8/17/2024
Ocean Speedway
MATT KILE WINS THRILLING HOBBY STOCK FEATURE DURING OCEAN’S TERRY TRAUB TRIBUTE
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 16, 2024) – Matt Kile topped Rob Gallaher in a thrilling duel of San Jose drivers during Friday’s 33-lap Terry Traub Tribute for Hobby Stocks at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. Kile’s victory in the fourth edition of the special event paid $753 to win, part of a five-division line-up at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt track.
The event honored Watsonville Police Deputy Chief and Ocean Speedway racer Terry Traub who passed away in March of 2020. His wife, two sons, granddaughter, and other relatives participated in a parade lap with many competitors before the feature race went green.
“I don’t know how I did that. I think I was fortunate to have to restart on the inside. I didn’t want to pick it but it turns out the inside was better,” Kile said. “The leaf (spring) cars are better down low where it’s rough and I guess it worked out. That was way too much fun. Track was awesome.”
Kile charged around the outside of Steve Remde of Watsonville to take the opening lap lead. Gallaher drove from eighth to second by lap four utilizing the high line as well.
Kile built up a 1.3 second advantage which disappeared when Taylor DeCarlo spun in turn two on lap six. Gallaher used the top to sail past Kile to lead lap seven. Kile was part of an exciting two-by-two battle for second with 2020 IMCA Sport Mod champion Adriane Frost of Watsonville on his inside. Trent Golden of Pittsburg attempted a three wide maneuver on the inside of the backstretch, colliding with Frost to give her a flat left rear tire. Nic Tiexeira of Watsonville spun in turn three to bring out a caution on lap 17, giving Frost an opportunity to pit for a new tire.
Gallaher edged ahead of Kile from the outside on the restart. Gallaher then went wide in turn four, opening the bottom for Kile to lead lap 24. Gallaher ran alongside Kile for the remaining nine laps of the competition. Kile drove the bottom well, taking the narrow victory over Gallaher, 2024 points leader Joe Gallaher, Sam Kennedy, and a resurgent Frost in fifth.
Jim Pettit II moved closer to a repeat track championship in the IMCA Modified division, scoring a popular victory before a partial crowd after the 25-lap race. Past champion Austin Burke of Salinas drove third to first on the opening salvo with Pettit going fourth to second as well.
The first caution of the evening flew when Jacob Mallet, Jr. of Oakley got sideways in turn three and was hit hard by Raymond Keldsen, Jr. of Aromas on lap four.
Pettit stormed around Burke on the outside on the restart to lead lap five. Salinas’ Bobby Hogge drove into second as well. Hogge showed his nose in lapped traffic and drove up to Pettit’s bumper on a few occasions, but Pettit held court. Pettit took a one car length win ahead of Hogge, Andy Obertello of Hollister, Cody Burke of Salinas, and Mallet. Austin Burke faded to sixth.
Matthew Hagio of Prunedale earned his second win of the IMCA Sport Modified season when he grabbed Friday’s 20-lap event. Outside polesitter Brian Baggett of Prunedale took the first lap lead. Fourth starting Rob Gallaher quickly used the inside to take the top spot on lap four. Hagio moved into second position a lap later.
David Crocker of Gilroy spun in turn three for a caution on lap six. On the restart, Gallaher drove outside of Hagio. Hagio used the bottom to snatch the point on lap eight on the backstretch.
Hagio drove to a 1.2 second lead but it evaporated when Steven Allee of Santa Cruz spun in turn one with eight to go. Hagio led the final eight circuits for victory followed by Gallaher, points leader Emali VanHoff of Chowchilla, KC Keller of Tracy, and Allee.
Baypoint’s Danny Wagner dominated all 20-laps of the South Bay Dwarf Car feature after starting fourth. Ellie Russo of Baypoint went up in smoke while contending for a top-five finish on lap 10, colliding with Denny Hannel of Shingle Springs as well.
Wagner led the final half of the feature over his 12-year-old teammate Marek Pipe of Greeley, Colorado. Mark Biscardi of San Jose finished third with 2023 Four Banger track champion Jason Lazzerini of Moss Landing and Sean Catucci of Brentwood rounding out the top-five.
The 15-lap Four Banger race was a teenage dream with three of the youngest drivers in the division duking it out. Rookie Joshua Silva of Watsonville led the first nine laps of the main event. Four-time 2024 winner Thomas Cumming of San Jose, age 17, tracked down Silva and took over the lead on the backstretch on lap 10.
Silva then battled with 16-year-old Amaya Flower of Watsonville for the second spot. Cumming, Silva, and Flower finished in lockstep as the podium finishers with Peter Vannerus of Felton and Kate Beardsley of Felton finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
Ocean Speedway hosts Championship Night on August 23 IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Sport Mods, Hobby Stocks, Four Bangers, and Police-in-Pursuit competing. For more information, visit www.OceanSpeedway.com
Ocean Speedway Fourth Annual Terry Traub Tribute August 16, 2024 – Race Results
Hobby Stocks A Feature 1 (33 Laps): 1. 5-Matt Kile[2]; 2. X-Rob Gallaher[8]; 3. 1-Joe Gallaher[5]; 4. 57W-Sam Kennedy[3]; 5. 22-Adriane Frost[4]; 6. 7T-Trent Golden[7]; 7. 31W-Steve Remde[1]; 8. 17T-Taylor DeCarlo[6]; 9. 69-Norm Ayers[9]; 10. 7X-Nic Tiexeira[11]; 11. 14-Dalton Morris[10]; 12. (DNS) 32Y-Jake Silva
IMCA Modifieds A Feature 1 (25 Laps): A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 6-Jim Pettit II[4]; 2. 2-Bobby Hogge[7]; 3. 29-Andy Obertello[8]; 4. 20-Cody Burke[5]; 5. 127-Jacob Mallet Jr[6]; 6. 25-Austin Burke[3]; 7. 55H-Mickey Hill[2]; 8. 01-Raymond Keldsen Jr[10]; 9. 3-Todd Hermosillo[1]; 10. 46-Kyle Bryan[9]
IMCA Sport Mods A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 14H-Matthew Hagio[3]; 2. X-Rob Gallaher[4]; 3. 4M-Emali VanHoff[6]; 4. 38-KC Keller[8]; 5. 39-Steven Allee[5]; 6. 54R-Brian Baggett[2]; 7. 33G-Gavin Espino[9]; 8. 34-Cody Bryan[10]; 9. 15-David Crocker[1]; 10. 3G-Chuck Golden[7]; 11. 22W-Charlie Hunter[11]
Four Bangers A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 8-Thomas Cumming[4]; 2. 28J-Joshua Silva[3]; 3. 10-Amaya Flower[8]; 4. 37-Peter Vannerus[2]; 5. 43-Kate Beardsley[5]; 6. 2-Nicole Beardsley[6]; 7. 5-Bill Beardsley[1]; 8. 22-Roy Iler[7]
South Bay Dwarf Cars A Feature (20 Laps): 1. 11D-Danny Wagner[4]; 2. 21MP-Marek Pipe[3]; 3. 66B-Mark Biscardi[7]; 4. 0-Jason Lazzerini[6]; 5. 43DD-Sean Catucci[10]; 6. 410-Chris Durden[8]; 7. 80D-Dan Zuger[9]; 8. 96-Pete Piantanida[1]; 9. 31B-Ellie Russo[2]; 10. 94N-Denny Hannel[5]; 11. 41-Brandon Aylesworth[11]; 12. 69-Eddy Claessen[12]
Article Credit: Steven Blakesley
Submitted By: Steven Blakesley