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Photo by http://www.johnsracingphotos.com
Bud Kaeding scores runner-ups with GSC 410 Sprints & BCRA Midgets during weekend
By Gary Thomas
Watsonville, CA – June 1, 2009…Coming off one of his best weekends of the season, Campbell, CA's Bud Kaeding used the momentum to spring-board himself to three more top five finishes this past Friday & Saturday, including runner-ups with the Golden State Challenge Series and the Bay Cities Racing Association.
The 29 year-old racer headed to his home track of Ocean Speedway on Friday night as the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series invaded the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds bullring. Kaeding had scored his second and third top five finishes of the GSC season the previous weekend in Calistoga and looked for more of the same on Friday.
A very wet surface was presented to competitors early in the evening and Kaeding began the event by guiding the BK Motorsports, K&N Filters, Alviso Rock No. 29 to the fourth fastest lap in qualifying and then finishing just behind father Brent Kaeding for a third place finish in the heat race. He then got a good draw for the dash to start from the inside of the second row and used it to score third and give him a row two starting spot for the main event.
By feature time the track had come in to make for some excellent racing on the hooked-up quarter-mile bullring. Kaeding settled into third and ran there for much of the 30 lap contest as everyone chased Kyle Larson who sat out front. With around 12 laps to go Kaeding closed in on second running Jason Statler, but also had to contend with a fast moving Jonathan Allard, who would actually pass him on lap 23, but a red flag followed and the lap reverted back.
Sitting in third the Campbell veteran would run smoothly over the remaining laps until the red lights flashed on for Statler, who got upside down while challenging for the win on the last lap. It then bumped the MPD Racing Products, Kaeding Performance, Angellos ATV Rental No. 29 up to second and when the green flag waved for the final time, Kaeding tried to rail the top to do something with Larson, but couldn't get the bite and settled for second at the finish.
On Saturday Kaeding then traveled to the Placerville Speedway to do double-duty as he sat aboard the Mike Sala Racing Midget in addition to the BK Motorsports Maxim for the night of racing.
After winning the opening heat race with BCRA Kaeding started from seventh in the feature and quickly charged up to second, but contact in traffic caused him to stop and have to restart at the rear of the field. That didn't deter him however, as he carved his way forward once again to get back to second and then close in on leader Justin Grant. Kaeding gave it a hard run, but couldn't get by Grant and brought the Sala Racing, Weldway Construction, M&M Powder Coating No. 19 home in the runner-up position.
With the Golden State Challenge Series Kaeding started from the outside of the front row and ran second for much of the race, before dropping a couple of spots late in the going and scoring fourth at the finish. "It would have been nice to get a win, but it was a good weekend overall," Kaeding said. "We'll look forward to heading back east and having some fun this week without the wing and seeing if we can get a win with USAC."
This week will find Bud Kaeding in competition with the USAC National Sprint Car Series in its "East Coast Swing" with four races in Pennsylvania. The action kicks off on Tuesday night at the Grandview Speedway, followed by an event on Wednesday at the legendary Williams Grove Speedway. On Thursday the series will take to the Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, PA before a night off till the east coast finale on Saturday at the Mercer Raceway Park.
After this week's races in PA Kaeding will get ready for the "West Coast 410 Swing" with events in Medford and Cottage Grove on June 13 & 15 and then the $25,000 to win Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway on June 18-20. More news and info on two-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion and current point leader Bud Kaeding can be found at http://www.budkaedingracing.com
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Campbell's Bud Kaeding tallied a runner-up finish with the Golden State Challenge 410 Sprint Car Series at his home track of Ocean Speedway on Friday night. Photo by http://www.stevesracingphotos.com
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