke prevailed for the second time in 2024 in the Friesen Performance IMCA Modifieds. Robert Marsh jumped ahead of Burke to lead the opening lap of the 25-lap feature. Marsh built up a large lead before approaching lapped traffic. The caution flew for a spinning car in turn two. Burke marched towards Marsh on the restart and took the lead from car no. 22 on lap 22. Burke led the final three laps for victory followed by seventh-starting Bobby Hogge IV, Marsh, Austin Burke and Jim Pettit II. Jeff Mead led all 20 laps for the Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod win. Emali VanHoff prevailed in a fast-paced race for second followed by 2023 track champion Chuck Golden, TJ Etchison and Brian Baggett.

Modified

Marsh, Allee sail to IMCA wins at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media  WATSONVILLE, Calif. (May 10, 2024) – Robert Marsh and Steven Allee were IMCA feature winners on Friday night during round five at Ocean Speedway. Marsh led all 25 laps for the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified victory. Outside polesitter Todd Hermosillo drifted outside the top five within the first two laps of action. Eighth starting Jim Pettit II, aiming for his third consecutive track championship, drove up to second by lap six and brought along Jacob Mallett, Jr. into third on lap seven. Pettit ran on Marsh’s bumper through traffic before the caution flew on lap 19 for debris in turn four. Pettit drove inside of Marsh twice in turn three to no avail. Marsh and Pettit raced side-by-side down the front stretch on lap 24 but Marsh edged ahead. Robert Marsh scored the win followed by Pettit, Mallet, Bobby Hogge IV and Raymond Keldsen. Allee earned his first career Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod feature win in a 20-lap contest. Mike Kofnovec Jr. led from the pole position and [Read More]

Modified

Hogge, Kniss win IMCA openers at Ocean

By Steven Blakesley Blakesley Sports Media WATSONVILLE, Calif. (April 13, 2024) – Tenth starting Bobby Hogge IV put on a master class of passing, then dominated the rest of the way in winning Saturday’s Friesen Performance IMCA Modified nightcap at Ocean Speedway. Multiple track champions from across California were scattered throughout the main event field. Hogge charged from tenth to second in the first few laps, avoiding a crash involving Jacob Mallet Jr., Cody Burke and Robert Marsh. Hogge then drove up the inside of Andy Obertello on lap eight to take the lead, accumulating a 6.4 second advantage at the stripe followed by Obertello, Jim Pettit II, Andrew Peckham and Austin Burke. Friesen Performance IMCA Northern SportMod action saw Buddy Kniss fend off Fred Ryland in a classic 20-lap duel to start the season. The pair went side-by-side on lap 16 but Kniss held court once again. Kniss saw the checkered flag with a three car length advantage followed by Ryland, Mark Garner, Emali VanHoff and 2023 champion Chuck Golden.