ANTHONY BRUNO WINS FIRST OCEAN WMR EVENT DURING JOHNNY KEY KICK OFF
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (August 10, 2024) – San Jose’s Anthony Bruno won his second career Western Midget Racing feature and his first at his home Ocean Speedway in a thriller against Santa Cruz Logan Mitchell on Friday night in Watsonville. The event paid $500 to win, kicking off the 64th Johnny Key Classic and the second weekend of the WMR Triple Crown Series. Photo by Top Dawg Photos
“Honestly it means the world to me,” Bruno said. “I grew up coming here with my grandparents and my mom and dad would take me all the time when I was young. I always wanted to win here.”
Bruno’s Boscacci Racing teammates Adrianna DeMartini of Brentwood and 2023 champion Bryant Bell of Oakley won the eight-lap heat races.
Bruno lined up alongside Adam Weisberg of Santa Clarita for the 20-lap feature. Weisberg had a slow start which also bottled up Delano’s Terry Nichols and dropped them out of the top-five. Bruno and Mitchell broke free from the pack immediately, then ran in lockstep throughout the contest.
Current points leader Bell ran in third for the first four laps before flipping wildly in turn three to end his evening.
Mitchell hounded the back bumper of Bruno as they built up a comfortable advantage over DeMartini in third. Mitchell made his move on the outside coming to the checkered flag but fell short by a nose.
Bruno earned the win over Mitchell, DeMartini, Nichols, and Todd Hawse of Moorpark. Bruno then spun a two-car inversion for Saturday’s fast heat which will set the starting line-up for the first three rows of the Saturday feature. The balance of the field will battle for positions seventh on back in the second heat race. Saturday’s feature pays $1200 to win and $150 to start.
The 2024 Western Midget Racing Triple Crown is brought to you by Sunland Wood Products, Mead Performance, Extreme Mufflers, Pasillas Tire, West Evans Motorsports, Lance Pierovich, and Hoosier Tire West.
For more information visit www.WesternMidgetRacing.com
RESULTS: Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic August 9, 2024
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 9-Anthony Bruno[1]; 2. 96X-Logan Mitchell[3]; 3. ONE9-Adrianna DeMartini[6]; 4. 2ND-Terry Nichols[4]; 5. 18-Todd Hawse[10]; 6. 25JR-Nathan Moore[12]; 7. 68-Marvin Mitchell[9]; 8. 09-Bryant Bell[5]; 9. 57-Kinser Claridge[8]; 10. 31-Adam Weisberg[2]; 11. 11-Teddy Bivert[7]; 12. 1T-Koen Shaw[13]; 13. (DNS) 35K-Drake Edwards
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. ONE9-Adrianna DeMartini[3]; 2. 2ND-Terry Nichols[6]; 3. 31-Adam Weisberg[1]; 4. 11-Teddy Bivert[7]; 5. 68-Marvin Mitchell[5]; 6. 35K-Drake Edwards[2]; 7. 1T-Koen Shaw[4]
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 09-Bryant Bell[3]; 2. 96X-Logan Mitchell[5]; 3. 9-Anthony Bruno[4]; 4. 57-Kinser Claridge[6]; 5. 18-Todd Hawse[2]; 6. 25JR-Nathan Moore[1]
2024 WMR Schedule – Subject to Change
March 16 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Anthony Bruno
March 29 Ocean Speedway – RAIN OUT
March 30 Marysville Raceway – RAIN OUT
April 20 Bakersfield Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 4 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
May 17 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
May 18 Petaluma Speedway w/ BCRA Tom Manning Memorial – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
June 7 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 8 Petaluma Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
June 22 Ventura Raceway – WINNER: Logan Mitchell
July 12 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic** – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 13 Ocean Speedway Howard Kaeding Classic** – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 26 Ocean Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
July 27 Antioch Speedway – WINNER: Bryant Bell
August 9 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic** – WINNER: Anthony Bruno
August 10 Ocean Speedway Johnny Key Classic**
September 21 Bakersfield Speedway
October 25 Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway October Classic**
October 26 Ventura Raceway**
** indicates Triple Crown event