By Dick Jordan
The USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car series returns to Giant Chevrolet Speedway in Hanford, Calif. March 31 to complete a program rained out last Friday night after the heat races had been conducted. The semi and 30-lap feature event remain to be contested at the 3/8-mile dirt oval.
Bud Kaeding is the early leader in the 2011 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series standings after winning Saturday night’s 30-lap feature at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. Kaeding led all 30 laps in his Buster & Ziggy Enterprises/Kaeding Performance Maxim/Reitz to beat Ryan Bernal, Greg Alexander, Andy Forsberg and Davey Pombo.
Defending USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion Craig Stidham finished seventh at Tulare and ranks seventh in the new series points.
Indiana Sprint Week Champion Jon Stanbrough won one of Friday’s four Hanford heat races. Other heats winners included Kaeding, Richard VanderWeerd and Greg Alexander.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Bud Kaeding-76; 2-Greg Alexander-69; 3-Ryan Bernal-63; 4-Davey Pombo-62; 5-Wes Gutierrez-58; 6-Andy Forsberg-57; 7-Craig Stidham-55; 8-Richard VanderWeerd-49; 9-Jace VanderWeerd-43; 10-Garrett Ishii-39.