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Photo by Tear-Off Heaven Photos
Bud Kaeding wins 1st main event of season during wild GSC feature in Petaluma
By Gary Thomas
Petaluma, CA – April 19, 2008…Campbell’s Bud Kaeding had been gaining momentum in recent weeks after coming off back to back top five’s with the Golden State Challenge Series and on Saturday night in Petaluma it all came together as he picked up his first win of the year. It was a wild main event and certainly reminded everyone that the race isn’t over until the checkered flag falls.
“Man this is awesome I have to thank the track crew because this was one great track and that was a heckuva race,” the excited Kaeding said following the main event. “I want to thank all my guys who work their tails off as well as all you fans for coming out and braving the elements and supporting us.”
Extremely gusty winds left competitors with worries about track conditions, but those were put aside as the surface remained hooked up all night and provided some of the best racing action seen in a long time. After heat race competition BK Motorsports crewman Joey Batts pulled the number one pill for the dash putting Kaeding on the pole of the six lap contest, which he went out and won aboard the K & N Filters, Kaeding Performance Maxim.
Starting on the pole of the 30 lap Golden State Challenge Series main event Kaeding shot into the lead at the waving of the green flag. He was able to lead the first lap of the feature until Tyler Walker got by for the lead down low in the third turn of the 3/8 mile clay oval. A lap later he then fell back to third where he would run until a caution period on the tenth circuit. Kaeding then tried to fight back the leaders, but lost an exciting duel for the third spot to Jonathan Allard around lap 15.
This is when things got interesting as the top runners were battling it out through really heavy lap traffic. Walker and Allard were nose to tail on lap 18 and after making contact with a lap car, both were taken out on the backstretch. This moved Becker to the lead and Kaeding to the runner-up spot, but a couple moments later Becker exited to the pits with what were thought to be engine problems.
Finding himself in the lead Kaeding jumped on the gas with 12 laps remaining and had to deal with a hard charging Jason Statler who closed up on his bumper a couple times during the final laps of the feature. The 28 year-old never faltered however, and drove off to pick up his first GSC win of the season in the Alviso Rock, Angellos ATV Rental No. 29. It marked Kaeding’s fourth career win with the Golden State Challenge Series and first since July of 2006.
Kaeding and the BK Motorsports team will look to make it back to back wins this coming weekend at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway during another night of Golden State Challenge Series action. The two-time and defending USAC Silver Crown champ will go into the event on Saturday sitting fifth in the GSC standings.
For more news and info on Campbell’s Bud Kaeding log onto http://www.budkaedingracing.com
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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