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Photo by Johns Racing Photos
Bud Kaeding exploring options for 2008
By Gary Thomas
San Jose, California - November 28, 2007...With the high cost of running a race team in today’s motorsports climate, it makes it crucial to have good marketing partners on board. Without quality sponsors it is difficult to maintain a competitive race car and that goes for just about anyone, including two-time USAC Silver Crown Series Champion Bud Kaeding.
The Campbell veteran is searching for sponsors for the upcoming 2008 racing season and if he doesn’t find more than what he had this past season, he will be looking for a ride. Bud would like to continue competing in his BK Racing No. 29, but the lack of funding has made it difficult this year, forcing him to cut back his racing schedule from past seasons. This means that he is interested in driving for somebody else next year on a full time basis in either a winged or non winged sprint car as well as a Silver Crown car. The 27 year-old showed a remarkable amount of versatility this year competing with and without the wing, as well as on both dirt and pavement.
Bud had another solid season of competition this past year as he won the K & N Filters USAC Silver Crown Series title for the second year in a row. He tallied top five finishes at the Manzanita Speedway during the Copper on Dirt in February, Darlington Raceway in May, Illinois State Fairgrounds in August as well as the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds and the Kansas Speedway in September. He showed a great deal of consistency all season in the Silver Crown Series and was able to finish many of the events, which is always a key in winning championships.
He also had a great deal of success running a wingless sprinter this year, although it came in more sporadic intervals during ‘07. In August he competed in the first three night’s of the Sprint Bandits Tour ‘N Topless Midwest Swing and he drove the BK Racing, High Five Pizza No. 29 to finishes of third, sixth and second. In late October he suffered a frightening crash at Las Vegas during a USAC CRA event, but showing resiliency he came back the following weekend to pick up his third career Oval Nationals victory at Perris worth $30,000. The week after the Oval Nationals he set fast time on Friday night during Manzanita Speedway’s Western World Championships and he came back on Saturday to finish in third place out of a field of 60 cars.
In addition to his Silver Crown and non wing duties, Bud competed in a winged sprint car this season on a more regular basis than he had in a number of years. Through the first part of ’07 he sat behind the wheel of a sprint car owned by Rick Wright and picked up a win at the Ocean Speedway on May 11. He also scored podium finishes in the No. 35 machine with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Kings Speedway in March and at Calistoga Speedway’s Salute to Walter T Ross in May. In early June he drove a team car to his father Brent during the GSC double header at Ocean & Placerville Speedway’s. Competing in the Al’s Roofing Supply No. 69k Bud timed in fourth fastest at Ocean Speedway and finished fifth in the 30 lap feature. At the tight/high banked Placerville Speedway the next night he charged from 13th to finish seventh in the main event.
The former NARC Rookie of the Year also had the opportunity to drive a pair of different cars during some of the special winged sprint car shows on the West Coast. At the $25,000 to win Jim Raper Memorial Dirt Cup in June Bud drove the Rudeen Racing, Fire Down Graphics No. 26r during the weekend. After transferring out of the B-main on Saturday night he carved his way through the field to finish 10th after starting 23rd. Later in the Fall Bud drove the Werbach Motorsports, Los Gatos Construction Company No. 20 at two of California’s premier 360 winged sprint car events, the Pacific Sprint Fall Nationals in Chico and the Trophy Cup in Tulare. At the Fall Nationals he qualified and finished in the top five during his prelim night and came back on Saturday to finish fourth in a field that saw 90 cars compete over three days. Bud closed out the season at the 14th annual Trophy Cup and finished the 40 lap main event in the eighth position.
Bud is a proven winner in the sport of open wheel racing and has shown the ability to win and run well at big races. He would be a huge asset to any business or team and always brings excitement on and off the race track. To inquire with Bud about potential sponsorship or ride opportunities please contact him at [email protected]
www.sprintcarchallengetour.com
www.placervillespeedway.com
www.stocktondirttrack.com
www.thunderbowlraceway.com
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