This message was edited on
May 19, 2008 at
12:08:55 PM by Gary Thomas
Photo by Graph X Designs
Bud Kaeding wins at Ocean Speedway before finishing 6th at Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial
By Gary Thomas
Chico, CA – May 19, 2008…With the Northern California weather heating up so did Campbell’s Bud Kaeding as the 28 year-old scored his first 360 win of the season on Friday night while driving for Werbach Motorsports and backed it up with a sixth place finish at the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.
The event at Ocean Speedway marked the fourth Wright One Construction 360 race of the season and Kaeding began the night by qualifying fifth fastest aboard the Los Gatos Construction Company No. 20. A third place finish in his heat race transferred the veteran into the main event where lined up in the second row.
With warm day time temps the track surface had slicked off for the main event and allowed drivers to search for different lines on the quarter-mile bullring. By racing in the Midwest for a number of years it has given Kaeding a good deal of throttle control and he went to the front quickly. The two-time & defending Silver Crown champ led the 23 car main event for much of the distance and was able to hold off Tommy Tarlton to pick up his second career win in the Wright One Series.
Following the victory in Watsonville Kaeding headed for Chico to compete in the 18th annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial at the Silver Dollar Speedway. Going into the evening he sat fifth in the current Golden State Challenge Series point standings and looked to make up ground at the big event held in honor of Dave Bradway Jr. who lost his life during a sprint car accident in 1987.
A large field of 43 cars showed up for the Bradway and triple digit temps dried the track out much faster than usual. Kaeding got a good pill draw however, and his fastest lap of 12.201 was good enough to put the BK Motorsports, K & N Filters Maxim eighth quickest overall. He then lined up in the third row during the final heat race, but hit a slick spot on the opening lap and looped the car in turn one.
Kaeding was pushed back off and rejoined the rear of the 10 car, 10 lap heat race. With the track already getting slick he tried his best to charge back forward and made some great moves to get back up to finish fifth, but it still put him in the 12 lap B-main. After going to work on the car Kaeding then drove from fourth to second in the semi to transfer the Alviso Rock, Kaeding Performance No. 29 into the 40 lap main event.
Starting 11th in the feature Kaeding diced it up as the track had developed a large curb up high and made for some great racing throughout the pack. The Campbell driver made a nice little charge in the main event and after 40 laps of hard fought action he sat in the sixth position at the checkered flag. “It was a good run, but not making it out of the heat really put us behind the eight ball and stuck us a little too far back in the feature,” Kaeding said following the race.
With the finish Kaeding moved up to fourth in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings with 10 events remaining till the King of California is crowned. The traveling circuit will take this weekend off with Calistoga not running the traditional Memorial Day weekend double-header, but will resume racing on May 30 with an event at the Ocean Speedway.
Kaeding won’t be taking the weekend off however, as he is set to be in action this Sunday night during the USAC/CRA sanctioned "Salute to Indy" at the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway. For the evening of wingless racing he is scheduled to be behind the wheel of the HR Cattle, Roth Motorsports No. 83jr. and looks forward to the event. “Dennis has been a supporter of mine since the early days and I've had the opportunity to run a couple of races for him in my sprint car career,” Kaeding said. “I’m definitely looking forward to taking the wing off this weekend and running in Tulare.”
He will also be eligible for a $500 bonus up for grabs to the highest finishing winged sprint car driver at the event. Thanks in part to a few Central Valley companies there is a total of $1,500 up for grabs to the five highest finishing winged drivers at the "Salute to Indy." For more news and info on Campbell’s Bud Kaeding please visit http://www.budkaedingracing.com
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Photo by L & J Photography
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