oceanspeedway Archives

Hogge, Ryland top opening night features at Ocean

By Don Martin II WATSONVILLE, Calif. (March 11, 2022) – Bobby Hogge IV opened the 63rd season of racing at Ocean Speedway with a dominant IMCA Modified feature win Friday night. One early tangle proved to be the only slowdown of the race. Hogge led the restart ahead of reigning KMJ Performance State champion Jim Pettit II and four-time and defending track champion Cody Burke. Burke took second from Pettit on the fourth lap and Pettit fell back to fifth on lap six as Matthew Hagio settled into third. Hogge held a half-lap lead over Burke by the 11th circuit. Burke fell out on lap 12 as Hagio was now second ahead of Anthony Copeland. Pettit slipped past Copeland for third on lap 18 but was a lap down as Hogge won ahead of Hagio and Pettit. Fred Ryland won the 20-lap IMCA Northern SportMod main event. The race got a complete restart before Ryland led past Jim DiGiovanni and Igor Grandzjuk on the restart. Grandzjuk took second on lap four, only to surrender the [Read More]

Hogge, Kanke both bring brooms to Ocean Speedway’s Pettit Shootout

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 24-25) – Bobby Hogge IV added to his collection of Pettit Shootout trophies while Cale Kanke started his. Both drivers swept weekend events at Ocean Speedway, with Hogge picking up $1,003 and $3,006 IMCA Modified victories, his career sixth and seventh at the event. Kanke earned $503 for Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod career win number one on Friday and $1,003 for win number two the next night. “It was a pretty amazing weekend for us,” said Hogge, who wheeled the Rage by Precision Performance ride he’d debuted at the Prelude and IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s. “We started our venture in California with this car really well. Things couldn’t have gone any better for us.” Newly eligible to qualify for the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational, he won from 10th starting on opening night and from outside row one on Saturday. “We floundered around mid-pack for a while before we found our way toward the front and battled with Paul Stone,” he said, “and got the lead around midway of the [Read More]

Ocean Speedway primed for 11th annual Pettit Shootout

WATSONVILLE, Calif. – IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods headline both nights of Ocean Speedway’s 11th annual Pettit Shootout Friday and Saturday, Sept. 24 and 25. Modifieds race for $1,003 to win and a minimum of $103 to start on Friday, and for $3,006 to win and a minimum of $206 to start Saturday. Winners of both features become eligible to qualify for the 2022 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational. SportMods race for $503 to win on Friday and $1,006 to win on Saturday. Both divisions earn IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and KMJ Performance State points both nights; Modifieds also earn Shaw Race Cars Western Region points. The pit gate opens at 10 a.m. and pill draw is from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. both days. The drivers’ meeting is at 2:45 p.m. with qualifying to follow at approximately 3:30 p.m. Pit passes are $55 each night or a two-day pass for $100. Transponders and RACEceivers are required. All drivers and fans are invited to join to kick-off the race weekend, bring their polished cars and [Read More]

Ryland tames Ocean Speedway for second straight week

By Ben Deatherage WATSONVILLE, Calif. (April 9) – The Karl Kustoms IMCA Northern Sport Mods made their second appearance of the 2021 season at Ocean Speedway Friday evening. On the opening start of the main event, Billy Robertson was the first to pace the field. A caution on the second lap bunched the field up, preventing Robertson from building a large lead. On the restart, Fred Ryland maneuvered his way to the front and was the leader of the third circuit. Once the Brentwood veteran obtained the top place position, Ryland began to check out from the rest of the pack. However, Ryland was not able to construct too large of a lead as an additional five stoppages occurred, which also took out the factor of lapped traffic. Despite the slowdowns and restarts, Ryland, who started eight,h won his fifth Karl Kustoms Northern SportMod feature of the new season. Randy Miller was the runner-up with third place going to Jim DiGiovanni. Adriane Frost placed fourth while Trevor Clymens wound up fifth.

Who’s who in California IMCA racing at Ocean as Hogge wins career fifth Pettit

WATSONVILLE, Iowa (Sept. 25-26) – Bobby Hogge IV stood in victory lane at Ocean Speedway after the IMCA Modified finish that had everybody talking. Hogge chased race-long leader Troy Foulger, then made his last-lap move to the front on the higher line for the $3,006 checkers on night two of the Pettit Shootout at Watsonville. The Pettit win was Hogge’s fifth in the 10 years the special, one of the premier events in IMCA’s Shaw Race Cars Western Region, has been held. “Any time you get a win it’s special and we had almost the whole who’s who in California racing was here this weekend,” the Salinas veteran said, noting the 60-plus IMCA Modifieds and 50-plus Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods entered in the season-ending special. “Ocean is my home track. It’s 25 miles from my doorstep and I’ve raced with the Pettit family for a long time.” Foulger had led the first 32 laps after starting outside pole. Robby Sawyer raced his way from 10th starting to second while Hogge made his way ahead from seventh. [Read More]

10th annual Pettit Shootout features IMCA Modifieds, Northern SportMods

WATSONVILLE, Calif. – IMCA Modifieds and Karl Kustoms Northern SportMods are the featured divisions on both nights of Ocean Speedway’s 10th annual Pettit Shootout. Modifieds race for $1,003 to win on Friday, Sept. 25 and for $3,006 to win on Saturday, Sept. 26, with the winner at each Watsonville show putting their name on the 2021 Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot. Northern SportMods run for $503 to win on Friday and for $1,006 to win on Saturday. IMCA Speedway Motors Weekly Racing National and KMJ Performance State points will be awarded both nights. Modifieds also earn Shaw Race Cars Western Region points. Pit gates open at noon both days. The drivers’ meeting is at 4:45 p.m. with hot laps to follow and racing at 6 p.m. Pit passes are $50. No grandstand seating will be sold and social distancing will be in effect; facial masks are required to enter the pit area. Information about camping is available by calling the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds at 831 724-5671. Both nights will be broadcast by FloRacing.

Awesome weekend at Ocean adds $4,000+ to DeCarlo’s racing account

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (Sept. 29) – What Nick DeCarlo called “an awesome weekend” ended with his name on the Fast Shafts All-Star Invitational ballot and more than $4,000 in the bank. DeCarlo held off Troy Foulger for the $3,003 IMCA Modified Pettit Shootout victory Saturday at Ocean Speedway. He’d started outside the front row and led all 36 laps. Hogge, winner of the Friday feature at Watsonville, Shane DeVolder and 21st starting Ryan McDaniel completed the top five. Three cautions came out early but a long green flag run preceded the checkers. “Friday I ran the bottom and led most of the way before Hogge passed me on the top,” DeCarlo said. “Saturday we ran the high side, then ran the last eight laps wherever to pass lapped cars.” In addition to the lion’s share of the Saturday purse, DeCarlo took home $700 for his second place showing on Friday, $500 for having the top point total for the two days and the $100 fan favorite award. “This was my highest paying weekend ever and it [Read More]