By Dick Jordan
Three-time USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Champion Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. leads the series to this Friday’s “Casey’s General Stores USAC Challenge” at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
Kaeding is seeking to become USAC’s first four-time Silver Crown Champ. Jimmy Sills also owns three series titles.
Kaeding has a second and a third in the two previous Silver Crown races this season. That gives him a slim three-point lead over Kody Swanson, who has a second and a fifth in two starts.
Bobby Santos won the series opener at Indianapolis Raceway Park and Jerry Coons Jr. won the Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Santos finished second in last year’s Iowa race to winner Bobby East.
Friday’s 100-lap race is round three of the 2012 series and defending two-time series champion Levi Jones ranks third in the standings, 18 points behind Kaeding. Jones was eighth at IRP and third in the Hoosier Hundred.
2012 USAC TRAXXAS SILVER CROWN STANDINGS
1-Bud Kaeding-111; 2-Kody Swanson-108; 3-Levi Jones-93; 4-Tanner Swanson-90; 5-Tracy Hines-90; 6-Jerry Coons Jr.-88; 7-Bobby East-82; 8-Bobby Santos-63, 9.Daum-63; 10.Gamester-52