Watsonville Speedway, previously also known as Ocean Speedway, is a 1/4 mile dirt oval located in Watsonville, California, United States, at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds.
History The track was the brainchild of retired driver Bert Moreland and a small group of others in late 1959. They came up with a plan to put a 1/4 mile race track in the infield of the existing 1/2 mile horse track. The first race took place May 27, 1960 and was won by Art Eaton. Figure 8 racing was introduced to the area at the speedway in 1964 and was popular with fans and drivers. Ray Elder was one of the most notable drivers to compete at Watsonville Speedway in its early days. The track then turned to stock cars in the 1970s. Future NASCAR driver and Daytona 500 winner Ernie Irvan was turned away by the track for having illegal parts on his car, so he turned his attention to pavement-racing elsewhere. In the 1980s, the NASCAR late model stock cars were the feature division and were a part of the Winston Racing Series, where drivers could compete for national and regional points. Another NASCAR legend, Bobby Allison, raced at the track once, in 1983, in a late model. The Grand American Modifieds made their debut in 1990. Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Geoff Bodine, Ernie Irvan and his father, Vic, ran a "Race of Champions" against each other in the modifieds in 1999 while they were in the area for the NASCAR race in Sonoma. A year later, Mike Skinner, Sterling Marlin, Jimmy Spencer, Vic Irvan, and track sponsor John Prentice competed in the second edition of the event. Super modifieds made sporadic appearances at the speedway in the 1960s and 1970s. Sprint cars also made appearances at the track on a staggered basis with local series, including the Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) and the Golden State Challenge/King of California Series. The annual Trophy Cup was held once at the speedway in 2000.
Ocean Speedway era Former street stock and dwarf car driver Prentice took over operation of the track in 2006 and renamed it "Ocean Speedway", in alliance with the Ocean Chevrolet and Honda dealerships located in Santa Cruz County, where he worked as the general manager. Several years after Prentice acquired the track, a lawsuit was filed against the speedway and the fairgrounds by a neighborhood group called the Community Alliance for Fairgrounds Accountability, or CAFA, alleging the track was a nuisance due to the noise the cars produced. After being stayed three times while both parties looked for common ground, the lawsuit was dropped and races were allowed to continue with stricter sound rules and an earlier curfew. The track currently hosts a weekly 360 sprint car championship along with other divisions including IMCA modifieds and sportmods, midgets, dwarf cars, hobby stocks, and four-cylinders. The track also holds around six "police-N-pursuit" races a year, in which police officers, detectives, and other officials representing local agencies compete to raise money for Special Olympics of Northern California. In 2017, the group raised $34,000 for the charity. Travelling series that visit the track include the NARC/King of the West 410 sprint cars. The start of the 2020 season was delayed until June 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 season was affected once more because of the CZU Lightning Complex fires burning nearby, cancelling races in August.
The name of the track was reverted to Watsonville Speedway ahead of the 2026 season. Past track champion, Robert Gallaher, was awarded the contract to operate the track for the 2026 season.
Notable drivers Some notable drivers who have made appearances at Ocean Speedway over the years include World of Outlaws champions Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser, Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, and Brad Sweet. Indianapolis 500 competitor, Bryan Clauson made his winged sprint car debut at the track in 2011. Current NASCAR driver Kyle Larson, former NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Rico Abreu, Kraig Kinser, Tayler Malsam, and Tyler Walker have also raced at the track, along with Cheryl Glass, Doug McCoun, Ron Shuman, Lance Norick, Gio Scelzi, Jesse Love, Logan Seavey, Tanner Thorson, Shane Golobic, James Bondurant, David Gravel, Jac Haudenschild, Kerry Madsen, Joey Saldana, Lucas Wolfe, Dale Blaney, Johnny Herrera, Cory Kruseman, Brady Bacon, Brandon “Bud” Kaeding, Brent Kaeding, Michael Pickens, and Olympic athlete Josh Lakatos. 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer won at the track in a USAC Jr. Ford Focus midget in 2011. Super Bowl XXIII champion linebacker, Sam Kennedy, races at the track in the hobby stocks on a now-and-then basis.
