From Gary Thomas
Hanford, CA – June 28, 2010…After having issues cut a strong run short on Friday at Ocean Speedway Campbell, California’s Bud Kaeding rebounded on Saturday night in Hanford and raced to a fourth place finish in the main event with the Golden State Challenge Series during his first winged sprint car start of the year at the Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway.
The previous weekend had seen Kaeding compete at the Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup and bring home a sixth place finish in Saturday’s 40-lap finale driving for Rudeen Racing, while also utilizing a special Travis Rutz paint scheme, paying honor to the injured driver from Canada.
“It was cool to be able to do something for Travis like that at the Dirt Cup and all the fans seemed to love the car,” Kaeding said. “We also want to thank everyone that came to our Travis Rutz benefit at Ten-Down bowling in Roseburg, Oregon on Sunday June 13. It was really well attended and we were able to make a lot of money to help the Rutz family so it was cool to see so much support from everyone.”
Kaeding opened this past week at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway on Friday for the seventh round of the Ocean Sprint Car Series presented by Taco Bravo season, where he qualified fourth fastest out of 28-cars and finished fifth in his heat race, before transferring out of the b-main and lining up in the fourth row for the 30-lap feature.
The 30-year-old driver was on the move at the waving of the green flag as he put the Sala/Matherly, M&M Powder Coaters sprinter on the top of the track and had moved to fourth, just prior to having issues leave him stopped in turn two on lap 17. He was able to restart, but while trying to move his way back through the field was then involved in another incident shortly before the finish of the race.
Looking to regroup on Saturday night Kaeding headed to the Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford for Round 18 of the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series season. It marked his second outing of the year at the 3/8 mile clay oval, but the first time he was actually to compete, as engine problems knocked him out of action after hot laps on June 5 while running with the USAC West Coast 360 Series.
Kaeding began the night by going out very late in the qualifying order, but even despite a drying track was able to cut a great lap to place the Alviso Rock, K&N Filters, MPD Racing Products No. 29 sprinter seventh fastest overall. Starting third in a stacked opening heat race he then battled it out with a handful of drivers among the top-five in the 10-lap contest and at the finish crossed the stripe just behind brother Tim Kaeding in fourth. With a drastically drying track Kaeding started fourth in the dash and once again diced it up for position on the racy surface, before bringing home a sixth place result at the checkered.
Going from the outside of row three in the 30-lap Golden State Challenge main event Kaeding spent the early stages trying to find the right spot to put his machine as the Giant Chevy Kings Speedway had become very slick by feature time. When a caution then appeared on lap-six the Kaeding Performance, High Five Pizza, Factory Kahne No. 29 mount sat just outside the top-five in the sixth position. As the race played on Kaeding was locked in some intense battles with multiple drivers while racing through traffic when it came into play.
With a very fine line due to the challenging conditions Kaeding carved his way up to the fourth spot as the laps wound down, but would lose a position back to young Zach Zimmerly shortly after a caution period on lap 26. One final stoppage was then seen with 29-laps complete and during it second running Kyle Larson dropped out with motor problems and it moved Kaeding up to fourth, where he would eventually finish at the conclusion.
Kaeding and the BK Motorsports team will now head for two-nights of racing at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico over the 4th of July weekend, with Saturday featuring a weekly 410 point race at the track and Sunday being a Golden State Challenge Series sanctioned event. So far this year the veteran driver has made two starts in Chico, with those outings highlighted by a charge from 13th to third in the main event at the prestigious Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.
When the Golden State Challenge Series invaded Silver Dollar Speedway last year for the 4th of July it was Kaeding who ended up standing in victory lane after leading all 30-laps in the main event to score his first win at the track in over 10-years. “That win meant a lot last year on the 4th of July and it would be great if we could back that up this season,” said Kaeding. “We had a great run in Chico at the Bradway and then had a dnf there a couple weeks ago so we’re looking forward to going back this weekend to try and get this car up front.”
For more information and a selection of merchandise for current USAC Silver Crown Series point leader Bud Kaeding log onto http://www.budkaedingracing.com