SCCT ventures to Watsonville Speedway for 66th Key Classic

The cool confines of Watsonville Speedway will be the destination for the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour this Saturday June 20^th.

The 66th running of the “Johnny Key Classic” marks the lone SCCT appearance of the season at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds venue.

This Saturday will be the initial visit to Watsonville Speedway for the Sprint Car Challenge Tour since 2023. It’s also the first SCCT event held at the track since SRE Promotions assumed leadership of the venue earlier this year.

The pit gate for competitors opens at 1pm on Saturday, while the front gate for spectators opens at 3:30. The drivers meeting will be held at 3:45pm, with track packing a little after 4. Please advise of the earlier starting time. Hot laps, Sierra Foothills Wine Services qualifying and heat races will follow.

The Johnny Key Classic originally started out at the paved San Jose Speedway following the passing of driver Johnny Key during a racing crash in 1954. It then moved to the fairgrounds dirt track in 1978 and had been a staple at the speedway until the closing of the dirt oval in 1999.

After several years sitting idle, Watsonville Speedway brought the event back in 2007 and this year will mark the 20th consecutive season that it is held at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds facility.

Johnny Key was born on May 24, 1924, in Wichita Falls, Texas and was one of 5 children. The family finally migrated to Salinas, California in 1926. Johnny attended Salinas High and always had a lure for auto racing. As documented, he ran San Jose for 5 years and captured 4 championships, which included a fifth-place finish during his first campaign.

The 1952 season was one for the record books, as Key claimed over 50 victories, at one point in August winning 8 races in a span of 7 days. Key unfortunately lost his life in a midget crash during a race in Ohio on June 30, 1954, but his memory is kept alive each season at part of the Johnny Key Classic.

Former SCCT champion Justyn Cox brings the Elk Grove Ford Sprint Car Challenge Tour point lead into Watsonville Speedway on Saturday. The Clarksburg racer will be looking to rebound following a DNF last week in Petaluma.

Cox holds a 30-point advantage over his nearest competitor that is expected on Saturday, with that being Marysville’s Dawson Hammes. Dunnigan’s Luke Hayes and Colfax driver Cole Croft round out the top five in points.

Sacramento’s Landon Henry is fresh off his first career Sprint Car win last week and sits atop the Gold Star GMC Sprint Car standings at the track. Cotati's Jake Haulot, Croft, Salinas’ Caleb Debem and Brentwood’s Adrianna DeMartini complete the top five.

𝐓𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:

Tickets can be purchased at the gate or on pre-sale via https://www.myracepass.com/tracks/1870/tickets/1519626?rKey=1569

Watsonville Speedway is located on the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville, California with the physical address being 2601 East Lake Ave, Watsonville, CA 95076. 

For those who can’t make it to the track CaliDirt.TV provides live coverage of every Sprint Car Challenge Tour event. The service also covers every championship point race at Placerville Speedway. Fans can purchase through a cost savings monthly membership or on a per race basis via https://calidirt.tv/

……

𝐔𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐥𝐤 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬

Saturday June 20: Watsonville Speedway (66^th Johnny Key Classic)

(Western Sprint Tour Speedweek)

Friday July 17: Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico (13^th annual Tyler and Chuck Wolf Memorial)

Saturday July 18: Placerville Speedway (Gold Pan Rampage presented by Marshall)

Monday July 20: Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Oregon

Tuesday July 21: Coos Bay Speedway

Wednesday July 22: Cottage Grove Speedway

Friday July 24: Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington (Fred Brownfield 360 Nationals Opener)

Saturday July 25: Skagit Speedway ($26,000-to-win Fred Brownfield 360 Nationals Finale) 

Sunday July 26: Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington (Hall of Fame Tribute-360 Battle Royale Speedweek Finale)

Images courtesy of Top Dawg