WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Tanner Carrick won the 30-lap opening round of the Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Car Series at Ocean Speedway on Friday night.
Justin Sanders dueled with Carrick for most of the race, taking the lead four times but had to settle for the runner-up spot.
Defending series champion Bud Kaeding finished in the third position.
The race’s only two contenders started on the front row with Sanders grabbing the pole by virtue of his dash win. But it would be Carrick who would get the jump going into the first turn as Sanders had a hesitation at the drop of the green.
The race would only go three laps before a red flag stopped the action when Connor Danell got upside down coming out of the second turn after running over the rear tire of the car in front of him. Because it was only a slight tip over, Danell was able to make repairs and rejoin the field.
Carrick picked the inside spot on the restart putting Sanders on the outside, which is the exact opposite of the original start. The race would only go three corners before another red flag would wave as Steven Kent and Michael Pombo were involved in a wreck, retiring both cars with extensive damage.
Colby Thornhill was also involved but was able to continue.
Carrick had the lead over Sanders, Bud Kaeding and Sander’s teammate Max Mittry.
The red flag would come out again on lap 23 when Danell got upside down for a second time.
The restart with just seven laps remaining produced some of the best racing of the night as the two leaders swapped slide jobs on each end of the track, as Sanders put huge pressure on Carrick.
The young Lincoln, California driver of the black and white No. 83t withstood the challenges of the veteran Sanders and took the win on the newly-configured Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds quarter-mile oval on Night #1 for the Taco Bravo sprint cars.
The finish:
Tanner Carrick, Justin Sanders, Bud Kaeding, Logan Forler, Max Mittry, Blake Carrick, Keith Day, Jr., Joey Ancona, Zane Blanchard, Joel Myers Jr., Eric Humphries, Caeden Steele, Kurt Nelson, Ricky Sanders, Chris Nelson, Colby Thornhill, Jayson Bright, Jeremy Chisum, Connor Danell, Michael Pombo, Steven Kent