Ocean Speedway Watsonville

Been coming here for years. Great people, great racing, cold beer and bbq. What more could you ask for? A lot of memories and great Friday nights here. Thanks guys

Always have a fun time at Ocean Speedway. Enjoy a beer and races with friends and family. Go get a chance to meet the drivers after in the pits.

Such a great venue! I hope they keep this place going. My husband and I keep coming back to this place to watch the races, it’s definitely a great way to spend your Friday night. Great for first dates, family outings, etc. Make sure you bring ear plugs, safety glasses, and something soft to sit on for the benches. See you at the races!

Ocean Speedway is no place for whimps (can get mighty chilly on a long night of racing). Bring a nice warm jacket. The races are a blast at Ocean… sometimes show tends to get a little long but are always exciting. Love the way they move from race to race with little delay. Food there is great. lot’s of good choices. Love going there whenever I can make it.

Here are my criteria for how I rate a dirt rack track:
How is the seating/​bleachers?
Wooden bleachers with back support. Somewhat comfortable; however, Merced Speedway has same back support, but more leg room.
How is the food?
For a track, you will be surprised here. They have BBQ pit going with burgers, tri-​tip sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, dogs, and even chicken on a stick — my personal favorite. Of course they also have the typical junk food, but I appreciate that they went the extra mile to offer the fans something yummy. If you’re in the pits, heads up — same selection is not available.
Is outside food/​beverage alllowed?
Surprisingly yes. I still appreciate though that they let outside food in. Yes, the snack bar is good, but as a mom of little ones, I like the choice to bring in healthy little snacks for them without feeling guilty.
How are the ticket prices?
Fair. Sometimes they are a bit high depending on the cars racing though. Check the schedule for pricing in advance!
What is the pit access like after the races?
This is one of my least favorite things. The parking lot for fans is pretty far away from the track and even farther from the pits. So you can walk to the pits after the races (gate by track near restrooms will open) OR you can go get your car after the races and drive it in. If you walk, you will just have that much farther to walk back to your car once you are done visiting your favorite driver (s).
How is the weather?
COLD. No matter how warm the day is you can count on a cold evening unless is a RARE heat wave. I would highly suggest always dressing in warm clothes for this track and/​or bringing blankets not only to sit on but to for bundling up.
How are the announcers?
Good, they sound professional and seem to know what they are talking about. As with any racing event, I always appreciate when and if they will explain things assuming there will be first time fans in the stands.
How is the flow of racing?
Decent, once they get going.
How is the parking lot?
Lot is FAR away and there is no place for handicapped parking clearly marked. Or if they have it, it’s always gone. I have a relative with a permanent sticker and also my mom has a handicapped card as well and the parking is always an ordeal. If you need close parking plan to get here EARLY for something decent. Also, much of the lot is DIRT if you get there late. Lines are not clearly marked either so the dirt lot ends up being a free-​for-​all with folks making up their own spaces and sometimes folks have gotten blocked in. I also had a bad experience in this lot back in 2006 — someone hit my car (only a week old!) and also scratched it up pretty good. I had to make an insurance claim. Park at your own risk as you would at any track or sporting event. Try to steer clear of parking on edges where you might get hit by reckless drivers after the races.
How are the bathrooms?
Fair. There a lot of stalls which is nice. Never a line. However, the restrooms are far from the grandstands and if you are towing little ones it’s a long walk with a toddler who is «holding it.» Plan wisely with little ones.
Bottom Line: If I could take a start off for being COLD, I would. But they can’t control the weather so I won’t. It’s my main reason for disliking this track. I hate being out in the cold and I would rather be soaking up the warmth of the central valley tracks even though the food and program here is much better.
Misc Thoughts:
They seem to have gotten really strict on «in/​out privileges.» I have no clue why. There must be a reason but be careful of this — don’t leave anything in your car you might need later.
The promoter does a good job having kid-​friendly events so check the schedule for free-​kids night etc with extra activities going on.
Be mindful, the lower seats can get really muddy especially with certain cars. Arrive early for higher seats.
Another note is that for some reason at the track, the fuel burning in the cars really burns my eyes badly unlike any other track. I don’t know why this is. Maybe it’s the air or fog trapping in the fumes? I have no clue, I just know that my eyes burn really bad here and I don’t have this problem at other tracks. So if your eyes tend to get sensitive, consider bringing protective eye gear.
My purpose for writing dirt track reviews is to offer info for drivers/​families who may not have visited the track before and have no idea what to expect!