WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 6, 2024) – Ocean Speedway in Watsonville at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds will host the 64th Johnny Key Classic on Friday and Saturday nights with the Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Cars competing each night.
Both nights also include Western Midget Racing and Hobby Stocks. Four Bangers will join the excitement on Friday night as well.
Adult tickets are $25 each night. On Friday night, pit gates open at 2pm with pill draw closing at 4:30pm followed by the drivers meeting at 4:45pm Spectator gates open at 4:30pm. On Saturday night, all times will be one hour earlier. For more information visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Opening night on Friday hands out $2,000 to the Ocean Sprints winner, while Saturday’s finale is $3,000 to win, $1,000 for second, and $800 for third.
Each night will have a guaranteed $300 to start the main event. Extra money will also be on the line for fast time and hard charger both nights in memory of JP Morgan, who considered the Key Classic to be his favorite event.
Dominic Scelzi is the defending Johnny Key Classic winner, taking both the 2022 and 2023 editions. The Johnny Key Classic was first held in 1954, just two months after his death. The event took place at the San Jose Speedway between 1954 and 1977, then moved to the San Jose Fairgrounds Speedway dirt track from 1978 through 1999. The event was revived in 2007 after an eight-year absence when promoter John Prentice brought the race back as an event at Ocean Speedway. It has been a mainstay on the 360 Sprint Car calendar since then.
The former winners list of the Johnny Key Classic is a who’s who of motorsports in Northern California, with winners including four-time winner Howard Kaeding, three wins for Clyde Palmer, and two wins each for Burt Foland, Bill Scott, Scott Luhdorff, Chuck Miller, Brent Kaeding, Ronnie Day, Tommy Tarlton, Rico Abreu, and Justin Sanders. Nick Rescino leads all drivers with six triumphs.
Salinas’ Caleb Debem leads the 2024 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo standings after 11 features completed. 2022 champion Kurt Nelson of Gilroy in second in the standings ahead of Bradley Dillard of Oakdale, Chris Nelson of Gilroy, and Vince Giannotta of Hollister.
Other Ocean Sprints feature winners this year include Bud Kaeding with two triumphs including on Friday August 2, two wins for Lincoln’s Tanner Carrick, and single victories for Dominic Gorden of Clovis, Cole Macedo of Lemoore, Concord’s Joey Ancona, and Gauge Garcia of Lemoore.
The Western Midget Racing action is part of its Triple Crown Series which began at the Howard Kaeding Classic. Friday pays $500 to win and Saturday pays $1200 to the victor. Oakley’s Bryant Bell, Santa Cruz’ Logan Mitchell, and San Jose’s Anthony Bruno are the top drivers in the championship battle in 2024.
2023 Hobby Stock champion Joe Gallaher leads 2020 IMCA Sport Modified champion Adriane Frost in the Hobby Stock battle this season. Joe’s grandson Bobby is third in the standings.
Four Banger racing has had six different feature winners this season. Peter Vannerus of Felton has steered his blue and orange pickup truck into the points lead ahead of Thomas Cumming of San Jose and former champion Nicole Beardsley of Felton.
Past winners of the Johnny Key Classic:
1954 Danny Graves
1955 Al Pombo
1956 Clyde Palmer
1957 Ray Raineri
1958 Rick Henderson
1959 George Benson
1960 Marshall Sargent
1961 Clyde Palmer
1962 Clyde Palmer(3)
1963 Marshall Sargent
1964 George Snider
1965 Burt Foland
1966 Burt Foland(2)
1967 Bill Scott
1968 Howard Kaeding
1969 Bill Scott(2)
1970 Don Epperson
1971 Everett Edlund
1972 Nick Rescino
1973 Howard Kaeding
1974 Nick Rescino
1975 Nick Rescino
1976 Tony Ringo
1977 Danny O’Neill
1978 Johnny Brazil
1979 Howard Kaeding
1980 Brent Kaeding
1981 Mike Sargent
1982 Nick Rescino
1983 John Viel
1984 Nick Rescino
1985 Rich Voss
1986 Nick Rescino(6)
1987 Howard Kaeding(4)
1988 Rod Spencer
1989 Scott Luhdorff
1990 Danny Olmstead
1991 Terry McCarl
1992 Scott Luhdorff(2)
1993 Chuck Miller
1994 Chuck Miller(2)
1995 Rick Martin
1996 Bud Kaeding
1997 Craig Smith
1998 Ronnie Day
1999 Eric Rossi
2007 Jason Statler
2008 Brent Kaeding (2)
2009 Tommy Tarlton
2010 Tim Kaeding
2011 Ronnie Day (2)
2012 Tommy Tarlton (2)
2013 Rico Abreu
2014 Rico Abreu (2)
2015 Andy Forsberg
2016 Justin Sanders
2017 Buddy Kofoid
2018 Tanner Thorson
2019 Justin Sanders (2)
2020 Mitchell Faccinto
2021 Shane Golobic
2022 Dominic Scelzi
2023 Dominic Scelzi (2)
- Steven Blakesley on Aug 04, 2024
- Article Date: 8/4/2024 by Steven Blakesley