This message was edited on
July 19, 2008 at
01:10:04 PM by Gary Thomas
Tyler Walker picks up 4th GSC win of season on Friday night at Ocean Speedway
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – July 18, 2008…Los Angeles driver Tyler Walker took the lead on the 12th lap of the main event and withstood a late race challenge from San Jose’s Tim Kaeding to score his fourth Golden State Challenge Series main event victory of the season on Friday night at the Ocean Speedway.
To begin the night the Ocean Speedway was as wet as it had been for a Golden State Challenge Series event in some time and it made for a fast and heavy surface during the feature. With the hooked up surface some great racing was put on for the fans as traffic came into play on a few separate occasions and created some hectic action on the tight quarter-mile bullring.
The 30 lap main event started off with 13-time and defending King of California Brent Kaeding jumping out into the lead from his pole position starting spot. After a handful of laps Kaeding then began to deal with Walker and current GSC point leader Jonathan Allard of Chico. On lap eight the top three were nose to tail and Allard made a move to low side of both the top two and as they rounded turn four it was a side by side by side battle between Allard and Kaeding for the lead.
Allard had the edge at the line, but going into turn one got slowed up by a lapped car and “BK” shot back by up on the high-side of the speedway. A yellow appeared just at that time however, and with Allard being scored in first at the line it put him out front for the restart with Kaeding in second and Walker in third. When flagman Willie Williams waved the green flag again, Walker made a beautiful move to charge around Kaeding and claim the runner-up spot just before a red flag occurred in turn two on lap 10, which saw Destiney Hays, Evan Suggs and Jon Maiwald involved.
After the accident scene was cleared up the racing back underway and it was apparent that Walker wanted the lead. The driver of the SC Motorsports No. 24 was all over Allard when the green lights came back on and as the pair crossed the line on lap 12 Walker made the move by to the take the lead. Allard remained stuck to his bumper waiting for traffic, but a yellow flag on the 14th lap gave Walker an open racetrack for the restart.
At this time Tim Kaeding had charged forward to the third position for his 9th starting spot and began to make some noise up front. When the green lights flashed again it became a battle for second as Allard and T. Kaeding diced it up behind Walker, who had escaped from the field and put some distance between himself and the tussle for second. “TK” was running his customary high line around the cushion and took the runner-up spot momentarily on the 19th lap, but Allard was able to cut right back by and re-claim the position.
After a number of exciting laps in traffic a debris caution came out on lap 24 and created another single file restart, which saw the battle for second continue. T. Kaeding went back up high in turn one and used the momentum to get side by side with Allard going down the backstretch and was able to get by just before the third corner to take over the runner-up spot.
The final caution of the feature then came out on the 26th circuit as Campbell’s Bud Kaeding had spun in turn four. It set up a four lap shootout and “TK” remained right on the rear of the green No. 24 machine, but Walker drove a flawless last few laps and hung on to cross the checkered flag in first place to pick up his second straight Ocean Speedway victory in GSC competition. The win also tied Walker with T. Kaeding for the most wins this season in series action.
T. Kaeding gave it a great charge from the ninth starting spot to come home in second, during what was just his second race behind the wheel of HR Cattle No. 83jr machine this season. "TK" ran the cushion to perfection during the feature and made it exciting as he always does.
Current GSC point leader Allard drove smart as the laps wound down to finish in the third spot aboard the Williams Motorsports No. 0. The 31 year-old driver was commited to the bottom and didn't force the issue over the final 10 laps and did what he had to do with just three races remaining the GSC season.
Drivers rounding out the top 10 were Brent Kaeding, Fremont’s Shane Golobic, Los Gatos’ Jason Statler, Easton’s Tommy Tarlton, Sacramento’s Mike Henry, Fremont’s Brent Bjork and Chico’s Stephen Allard. It marked one of Bjork’s best career GSC runs as he ran in seventh for much of the main event before dropping a couple spots during the final restart.
The Golden State Challenge Series will return to action this evening at the Antioch Speedway in Antioch, Calif. Gates open at 5 with adult tickets costing $16, kids & seniors $10 and children 5 and under free. The Antioch Speedway is located at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds.
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Golden State Challenge Series results- Ocean Speedway July 18:
Fast time- Tyler Walker
Heat 1: Ken Fredenburg, Bud Kaeding, Peter Murphy, Tyler Walker, Shane Golobic, Dan Simpson, Burt Foland, Mark Workentine
Heat 2: Stephen Allard, Brent Kaeding, Tommy Tarlton, Jason Statler, Destiney Hays, Evan Suggs, Kurt Nelson, Anthony Simone
Heat 3: Mike Henry, Jonathan Allard, Brent Bjork, Jon Maiwald, Jerry Bonema, Mike Stallings, Jason Newton, Tim Kaeding
Dash: Brent Kaeding, Tyler Walker, Jonathan Allard, Jason Statler, Brent Bjork, Destiney Hays, Shane Golobic, Peter Murphy
A-main: Tyler Walker, Tim Kaeding, Jonathan Allard, Brent Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Jason Statler Tommy Tarlton, Mike Henry, Brent Bjork, Stephen Allard, Kurt Nelson, Evan Suggs, Bud Kaeding, Ken Fredenburg, Mark Workentine, Jon Maiwald, Anthony Simone, Burt Foland, Dan Simpson, Mike Stallings, Jason Newton, Peter Murphy, Destiney Hays, Jerry Bonema
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Tyler Walker and crew in victory lane. Photo by Paul Trevino Racing Photos
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