|
Photo's by http://fletchermotorsports.smugmug.com/
Bud Kaeding scores first career Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup podium to cap "NW Swing"
By Gary Thomas
Alger, Washington – June 22, 2009…Keeping up his recent string of consistency Campbell, CA's Bud Kaeding put together his career best performance at the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup on Saturday night at the Skagit Speedway and brought home a third place finish to cap the $25,000 to win event.
"It's really nice to come out of the Dirt Cup with a top three finish and I just have to thank all my guys," Kaeding said. "I think this is definitely the best I've ever done at Skagit and to get a podium with this kind of field on hand is pretty cool. The track got real dusty during the feature and it made visibility hard, but thankfully we were able to hang on and get this car up here on the front stretch to end the week.
Kaeding began the "Northwest 410 Swing" on Monday night June 15 with a Golden State Challenge Sprint Car Series sanctioned event at the Cottage Grove Speedway in Oregon. Going into the night he had tallied four straight top-five finishes with the tour and he continued the pace at the Grove by winning a heat race and then charging from 12th to fourth in the 30 lap main event.
With momentum on his side the 29 year-old driver then headed into the 38th annual Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup at the Skagit Speedway in Washington, which kicked off on Thursday June 18. A 41 car field was on hand for opening night and it saw Kaeding qualify 17th fastest, but lose a right rear tire while running in a transfer spot during the heat race, which forced him into the b-main. He would proceed to earn the final transfer out of the semi main and then do a nice job in the feature to move from 22nd to 14th by the finish.
After the opening round of action it saw Kaeding sitting 15th in the Dirt Cup standings, but he would move his way forward with a strong Friday night as he kicked off the second prelim by cutting a great lap in qualifying to place the Alviso Rock, K&N Filters, Swift Metal Finishing, High Five Pizza No. 29 second fastest overall. He then charged to victory in the evening's second heat race and brought home a ninth place finish in the 30 lap main event after starting from the eighth row.
Going into Saturday night's Dirt Cup finale Kaeding sat seventh in the overall event standings and it put the BK Motorsports, Kaeding Performance Maxim in the fourth row for the 40 lap feature. When the green flag waved the Campbell veteran hung tough in the talent packed 24 car field and battled among the top 10 for the duration of the main event. As the laps wound down he found himself in sixth, but was charging hard after Tommy Tarlton for a top five position.
With Tarlton running the bottom Kaeding got his elbows up and put his machine on the outer regions of the Skagit Speedway clay giving chase after the Fresno driver. With less than 10 laps remaining the current USAC Silver Crown Series point leader would get the momentum he needed and rocketed around the outside of Tarlton to claim fifth. When the top two drivers then had problems and dropped out of the race on lap 35 it bumped the MPD Racing Products, Sala Racing, Smith Motorsports No. 29 up to the third position.
The final five laps saw Kaeding run solid, mistake-free circuits to cross under the checkered flag in third and earn his best ever Dirt Cup finish. His brother Tim Kaeding ended the main event just ahead of him in second, while father Brent finished fourth and earned the hard charger award to make it a strong Kaeding presence in the top five.
Next up for Bud Kaeding and BK Motorsports will be this weekend's USAC K&N Silver Crown Series sanctioned James River Grounds 100 at the Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. The two-time series champ will bring a 24 point lead in the standings over Tracy Hines and he'll look to extend the mark at what will be the third event of the Silver Crown season.
For more info on Campbell, CA's Bud Kaeding log onto http://www.budkaedingracing.com
-----------------------
Campbell, CA's Bud Kaeding raced to his first career Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup podium finish on Saturday night at the Skagit Speedway
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
|
