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Hanford, CA...Oct 25......For the
second straight year, USAC star Bud Kaeding returned to his California roots and
dominated the 9th Annual Western Dirt Track Nationals by adding a $2500 win in
the 30 lap feature Saturday night for the Bandit unwinged sprint cars to his
$500 Kings Clash win on Friday night at Kings Speedway. Bud Kaeding was sorting
out a new car for the rich upcoming Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway and
he took just 9 laps to race into the lead after drawing 9th starting spot when
those 16 heat race transfers from Friday redrew for their starting order. Andy
Forsberg drew the pole, led 8 laps, then ran second behind Bud Kaeding until
16th Rick Williams raced underneath him when he pushed high in turn 4 on lap 20.
Williams finished second with Forsberg third ahead of Davey Pombo Jr, Richard
Harvey Jr and Petaluma invader Norm Johns.
After 32 cars appeared on
Friday night, everyone except for Danny Sheridan returned for Saturday's action
and they were joined by late entry Jimmy Crawford, the 2002 Ventura Raceway
champion. The first 16 spots in the 24 car A Main had been determined on Friday
night, so 8 transfers were available in the 16 car, 12 lap B Main. Golden State
Series winged 410 champion Brent Kaeding lined up 7th in the B Main, but took
the lead on lap 2 from pole starter Greg Taylor. Brent Kaeding and Taylor ran
1-2 the rest of the way with Peter Murphy climbing the Jason Yount car from 14th
starting to a third place finish ahead of Chris D'Arcy, who was racing without a
wing for just the second time in his long racing career. Bobby Elliott replaced
Evan Smith in the #22S car for the night and drove it from last starting to a
5th to make the transfer. Despite breaking his front end on the final lap,
Ronnie Case ran seventh behind Jason Montgomery to move forward along with Jake
Ford. Top runner Josh Wise spun midway through the race and could only work his
way back to a 10th place finish.
The 16 heat
race transfers from Friday night all drew for their starting spots in the front
8 rows of the 24 car A Main grid on the 3/8 mile clay oval. Forsberg and Harvey
Jr drew the front row ahead of John Burnett and NCMA champion Scott Holloway.
Bud Kaeding lined up 9th and Williams 16th with Bandit series champion Greg
Porte starting 13th. On the opening lap, Burnett drove through contact with the
front fence and Josh Ford spun and got hit by Case. Forsberg took a quick lead
over Holloway and Harvey Jr, but 9th starter Bud Kaeding was 4th on the first
lap and he raced into second on the restart. D Pombo Jr climbed to third on lap
5 when Holloway pushed high in turn 1. Brent Kaeding broke into the top five
from 17th starting on lap 7 and Bud Kaeding took the lead from Forsberg on lap
9. Harvey Jr was third ahead of D Pombo Jr and Brent Kaeding when D'Arcy spun
for a lap 10 yellow flag. Gene Manhire slowed on the restart and he fell out
with Williams breaking into the top five on lap 13. Williams was fourth on lap
15 and he took third from Harvey Jr on lap 17. Brent Kaeding faded back to 7th
and he retired on lap 19 yellow flag when D'Arcy again spun. On the restart,
second place Forsberg pushed high in turn 4 and Williams was now second. D Pombo
Jr passed Forsberg for third on lap 22, but slipped off the backstretch on lap
25 to hand the spot back to Forsberg. The final yellow came on lap 26 as Arron
Chaney spun. D Pombo Jr retook third from Forsberg on lap 27, but gave it back
on the last lap as Bud Kaeding won ahead of Williams, who drives for Mark
Flachman. Forsberg placed third ahead of D Pombo Jr, Harvey Jr, Johns, Burnett,
Murphy, Terry Shank Jr and Holloway.
The only remaining date on the Kings
Speedway racing schedule for 2003 is the annual Cotton Classic when the top
winged 410 sprint car drivers in the west will invade the 3/8 mile clay oval on
November 8th.
Summary
B Main-
Brent Kaeding, Greg Taylor, Peter Murphy, Chris D'Arcy, Bobby Elliott, Jason
Montgomery, Ronnie Case, Jake Ford, Bobby Davis Jr, Josh Wise, Jayson May,
Jonathon Logan, Brad Evett, Jimmy Crawford, Anthony Pombo, Matt Day.
A Main
Bud Kaeding, Rick Williams, Andy Forsberg, Davey Pombo Jr, Richard Harvey Jr,
Norm Johns, John Burnett, Murphy, Terry Shank Jr, Scott Holloway, Arron Chaney,
Josh Ford, Elliott, Montgomery, Greg Porte, A J Burgin, Jim Richardson, Brent
Kaeding, D'Arcy, Case, Taylor, Jake Ford, Josh Davis, Gene Manhire.
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