By Steven Blakesley
WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA (May 5, 2012) – Ageless veteran Brent Kaeding drove the Al’s Roofing Supply #69 to victory lane in Friday night’s Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo at Ocean Speedway Watsonville, leading opening night feature winner Bud Kaeding across the line to continue the Kaeding’s dominance over the 2012 Ocean Sprints campaign so far.
“Tonight the track slicked off and I was chasing it around the fence,” Kaeding said. “Golobic snuck underneath me and woke me up. I was happy to see that yellow. …great night for us and I was fortunate to have Al with us here tonight as well.”
Stockton’s Brad Furr led the action from the pole position leading the first seven laps of competition while Brent and Bud both made charges through the field, from fourth and seventh starting positions respectively. Brent Kaeding engaged in a slicing back-and-forth battle with Shane Golobic of Fremont for the second spot while Bud Kaeding took over fourth by lap six.
2011 Ocean Sprints champion Ronnie Day of Salinas retired to the infield one lap later with a blown engine after starting third and winning a heat race earlier in the night. It was a tough break for the #22 Keith Day Trucking team.
Brent Kaeding made the cushion work to narrowly edge past Furr for the lead on lap eight and take off to a comfortable advantage when the first caution flew on lap 11. After officials gathered up the damaged race car of Nick Ringo III of Morgan Hill, racing resumed with Kaeding driving away on the restart.
Golobic snookered Furr for the second position on the restart and brought Bud Kaeding with him. Golobic began to reel in Brent Kaeding and got underneath him in turn one when the caution came out on lap 16. San Jose’s Nick Green, who had run as high as fifth, dropped out after stalling in turn four with a flat tire. Unfortunately, Green was unable to return to the speedway in time for the restart.
On the restart, Brent Kaeding scrambled to the inside to halt Golobic’s momentum and that set up the Bud Kaeding and Shane Golobic duel for second. Bud and Golobic put on one of the best battles in recent Ocean Sprints history for second, with Bud trying numerous times to complete the slidejob out of turn four. Finally on lap 24, Bud completed the deal and worked to catch Brent in lapped traffic.
Bud Kaeding closed within one car length of Brent when the caution came out for a stalled Kurt Nelson on lap 25. Race fans were on the edge of their seats expecting a shootout between Brent, Bud, and Golobic, but Brent Kaeding proved too strong as he drove to a commanding victory.
At the finish it was Brent Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Golobic, Furr, and “Cowboy” Craig Smith of San Martin who incredibly drove from 17th to a fifth place finish.
“It was a good race and I’m happy overall,” Golobic said. “We kinda showed our cards to Brent there when I got him on the bottom in one and two, and on the restart he went down there too.”
Bud Kaeding was happy to see his dad back in victory lane.
” He’s been working hard to win for the last few years so it’s cool to see him smiling in victory lane,” Kaeding said. “Tonight just didn’t fall our way. Who knows if that yellow hadn’t come out what would happened.”
Smith was credited with the DDNi Hard Charger award while the Ray Scheidt’s Electric Fast Time award went to Furr with a time of 12.584 seconds in qualifying around the quarter-mile clay oval. Heat race wins went to Furr, Bud Kaeding, and Day.
The Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo will return to action next Friday night at Ocean Speedway Watsonville.
For more information on the Ocean Sprint Cars presented by Taco Bravo log onto http://www.oceansprints.com and for more on the Ocean Speedway visit http://www.oceanspeedway.com
Ocean Speedway would like to thank Taco Bravo, Digital Delivery Networks, Get Som Sports, Ray Scheidt’s Electric, Hoosier Tires West, and Kaeding Performance for their support of the 2012 Ocean Sprints presented by Taco Bravo.