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Dominic Scelzi in action earlier this year. (Joe Shivak Photo)
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Scelzi Stops Sanders At Ocean Speedway

July 10, 2021

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Dominic Scelzi won the 30-lap Taco Bravo 360 Sprint Car Series feature at Ocean Speedway on Friday night. 

Scelzi, who has been on a hot streak this year, was aboard his familiar family-owned Scelzi Enterprises No. 41s wrenched by Jimmy Carr. It was his 13th victory of the season

After leading the majority of the race, Justin Sanders had to settle for second place but maintained his advantage in the yearly point’s standings.  Bud Kaeding, who is second in the points, took home third spot.

Polesitter Nick Ringo and Sanders brought the field to the opening green flag with Sanders quickly jumping to the lead by the second turn. Kaeding moved into the second spot by the lap two as the race was starting to look like a typical Friday night Sanders-Kaeding battle.

The two would catch lapped traffic by lap four as fast qualifier Joey Ancona who was running third slid off the second turn cushion a few laps later, giving up several positions. Scelzi, who started eighth, was one of the drivers benefiting from the Ancona miscue.

The race would be red flagged on lap 13 when Kurt Nelson flipped in the fourth turn.  

The double-file restart put Scelzi next to Corey Day whom he passed shortly after but that pass was negated when Tucker Worth stopped on the high side of turn four. 

On the restart, there were no official laps completed before Grant Champlin stopped on the infield side of turn three after scrapping the backstretch wall. The restart would give Kaeding yet another way to get around leader Sanders. But it would be Day who would get by Kaeding for the second spot.

The red flag halted the race on lap 17 when J.J. Ringo took a nasty looking flip off the second turn banking. It would be several minutes before he could be lifted from the car.  

Scelzi was running fourth before the red but soon moved into the second spot with his eyes on Sanders.  

Once restarted, the race action picked up as race leader Sanders hoped to pick up another win. That dream was crushed as Scelzi made a three-wide pass of Connor Danell for the lead.  Sanders would come around the next lap and try a low pass over Scelzi but instead Sanders ran into the lapped car of Jimmy Cristian.  The caution set up a green-white-checkered finish with Scelzi taking his first Ocean Speedway feature win this year. 

The finish:

Dominic Scelzi, Justin Sanders, Bud Kaeding, Corey Day, Joey Ancona, Ryan Timms, Travis Labat, Nick Ringo, Keith Day Jr., Grant Champlin, Jason Chisum, Jeremy Chisum, Connor Danell, Josh Chisum, Ryan Delisle, Jimmy Christian, Chris Nelson, J.J. Ringo, Tucker Worth, Kurt Nelson, Richard Fajardo Â