By Dick Jordan
Ryan Bernal of Hollister, Calif. has sprinted to a 27-point lead in the 2011 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint standings after finishing second to Bud Kaeding last Saturday night at Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. He’ll be among favorites when the series visits Giant Chevrolet Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif. this Saturday.b
Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. scored his third USAC West Coast 360 Sprint victory of the season at the Gropetti Automotive Tulare Thunderbowl Saturday night, passing series point leader Bernal on lap 17 and leading the final 14 laps of the “Pombo-Sargent Classic.”
Bernal finished second ahead of Richard VanderWeerd, Peter Murphy and Greg Alexander. Kaeding also posted the fastest qualifying time in his Alviso Rock/High Five Pizza Maxim/Shaver. VanderWeerd’s third-place finish at Tulare put him into second in the standings, 27 behind Bernal.
USAC WEST COAST 360 SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Ryan Bernal-286; 2-Richard VanderWeerd-259; 3-Greg Alexander-253; 4-Wes Gutierrez-249; 5-Jace VanderWeerd-249; 6-Bud Kaeding-219; 7-Justyne Hamblin-209; 8-Dennis Howell-195; 9-Peter Murphy-182;10-T.J. Smith-178.