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Photo by Paul Trevino Racing Photos
Tim Kaeding wins 1st GSC main event of season in Tulare
By Gary Thomas
Tulare, CA – April 26, 2008…The Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway and San Jose’s Tim Kaeding have always been a match made in heaven and it continued Saturday night with the former King of California picking up an exciting victory to score his first Golden State Challenge Series win of the season. With the victory Kaeding becomes the eighth different winner in nine GSC races so far in 2008.
The 30 lap Golden State Challenge Series feature at the Thunderbowl Raceway saw current point leader Jonathan Allard of Chico jumping out into the lead. Allard was in search of his first GSC win of the season and would lead for three laps until Kaeding claimed the top spot aboard the Tom Rolfe Racing No. 10. The caution would then wave on lap seven for Visalia’s Blake Robertson who had slowed to a stop on the front stretch.
When the green lights came back on a few more laps would be clicked off before sixth running Ronnie Day bicycled and flipped in the second corner. It was a tough way to end the night for Day who was driving the Roth Motorsports No. 83jr, but it was great to have the veteran driver back in action for the first time in 2008. On the restart Los Angeles driver Tyler Walker began to find the high side of the well prepared 1/3 mile clay oval and put on a show for the fans in the SC Motorsports No. 24.
Walker made the high scary side work and pulled off passes of Craig Stidham, Tommy Tarlton and Brent Kaeding to move into third by the 16th lap. Walker’s shot at making something happen with the leaders came on lap 18 when the caution flag waved for a pair of spun cars in turn four. It allowed him to get right up on the bumper of T. Kaeding and Allard for the restart, and the final laps of the main event featured some of the best racing seen all year.
Walker immediately applied pressure to the rear of Allard and the pair ran nose to tail for a handful of laps before they both pulled off a hair raising move to split a lap car on the front stretch during the 24th lap. Allard was able to hold onto the runner-up spot by keeping his momentum up down low and then both drivers proceeded to close in on Kaeding.
As the five to go signal flew you could have thrown a blanket over the top three and with just a couple laps left Walker gassed his mount to the top-side and got around both drivers to take over the lead of the race. Kaeding fell back to third in the wild exchange, but in typical “TK” style he was able to get back by both Allard and Walker before charging away to cross the stripe in first and record his 35th career Golden State Challenge Series win. "Man that was a fun one and I hope you fans enjoyed that," Kaeding said. "The track was great tonight and it was awesome to be able to race like that with those guys."
Walker motored on to finish second and Allard rounded out the podium aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0. All three drivers were extremely happy in victory lane as they enjoyed running hard and clean with one another on the racy surface. Easton’s Tommy Tarlton did a great job to make a last lap pass of Campbell’s Brent Kaeding to finish fourth, scoring one of his best GSC finishes in recent memory. “BK” completed the top five to score his fifth top five finish of the year. Fresno’s Craig Stidham brought home a sixth place finish in the main event, Caruthers’s Garrett Ishii ran a solid race to score seventh with Campbell’s Bud Kaeding, Sacramento’s Mike Henry and Clovis’ Peter Murphy rounding out the top 10.
Winning the Western States Modifieds 25 lap $1500 to win main event was Brian Cass who beat out the 34 car field. It marked his second WSM win of the season in two starts this year. Results can be found at http://www.westernracer.com
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Golden State Challenge Series Results- Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway April 26
26 cars
Fast time: Tyler Walker 12.981
Heat 1: Bud Kaeding, Ronnie Day, Tyler Walker, Brent Kaeding, Ben Gregg, Mike Mossi, Brent Bjork, Stephen Allard
Heat 2: Jonathan Allard, Mike Henry, Ken Fredenburg, Craig Stidham, Garrett Ishii, Jason Statler, Charlie Louden, Kyle Hirst
Heat 3: Blake Robertson, Peter Murphy, Tim Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Mark Workentine, Danny Faria Jr, Dan Simpson, Mark Barroso, Jim Skinner
Dash- Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Craig Stidham, Tommy Tarlton, Ronnie Day, Blake Robertson, Mike Henry
A-main: Tim Kaeding, Tyler Walker, Jonathan Allard, Tommy Tarlton, Brent Kaeding, Craig Stidham, Garrett Ishii, Bud Kaeding, Mike Henry, Peter Murphy, Jason Statler, Ben Gregg, Ken Fredenburg, Brent Bjork, Mark Barroso, Dan Simpson, Evan Suggs, Danny Faria Jr, Ronnie Day, Mark Workentine, Charlie Louden, Mike Mossi, Blake Robertson
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