From Dick Jordan
This Saturday’s “Cotton Classic” concludes the 2012 USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series as Bud Kaeding puts the finishing touches on the championship at Kings Speedway in Hanford, Calif.
Kaeding, of Campbell, Calif., will land his fifth overall USAC title, holding a 125-point margin over Ryan Bernal entering the finale. Markus Niemela, however, trails Bernal by only six points in the latest tally.
Kaeding has a pair of feature wins already this year at Kings, while Bernal has a win and a second. Niemela has a third and fourth.
Kaeding’s previous USAC championships came in the 1989 Western Sprint Car Series and the 2006, 2007 and 2009 TRAXXAS Silver Crown Series.
2012 USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS
1-Bud Kaeding-615, 2-Ryan Bernal-490, 3-Markus Niemela-484, 4-Danny Faria Jr.-464, 5-Danny Sheridan-398, 6-Matt Mitchell-391, 7-Richard Vander Weerd-391, 8-Ricky Kirkbride-362, 9-Rusty Carlile-351, 10-Justyne Hamblin-319.