WATSONVILLE, Calif. — K.C. Keller prevailed over a strong field of IMCA Sport Modifieds to claim Friday’s 20-lap feature at Ocean Speedway.
Keller was one of five race winners during the night at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds Dirt Track.
“I had a little baby girl in February, she’s five months old now. It was going to be kind of a lot (to keep racing),” Keller said. “But my son has taken a huge interest this year. So we took the car off the market and as long as he’s going with me and the rest family, we’re going to keep going.”
Keller snagged the pole position against a 19-car starting grid. The first caution fell on lap five when Brian Baggett spun in turn two. On the restart, Steven Allee back pedaled a bit from second to fourth. Bo Crebs crashed in turn four with front end up damage for the next caution on lap seven. Cody Bryan pitted with a right front flat tire as well.
Matt Hagio and Rob Gallaher, the fourth row starters, went head-to-head in a back and forth battle for second. After a pair of cautions for spins, Hagio was clear of Gallaher and turned his attention on Keller. The leaders approached traffic on lap 15 and the lead shrunk to one car length. A caution on lap 16 for Atascadero’s Matthew Pwtorak spinning changed the game.
Keller used the free real estate ahead of him to dart away for the win. Hagio settled for second over Gallaher, Allee, and Jeff Mead.
2020 IMCA Sport Modified champion Adriane Frost earned her third Hobby Stock feature win of the season in a 20-lap contest. Shawn Jones dominated a non-stop 20-lap South Bay Dwarf Car feature.
Amaya Flower scored her second Four Banger feature win of the season in a non-stop, wire-to-wire performance. Jerry Ogg of Santa Clara Police Department won his first 15-lap Police-in-Pursuit for Special Olympics feature of the season.
Feature Finish (20 Laps)
1. 38-KC Keller[1]; 2. 14H-Matthew Hagio[8]; 3. X-Rob Gallaher[7]; 4. 39-Steven Allee[3]; 5. 16M-Jeff Mead[5]; 6. 32-Chuck Golden[4]; 7. 4M-Emali VanHoff[16]; 8. 30H-Orion Messina[9]; 9. 71-Aaron Farrell[11]; 10. 75-Matthew Pwtorak[13]; 11. 22X-Jim DiGiovanni[14]; 12. 42B-Max Baggett[2]; 13. 15-David Crocker[18]; 14. 54R-Brian Baggett[12]; 15. 2B-Braden Claborn[10]; 16. 33-Mike Gil[17]; 17. 22W-Charlie Hunter[19]; 18. 34-Cody Bryan[15]; 19. 168-Bo Crebs[6]