WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Last year’s Ocean Speedway IMCA Sport Modified champion Jonathan Hagio scored his first win of the season on Friday night, winning the 20-lap feature. Hagio was one of five different feature winners at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt track during Modified Madness.
Chuck Golden used an outside pass to lead the opening lap of the Sport Mod contest. The top-six cars broke away from the field in the early stages. Hagio used the outside line to advance, passing 2020 Ocean champion Adriane Frost for second on lap 10. Rookie Matthew Frazier and Steven Allee collided in turn two to bring out a caution flag.
On the restart, Hagio drove around the outside of Golden to take the top position on lap 11. Trevor Clymens went up in smoke while Watsonville’s Billy Robertson spun, requiring an additional caution flag to retrieve both drivers.
Frost came to a stop up against the wall in turn four on lap 14 and restarted at the rear of the field. The caution flew again on lap 16 to bunch up the field. Hagio was undeterred, charging to a 4.2 second victory over Golden. Frost remarkably recovered to charge into third place, followed by a resurgent Robertson and Frazier.
An all-star cast of South Bay Dwarf Cars produced a last lap pass for the win in their 20-lap feature, with Danny Wagner scoring the win.Â
In the Hobby Stock 15-lap feature, Adriane Frost came out on top in a battle of champions against 2022 track champion Joe Gallaher.Â
Jason Lazzerini marched to victory in the 15-lap Four Banger event.Â
Despite smoke billowing from his machine and heavy lapped traffic, San Benito Sheriff Roy Iller won the Police-in-Pursuit 15-lap feature.
Feature Finish (20 Laps)
1. 46N-Jonathan Hagio[6]; 2. 3G-Chuck Golden[2]; 3. 22-Adriane Frost[3]; 4. 15F-Matthew Frazier[7]; 5. 14W-Willy Oathout[9]; 6. 22W-Charlie Hunter[13]; 7. 5-Billy Robertson[11]; 8. 33-Mike Gil[12]; 9. 2C-Trevor Clymens[5]; 10. 82M-Richard Ragsdale[10]; 11. 48-Mike Dean[1]; 12. 39-Steven Allee[4]; 13. 30H-Orion Messina[8]