By Andrew Kunas
(8/2/25 ) Watsonville, CA … Bud Kaeding ended a long drought in a big way, capturing Saturday’s Johnny Key Classic at Ocean Speedway and scoring his first NARC King of the West sprint car victory since 2019.
Kaeding led the entire race but had to deal with slower traffic throughout the 30-lap event and held on to win aboard the Alviso Rock-sponsored BK Motorsports No. 29 Shaver-powered Maxim. It was Kaeding’s second Johnny Key Classic win, the first coming back in 1996 at the old San Jose Speedway.
Tanner Carrick, who started alongside Kaeding on the front row, took the lead on the initial start, but it was called back after a red flag for a crash on the back stretch. On the complete restart, Kaeding took advantage of the second chance and jetted out to the lead. Carrick, hunting for his first NARC victory, ran in second place throughout, and on a couple of instances got within striking distance of Kaeding as the former NARC champion struggled with a couple of slower cars late in the race. Kaeding held on and managed to make key passes around those cars in the closing laps to secure the win.
Kaeding celebrated by doing donuts on the track in Turns 1 and 2, stalling his car out. Bud’s father Brent Kaeding rode over to greet him on his bike and loaned it to Bud for him to ride out to the front stretch. He then went through the flag gate to go into the grandstands to greet the fans before finally going to the winner’s circle for his interview.
Bud joined dad Brent (two wins) and late grandfather Howard Kaeding (four wins), as multi-time winners of the Johnny Key Classic. Bud’s brother Tim Kaeding is also a former winner. Bud talked about his family’s history competing at the Johnny Key Classic and the fact it was so long in between Johnny Key wins for him.
“I was 16, my first year. I thought it was the coolest thing ever (winning the Key). I got my crew chief from then. He’s been helping me the last two years,” Kaeding said. “My dad and my grandfather had won that race (before), and now my dad, my grandfather and my brother (Tim) have won. I can’t believe it took me thirty years to do it again.”
Kaeding’s victory was his first NARC King of the West win since August 2019 at the Stockton Dirt Track.
After being run as a 360 sprint car event at Ocean Speedway the last several years, the event switched to a 410 event under NARC sanctioning for 2025.
Carrick duplicated his best NARC finish of his career, taking second aboard the California Waterfowl-sponsored Carrick Racing No. 83t Rider-powered Maxim. After starting eighth, Sean Becker worked his way into the Top 5 and was in constant battles for position throughout the race and eventually took over third place. Though he closed in on Kaeding and Carrick in the closing laps, Becker settled for a podium aboard the D&J Construction Equipment Rental-sponsored Bjork Construction No. 7b Shaver-powered Maxim.
Tyler Thompson had one of his best finishes of the season, finishing fourth in the HAM Construction-sponsored Main Motorsports No. 35km Kistler-powered Maxim. Gauge Garcia, who won last year’s Johnny Key Classic as a 360 event, picked up a fifth place finish aboard the Monarch Ford-sponsored Keller Motorsports No. 2k Speedway-powered Triple X.
Shane Golobic, NARC points leader D.J. Netto, Max Mittry, Kaleb Montgomery and Jake Andreotti rounded out the Top 10. Mittry earned the Williams Roofing Hard Charger Award, coming from 14th to finish eighth.
Outside of qualifying, Bud Kaeding won each time he was on the track on Saturday. He won the Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash to secure the pole position for the feature and earlier won the evening’s first heat race. Other heats were won by Thompson and Andreotti. Netto set fast time in Automotive Racing Products Qualifying with a time of 10.693 seconds around the ¼-mile clay oval.
Racing was halted earlier in the evening when Nick Parker was involved in a crash during the warm up lap for the second heat race. Alert and talking with safety workers, Parker was transported to a local medical facility for observation.
Hoosier Racing Tires Feature (30 laps): 1. 29-Bud Kaeding[1]; 2. 83T-Tanner Carrick[2]; 3. 7B-Sean Becker[8]; 4. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[5]; 5. 2K-Gauge Garcia[3]; 6. 17W-Shane Golobic[10]; 7. 88N-DJ Netto[6]; 8. 2X-Max Mittry[14]; 9. 3-Kaleb Montgomery[12]; 10. 7P-Jake Andreotti[4]; 11. 88A-Joey Ancona[9]; 12. 61-Travis Labat[17]; 13. 12J-John Clark[15]; 14. 72W-Kurt Nelson[16]; 15. 10-Dominic Gorden[7]; 16. 12-Jarrett Soares[11]; 17. 121-Caeden Steele[13]; 18. (DNS) 15-Nick Parker
METTEC Titanium Lap Leaders: Bud Kaeding 1-30
Williams Roofing Hard Charger: 2x Max Mittry, 14th to 8th (+6)
Automotive Racing Products Fast Qualifier (18 cars): 88n D.J. Netto, 10.693 seconds.
Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Heat 1 (8 laps): 1. 29 Bud Kaeding, 2. 10 Dominic Gorden, 3. 88n D.J. Netto, 4. 17w Shane Golobic, 5. 121 Caeden Steele, 6. 72w Kurt Nelson.
Kimo’s Tropical Carwash Heat 2 (8 laps): 1. 35km Tyler Thompson, 2. 88a Joey Ancona, 3. 2k Gauge Garcia, 4. 3 Kaleb Montgomery, 5. 2x Max Mittry, DNS – 15 Nick Parker.
WEDG High Performance Karts Heat 3 (8 laps): 1. 7p Jake Andreotti, 2. 7b Sean Becker, 3. 83t Tanner Carrick, 4. 12 Jarrett Soares, 5. 12j John Clark, 6. 61 Travis Labat.
Beacon Wealth Strategies – Raymond James Trophy Dash (6 laps): 1. 29 Bud Kaeding, 2. 83t Tanner Carrick, 3. 2k Gauge Garcia, 4. 7p Jake Andreotti, 5. 35km Tyler Thompson, 6. 88n D.J. Netto.