# Ocean Speedway

Ocean Speedway, formerly known as Watsonville Speedway, is a dirt oval located in Watsonville, California, United States, at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.

## History

The track was the brainchild of retired driver Bert Moreland and a small group of others in late 1959. They came up with a plan to put a 1/4 mile race track in the infield of the existing 1/2 mile horse track. The first race took place May 27, 1960 and was won by Art Eaton. Figure 8 racing was introduced to the area at the speedway in 1964 and was popular with fans and drivers. Ray Elder was one of the most notable drivers to compete at Watsonville Speedway in its early days. The track then turned to stock cars in the 1970s. Future NASCAR driver and Daytona 500 winner Ernie Irvan was turned away by the track for having illegal parts on his car, so he turned his attention to pavement-racing elsewhere. In the 1980s, the NASCAR late model stock cars were the feature division and were a part of the Winston Racing Series, where drivers could compete for national and regional points. Another NASCAR legend, Bobby Allison, raced at the track once, in 1983, in a late model. The Grand American Modifieds made their debut in 1990. Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Geoff Bodine, Ernie Irvan and his father, Vic, ran a "Race of Champions" against each other in the modifieds in 1999 while they were in the area for the NASCAR race in Sonoma. A year later, Mike Skinner, Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer, Vic Irvan, and track sponsor John Prentice competed in the second edition of the event. Super modifieds made sporadic appearances at the speedway in the 1960s and 1970s. Sprint cars also made appearances at the track on a staggered basis with local series, including the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and the Golden State Challenge/King of California Series. The annual Trophy Cup was held once at the speedway in 2000.

## Ocean Speedway era

Former street stock and dwarf car driver Prentice took over operation of the track in 2006 and renamed it "Ocean Speedway", in alliance with the Ocean Chevrolet and Honda dealerships located in Santa Cruz County, where he worked as the general manager. Several years after Prentice acquired the track, a lawsuit was filed against the speedway and the fairgrounds by a neighborhood group called the Community Alliance for Fairgrounds Accountability, or CAFA, alleging the track was a nuisance due to the noise the cars produced. After being stayed three times while both parties looked for common ground, the lawsuit was dropped and races were allowed to continue with stricter sound rules and an earlier curfew. The track currently hosts a weekly 360 sprint car championship along with other divisions including IMCA modifieds and sportmods, midgets, dwarf cars, hobby stocks, and four-cylinders. The track also holds around six "police-N-pursuit" races a year, in which police officers, detectives, and other officials representing local agencies compete to raise money for Special Olympics of Northern California. In 2017, the group raised $34,000 for the charity. Travelling series that visit the track include the NARC/King of the West 410 sprint cars. The start of the 2020 season was delayed until June 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 season was affected once more because of the CZU Lightning Complex fires burning nearby, cancelling races in August.

## Notable drivers

Some notable drivers who have made appearances at Ocean Speedway over the years include World of Outlaws champions Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, and Brad Sweet. Indianapolis 500 competitor, Bryan Clauson made his winged sprint car debut at the track in 2011. Current NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, former NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Kraig Kinser, Tayler Malsam, and Tyler Walker have also raced at the track, along with Cheryl Glass, Doug McCoun, Ron Shuman, Lance Norick, Gio Scelzi, Jesse Love, Logan Seavey, Tanner Thorson, Shane Golobic, James Bondurant, David Gravel, Jac Haudenschild, Kerry Madsen, Joey Saldana, Lucas Wolfe, Dale Blaney, Johnny Herrera, Cory Kruseman, Brady Bacon, Brandon “bud” Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Michael Pickens, and Olympic athlete Josh Lakatos. 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer won at the track in a USAC Jr. Ford Focus midget in 2011. Super Bowl XXIII champion linebacker, Sam Kennedy, races at the track in the hobby stocks on a now-and-then basis.

