(Contributed Photo/Paul Trevino)
Justin Sanders won the 33rd running of the Pombo/Sargent Classic June 22 at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.
The King of the West/NARC Sprint Car Series event pays tribute to San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame racers Marshall Sargent and Al Pombo. Sanders becomes the fifth different winner in the eight Series races held so far.
Australian Jamie Cobby teamed up with car owner Ted Finkenbinder for the first time in about 25 years and earned the pole with his victory in the six-lap Trophy Dash. Cobby charged into the lead at the start of the 30-lap race.
Cobby led throughout the first half of the race, but Sanders was giving pressure as they caught traffic on lap 14. Contact sent Cobby spinning in Turn 2, and reigning Series champion Bud Kaeding was collected in the incident. The race was over for both drivers, as Sanders led Colby Copeland and point leader Kyle Hirst on the restart. Copeland began to pressure Sanders in the waning laps, but did a complete 360 on Turn 4 of lap 27.
Shane Golobic finished third after starting 12th. Chase Johnson, DJ. Netto, Matthew Moles, Willie Croft, Jeremy Chisum, Copeland and Billy Aton followed.
A good field of 26 Sprinters came to compete, but Hirst set the fast time of 11.502 on the Tom Sagmiller prepared quarter-mile clay oval.
Kaeding was a close second at 11.505. Cobby earned the pole for the feature with his six-lap Trophy Dash win ahead of Sanders. Hirst, Copeland and Sanders earned the 10-lap heat race wins. Chisum won the 15-lap B Main ahead of Aton and Taco Bravo Sprint Car point leader Koen Shaw.
Reigning IMCA Modified champion Nick DeCarlo returned and scored the victory in the 25-lap Main Event.
DeCarlo had a pole position start for the race and led every lap. Alex Wilson ran second in the early stages before spinning out and handing the position to Austin Burke.
As DeCarlo went on to pick up the win, Troy Foulger moved the Bowers Racing Modified into second in the waning laps.
Multi-time champion Bobby Hogge IV also made the pass on Burke before the checkered flag.
Austin finished fourth, ahead of brother Cody Burke, state point leader Shane DeVolder, Steven Hopf, Danny Wagner, Brian Cass and Wilson.
DeCarlo and Hogge each won eight-lap heat races.
Two-time IMCA Sport Modified champion Matthew Hagio won the 20-lap Main Event for his division.
Hagio took the lead from pole sitter Jason Pugh on a lap-three restart and led the rest of the way for the victory.
KC Keller battled from ninth to get as high as second, but point leader Jim DiGiovanni made the move around him for the position on a lap-nine restart.
Keller settled for third, followed by Anthony Giuliani, Tanner Thomas, Pugh, Adrienne Frost, Jack Aguilar, Mark Squadrito and Dave Smart. Keller and Thomas won eight-lap heat races.
Zach Price won the 20-lap South Bay Dwarf Car feature.
The battle continues between Price and Gene “Punky” Pines for the championship. The two drivers started on the front row with Price coming out just ahead of Pines at the finish.
Recent winner Terre Rothweiler finished a solid third, followed by Mark Biscardi, Eric Wiesler, Joe Barkett, Trafton Chandler, Kyle Jones, Alan Heeney and John Harris. Pines and Price won the eight-lap heat races.
After a one-week break, the action resumes at Ocean Speedway on July 6 with the return of the Taco Bravo Sprint Cars. IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Modifieds, American Stocks and 4 Bangers will also be a part of the program.
