Forum: Northern California Sprint Car (go)
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(Photo courtesy L&J Photography)

"STATLER STOPS TARLTON FROM WINNING THREE, MAKES KEY RACE"

By Tony Karis

Sometimes in racing slower is faster. But at Ocean Speedway Friday night slower speeds offered up a dramatic finish to fast paced action in round eight of the GLR Investments 360' sprint car series.

Grass Valley's Jason Statler used 25 of 30 laps to maneuver his way through the field and take the lead away from Fresno's Tommy Tarlton in a main event that ran non-stop finishing in seven minutes and forty-four seconds.

"Although we ran non-stop, it was a tough race," Statler said. "My guys put a very good race car underneath me; all I had to do was keep my head. We've had our problems with the 360ci motor in this car, but I think we've got it figured out. We usually try and make the car a little tight in the beginning, so in the last half of the race as the car loosens up we get better. It was exceptionally good tonight."

Winner of the 2008 Johnny Key Memorial race, Statler guarantee's himself a starting spot for the 49^th running of the Key race August 29. Joining Statler will be fourth and fifth place finishers Evan Suggs and Ronnie Day, winner of the prestigious open wheel event in 1998.

Tarlton and Salinas' Keith Day, winners of the second and third heat races, started on the front row. The two veterans raced nose to tail and side-by-side through the fist third of the feature. Lapping slower traffic, Tarlton stretched his lead and looked as though he was headed for his third feature win.

As the dry track conditions took on the look of black ice, the giant 18 inch wide sprint cars tires were laying rubber to the hardened clay surface. Chassis set-ups were becoming question marks in the minds of the front runners; and with the luck of the draw inverting the top ten starters, the fast guys were moving to the front. The two fastest cars, Two-time track champion Kaeding and Suggs, starting ninth and tenth respectively found new life just after the half way mark. Like Statler, the track was coming to them.

Salinas' Ronnie Day moved from 15^th into the top ten by the half way mark. Statler finally passed Tarlton on lap 25. During the final two laps positions were changing faster than the numbers on a Keno board. Kaeding using the high groove passed Tarlton for second. Suggs slipped to fourth, R. Day improved ten positions to complete the top five. Ricky Wright who started third finished sixth. Cory Eliason, seventh, managed to stay in front of three teens, Justin Sanders (15), Wes Gutierrez, and Brent Bjork completing the top ten.

K. Day missed the late race set-up and fell to 12^th place; finishing behind 18^th place starter Santa Clara's Brad Furr.

A change in track preparation created a dry-slick surface prior to practice and qualifying. This condition produced slower qualifying times and race speeds for everyone. It turned out to be some of the slowest qualifying times and race speeds in the three-year history of the series. But it was no less exciting for race fans and spectators.

Suggs, the night's fastest qualifier with a 13.178 second fast lap also won the first heat race, earning his second fast-time title this season, the young Scotts Valley hot-shoe, who shared a part of the series point lead last month, is the only driver to earn more than one top qualifying title this season.

Eliason had third fast time behind Kaeding. "Cowboy" Craig Smith was given a clean bill of health returning to score fourth quick time a little more than a tenth faster than Statler.

Tarlton shaved three points off Kaeding's Lead and now trails the two-time champion by six points. Suggs gained two points and remains third 12 points behind. Sander's remains fourth but loses five points to Kaeding and is 24 points out of the chase. Brad Furr, fifth, surrenders nine to fall 33 points behind. Ronnie Day, sixth in the standings, lost two and is now 39 points off the pace. Ricky Wright drops to 57 behind Kaeding but holds on to seventh place. Jason Newton and Kurt Nelson are tied for eighth, 110 off the lead. Previously Nelson and Cowboy were tied but Smith falls out of the top ten and ties Wes Gutierrez for 11^th at 120 points behind. Keith Day drops from 110 to 114 points behind but hangs on to a top ten position.

With five races still on the schedule, only two drivers, Tarlton and Statler have two wins each. With the competition and points chase closer than the past two seasons, can anyone dominate the balance of the GLR series? Will the balance of the season produce additional first time winners? Who will be the first to find a winning combination and dominate the final few races of the GLR series?

August 14^th is the last opportunity for three drivers to lock in starting spots for the Key race. Your friend and mine, Gary Costa will be back on the 14^th.

Position Driver City, State Points Behind

1 Brent Kaeding Campbell CA 407 Leader

2 Tommy Tarlton Fresno CA 401 -6

3 Evan Suggs Scott Valley CA 395 -12

4 Justin Sanders Prunedale Ca 383 -24

5 Brad Furr Pleasanton CA 374 -33

6 Ronnie Day 368 -39

7 Rick Wright Morgan Hill CA 350 -57

8 Jason Newton San Jose CA 297 -110 –

Kurt Nelson Gilroy CA 297 -110

10 Keith Day Salinas CA 293 -114

49th Running Johnny Key Classic Qualifiers (14 spots available)

1. Tommy Tarlton

2. Justin Sanders

3. Brad Furr

4. Kyle Larson

5. Brent Kaeding

6. Sean Becker

7. Jason Statler

8. Evan Suggs

9. Ronnie Day

Pit gate opens at 1:00 with the front gate opening at 4:00. Racing starts at 6. Adults are $15, kids 6-12 $9, all kids under 5 free. Family $40 (2 Adults and 2 Children), Senior $12 with I.D. (65 yrs+). For more information please log onto www.oceanspeedway.com or call the speedway at (831) 476-9466

The speedway is located at 2601 East Lake Ave in Watsonville, CA