## List of track champions

Track championships have been awarded since the track opened in 1960 in the Claimer Division. The division was discontinued in 1964 in favor of the sportsman class. The micro 600s was a short-lived division at the track, awarding championships from 2008 to 2012. Champions in the division were: Devon Ostheimer in 2008, Orval Burke Jr. in 2009–10, Tomas Bray in 2011, and Alexander Mead in 2012.
| Season | Sprint car | Wingless sprint | Modified | SportMod | Sportsman | Claimer/stock car | Street stock/late model | Figure 8 | Dwarf car | American/hobby stock | 4-banger |
| 1960 | | | | | | Hap Barber | | | | | |
| 1961 | | | | | | Art LaCost | | | | | |
| 1962 | | | | | | Art LaCost | | | | | |
| 1963 | | | | | | Lloyd Beard | | | | | |
| 1964 | | | | | Lloyd Beard | | | | | | |
| 1965 | | | | | Ray Elder | | | | | | |
| 1966 | | | | | Vic Irvan | | | | | | |
| 1967 | | | | | Art LaCost | Dave Alonzo | | | | | |
| 1968 | | | | | Vic Irvan | Dave Snyder | | | | | |
| 1969 | | | | | Dennis Moomjean | Cecil Irvan | | Cecil Irvan | | | |
| 1970 | | | | | Jerry Cecil | Joe Esperanca | | Lloyd Keldsen Sr. | | | |
| 1971 | | | | | Ron Gravelle | Dave Tannahill | | Lloyd Keldsen Sr. | | | |
| 1972 | | | | | Vern Willhoite | Johnny Brazil Jr. | | Lloyd Keldsen Jr. | | | |
| 1973 | | | | | John Harper | Ray Johnson | | Johnny Brazil Jr. | | | |
| 1974 | | | | | Jerry Cecil | Dennis Wilson | | Ken Nott | | | |
| 1975 | | | | | Roy Pruett | Doug McCoun | | Bob Benge | | | |
| 1976 | | | | | George Steitz | Ray Johnson | | Ken Naber | | | |
| 1977 | | | | | Duane Noe | Dave Brightwell | | Ken Nott | | | |
| 1978 | | | | | Jerry Cecil | Ray Morgan | | Jerry Cutler | | | |
| 1979 | | | | | Duane Noe | Ray Morgan | | John Keldsen | | | |
| 1980 | | | | | Duane Noe | Ted Stofle | Jim Reno | Johnny Brazil Jr. | | | |
| 1981 | | | | | Jerry Cecil | Ray Morgan | Bobby Large | Ken Nott | | | |
| 1982 | | | | | | Doug McCoun | Kevin Pylant | John Keldsen | | | |
| 1983 | | | | | | Dave Byrd | Kevin Pylant | Lloyd Keldsen Jr. | | | |
| 1984 | | | | | | Doug McCoun | Kim Beard | Jim Pettit | | | |
| 1985 | | | | | | Kevin Pylant | Ken Morgan | Peter Gates | | | |
| 1986 | | | | | | Ray Morgan | Todd Souza | John Keldsen | | | |
| 1987 | | | | | | Ed Sans Jr. | Lloyd Antonetti Jr. | John Keldsen | | | |
| 1988 | | | | | | Ed Sans Jr. | Mike Brumit | Jim Gillespie | | | |
| 1989 | | | | | | Jim Pettit II | Lloyd Antonetti Jr. | Jim Gillespie | | | |
| 1990 | | | Scott Busby | | | Jeff Silva | Bobby Large | Greg McGregor | | | |
| 1991 | | | Mike Brumit | | | Jeff Silva | Bart Reid | Paul Larsen | | | |
| 1992 | | | Scott Busby | | | Bobby Scott Jr. | Ron Parker | | | | |
| 1993 | | | Scott Busby | | | Robert Miller | Kurt Slama | | | | |
| 1994 | | | Dave Byrd | | | | Don Silva | Fred Lind | | | |
| 1995 | | | Dave Byrd | | | | Mike Cecil | Jim Gillespie | | | |
| 1996 | | | Kenny Nott | | | | Ricky Sanders | John Keldsen | | Ken Jepsen | |