List of track champions Track championships have been awarded since the track opened in 1960 in the Claimer Division. The division was discontinued in 1964 in favor of the sportsman class. The micro 600s was a short-lived division at the track, awarding championships from 2008 to 2012. Champions in the division were: Devon Ostheimer in 2008, Orval Burke Jr. in 2009–10, Tomas Bray in 2011, and Alexander Mead in 2012. Season Sprint car Wingless sprint Modified SportMod Sportsman Claimer/stock car Street stock/late model Figure 8 Dwarf car American/hobby stock 4-banger 1960 Hap Barber 1961 Art LaCost 1962 Art LaCost 1963 Lloyd Beard 1964 Lloyd Beard 1965 Ray Elder 1966 Vic Irvan 1967 Art LaCost Dave Alonzo 1968 Vic Irvan Dave Snyder 1969 Dennis Moomjean Cecil Irvan Cecil Irvan 1970 Jerry Cecil Joe Esperanca Lloyd Keldsen Sr. 1971 Ron Gravelle Dave Tannahill Lloyd Keldsen Sr. 1972 Vern Willhoite Johnny Brazil Jr. Lloyd Keldsen Jr. 1973 John Harper Ray Johnson Johnny Brazil Jr. 1974 Jerry Cecil Dennis Wilson Ken Nott 1975 Roy Pruett Doug McCoun Bob Benge 1976 George Steitz Ray Johnson Ken Naber 1977 Duane Noe Dave Brightwell Ken Nott 1978 Jerry Cecil Ray Morgan Jerry Cutler 1979 Duane Noe Ray Morgan John Keldsen 1980 Duane Noe Ted Stofle Jim Reno Johnny Brazil Jr. 1981 Jerry Cecil Ray Morgan Bobby Large Ken Nott 1982 Doug McCoun Kevin Pylant John Keldsen 1983 Dave Byrd Kevin Pylant Lloyd Keldsen Jr. 1984 Doug McCoun Kim Beard Jim Pettit 1985 Kevin Pylant Ken Morgan Peter Gates 1986 Ray Morgan Todd Souza John Keldsen 1987 Ed Sans Jr. Lloyd Antonetti Jr. John Keldsen 1988 Ed Sans Jr. Mike Brumit Jim Gillespie 1989 Jim Pettit II Lloyd Antonetti Jr. Jim Gillespie 1990 Scott Busby Jeff Silva Bobby Large Greg McGregor 1991 Mike Brumit Jeff Silva Bart Reid Paul Larsen 1992 Scott Busby Bobby Scott Jr. Ron Parker 1993 Scott Busby Robert Miller Kurt Slama 1994 Dave Byrd Don Silva Fred Lind 1995 Dave Byrd Mike Cecil Jim Gillespie 1996 Kenny Nott Ricky Sanders John Keldsen Ken Jepsen 1997 Bobby Hogge IV Doug Hagio John Keldsen Mike Meazell 1998 Bobby Hogge IV Dave Soito Jim Gillespie Jimmy Bowman 1999 Bobby Hogge IV Tim Clark Sr. Mike Finlen Sr. Sam Kennedy 2000 Bobby Scott Dennis Pelphrey Doug Snodgrass Sam Kennedy 2001 Bobby Scott Ken Gregg Jim Gillespie Rick Ray 2002 Bobby Scott Dennis Pelphrey Doug Snodgrass Sam Kennedy 2003 Bobby Hogge IV Dennis Pelphrey John Keldsen John Prentice Sam Kennedy 2004 Kenny Nott Dennis Pelphrey Jim Gillespie Howard Fergerson Sam Kennedy 2005 Steve Pemberton Garrett Steitz Dennis Pelphrey Keith Trusso Todd Damron Sam Kennedy Andrew Camperud 2006 Steve Pemberton Tim Balding Jeff Decker Jim Gillespie Matt Sargent Tim Clark Sr. Andrew Camperud 2007 Brent Kaeding N/A Kenny Nott Jeff Decker N/A Billy Nelson Kyle Thorne 2008 Brent Kaeding Ryan Bernal Robert Marsh Bobby Hogge IV Ryan Diatte Austin Burke Jeff Wilson 2009 Tommy Tarlton Billy Aton Kenny Nott Jeff Decker Gilbert Toste William Kennedy Matt Sotomayor 2010 Tommy Tarlton Ryan Bernal Kenny Nott Bobby Scott Ryan Diatte Billy Nelson Adriane deSousa 2011 Ronnie Day Jim Christian Brian Cass Clay Daly Shawn Jones Nick Silva Adriane deSousa 2012 Shane Golobic Jim Christian Jim Pettit II Matt Sotomayor Clay Daly Terre Rothweiler Matt Kile Dan McCabe 2013 Brad Furr Tommy Laliberte Andy Obertello Stephen Hopf Camron Diatte Terry Campion Al Sotomayor 2014 Shane Golobic Bryan Grier Kenny Nott Nick Spainhoward Terre Rothweiler Billy Nelson Justin McPherson 2015 Justin Sanders Bobby Hogge IV Matthew Hagio Gene Pires Jr. Terry Campion Luke Babcock 2016 Brad Furr Bobby Hogge IV Jim DiGiovanni David Teves Robert Gallaher DJ Keldsen 2017 Geoff Ensign Nick DeCarlo Matthew Hagio Camron Diatte Robert Gallaher Bill Beardsley 2018 Brad Furr Cody Burke Jim DiGiovanni Gene Pires Jr. Matt Kile Kate Beardsley 2019 JJ Ringo Austin Burke Jarrod Mounce Mark Biscardi Robert Gallaher Nicole Beardsley 2020 Mitchell Faccinto Cody Burke Adriane deSousa Joe Gallaher Ryan McClelland 2021 Bud Kaeding Cody Burke Randy Miller Joe Gallaher Tony Gullo 2022 Kurt Nelson Jim Pettit II Jonathan Hagio Joe Gallaher Kenny Stragalinos 2023 Rickey Sanders Jim Pettit II Chuck Golden Joe Gallaher Jason Lazzerini 2024 Caleb Debem Jim Pettit II Emali VanHoff Joe Gallaher Peter Vannerus 2025 Caleb Debem Jim Pettit II Danny Wagner Ryan Hart Joshua Silva
See also List of dirt track ovals in the United States West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame Dirt track racing
References
Further reading Race Report: Steve Kinser Wins at Ocean Speedway Kruseman Wins Ocean Speedway CRA/Classic 30-Lapper Ocean Speedway's Prentice invited to speak at race promoters workshop 10th Season for Ocean Sprints in 2016 Berryhill Racing brings gold home to American Canyon Watsonville Speedway results
External links Official Website