From Dick Jordan
Cole Whitt of Alpine, Calif. and Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. shared the spotlight Thursday night at the 34th “Copper World Classic” USAC K & N Silver Crown Series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. Whitt won the 100-mile race and Kaeding concluded his drive to a record-tying third series championship.
Whitt led the final 83 laps to win the race in the Johnny Vance Racing Team Aristocrat Products Beast/Gaerte. Kody Swanson, who made a determined late-race bid for victory, took second, ahead of Tracy Hines, A.J. Fike and Levi Jones.
Pole starter Jason Leffler was ninth and Kaeding, who had already clinched the series title entering the race, was eighth. Jones led the opening lap and Leffler led the next 16 before yielding to Whitt. The win was Whitt’s first under the USAC sanction on pavement. He previously won the “Tony Bettenhausen 100” at Springfield, Ill. in August.
Kaeding’s title ties the mark set by Jimmy Sills in winning the 1990, 1994 and 1996 championships.
FINAL USAC K & N SILVER CROWN SERIES POINT STANDINGS
1-Bud Kaeding-402, 2-A.J. Fike-343, 3-Tracy Hines-338, 4-Levi Jones-331, 5-Kody Swanson-307, 6-Josh Wise-297, 7-Brian Tyler-279, 8-Shane Hmiel-273, 9-Jerry Coons Jr.-256, 10-Zach Daum-221.