| 1997 | | | Bobby Hogge IV | | | | Doug Hagio | John Keldsen | | Mike Meazell | |
| 1998 | | | Bobby Hogge IV | | | | Dave Soito | Jim Gillespie | | Jimmy Bowman | |
| 1999 | | | Bobby Hogge IV | | | | Tim Clark Sr. | Mike Finlen Sr. | | Sam Kennedy | |
| 2000 | | | Bobby Scott | | | | Dennis Pelphrey | Doug Snodgrass | | Sam Kennedy | |
| 2001 | | | Bobby Scott | | | | Ken Gregg | Jim Gillespie | | Rick Ray | |
| 2002 | | | Bobby Scott | | | | Dennis Pelphrey | Doug Snodgrass | | Sam Kennedy | |
| 2003 | | | Bobby Hogge IV | | | | Dennis Pelphrey | John Keldsen | John Prentice | Sam Kennedy | |
| 2004 | | | Kenny Nott | | | | Dennis Pelphrey | Jim Gillespie | Howard Fergerson | Sam Kennedy | |
| 2005 | | Steve Pemberton | Garrett Steitz | | | | Dennis Pelphrey | Keith Trusso | Todd Damron | Sam Kennedy | Andrew Camperud |
| 2006 | | Steve Pemberton | Tim Balding | | | | Jeff Decker | Jim Gillespie | Matt Sargent | Tim Clark Sr. | Andrew Camperud |
| 2007 | Brent Kaeding | N/A | Kenny Nott | | | | Jeff Decker | | N/A | Billy Nelson | Kyle Thorne |
| 2008 | Brent Kaeding | Ryan Bernal | Robert Marsh | | | | Bobby Hogge IV | | Ryan Diatte | Austin Burke | Jeff Wilson |
| 2009 | Tommy Tarlton | Billy Aton | Kenny Nott | | | | Jeff Decker | | Gilbert Toste | William Kennedy | Matt Sotomayor |
| 2010 | Tommy Tarlton | Ryan Bernal | Kenny Nott | | | | Bobby Scott | | Ryan Diatte | Billy Nelson | Adriane deSousa |
| 2011 | Ronnie Day | Jim Christian | Brian Cass | | | | Clay Daly | | Shawn Jones | Nick Silva | Adriane deSousa |
| 2012 | Shane Golobic | Jim Christian | Jim Pettit II | Matt Sotomayor | | | Clay Daly | | Terre Rothweiler | Matt Kile | Dan McCabe |
| 2013 | Brad Furr | Tommy Laliberte | Andy Obertello | Stephen Hopf | | | | | Camron Diatte | Terry Campion | Al Sotomayor |
| 2014 | Shane Golobic | Bryan Grier | Kenny Nott | Nick Spainhoward | | | | | Terre Rothweiler | Billy Nelson | Justin McPherson |
| 2015 | Justin Sanders | | Bobby Hogge IV | Matthew Hagio | | | | | Gene Pires Jr. | Terry Campion | Luke Babcock |
| 2016 | Brad Furr | | Bobby Hogge IV | Jim DiGiovanni | | | | | David Teves | Robert Gallaher | DJ Keldsen |
| 2017 | Geoff Ensign | | Nick DeCarlo | Matthew Hagio | | | | | Camron Diatte | Robert Gallaher | Bill Beardsley |
| 2018 | Brad Furr | | Cody Burke | Jim DiGiovanni | | | | | Gene Pires Jr. | Matt Kile | Kate Beardsley |
| 2019 | JJ Ringo | | Austin Burke | Jarrod Mounce | | | | | Mark Biscardi | Robert Gallaher | Nicole Beardsley |
| 2020 | Mitchell Faccinto | | Cody Burke | Adriane deSousa | | | | | | Joe Gallaher | Ryan McClelland |
| 2021 | Bud Kaeding | | Cody Burke | Randy Miller | | | | | | Joe Gallaher | Tony Gullo |
| 2022 | Kurt Nelson | | Jim Pettit II | Jonathan Hagio | | | | | | Joe Gallaher | Kenny Stragalinos |
| 2023 | Rickey Sanders | | Jim Pettit II | Chuck Golden | | | | | | Joe Gallaher | Jason Lazzerini |
| 2024* | Caleb Debem | | Jim Pettit II | Emali VanHoff | | | | | | Joe Gallaher | Peter Vannerus |
*Denotes season still in progress.