WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Justin Sanders won the 30-lap Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Car Series feature at Ocean Speedway on Friday night for the second successive week. Sanders drove his familiar yellow No. 17 with help from North County Plastering and Andy’s Construction.
Bud Kaeding finished second after leading early in the race while Corey Day came in an impressive third place. Tanner Carrick and Mitchell Faccinto filled the top five.
Polesitter Chase Madjic and Day brought the 22-car starting field to the green. The action was very short lived as Jason Chisum spun going down the backstretch and his speed sent his car slowing over on two wheels. Max Mittry suffered a flat left rear tire but took the green-flag restart without a replacement. Mittry’s effort was nixed a lap later when he stopped on the backstretch to bring out a caution.
The race would resume after a double-file restart. Kaeding would take over the second spot with a pass in the second turn. One lap four, he would take over the lead with a turn-four slide job on Madjic. Sanders would move into the runner up spot one lap later.
As the race closed in on the halfway point, Kaeding’s pace slowed allowing both Madjic and Sanders to get around him. Madjic would suffer a miscue when he moved low on the front stretch to avoid a slowing Mittry. Madjic totally lost his rhythm and gave up more than four spots just as the caution would come out for a Zane Blanchard spin in the third turn.
Sanders would be the new leader followed by Kaeding and C. Day. The race would restart, single file on lap 17. Shane Golobic would be charged with the next caution when he tried a low pass going into the first turn but ran out of race track and did a harmless spin.
Golobic, who’s car had suffered from gremlins during practice and qualifying, elected to park his ride rather than tag the tail of the field.
Blanchard would spin again on lap 20 in about the same spot in turn three. That was the race’s final slowdown. Once restarted, Sanders clicked off laps on a clear track and it wasn’t until he caught the rear of the field with two laps to go, did Kaeding move into striking distance, but Sanders would not be denied.
Thirty-five cars filled the pit area with Kaeding setting the fast time.
The finish:
Justin Sanders, Bud Kaeding, Corey Day, Tanner Carrick, Mitchell Faccinto, Tristian Guardino, Kaleb Montgomery, Jodie Robinson, Blake Carrick, Chase Majdic, Keith Day Jr., Kurt Nelson, Jake Andreotti, Joel Myers, Kyle Offill, J.J. Ringo, Trent Canales, Jason Chisum, Shane Golobic, Bryce Eames, Zane Blanchard, Max Mittry