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Hanford Win For Tim Kaeding by Ron Rodda |
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Winged and nonwing sprints |
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March 22…Hanford, CA…Tim Kaeding continued his streak of success at Kings Speedway in Hanford Saturday when he won his first Golden State Challenge race in 2003. Seeking to defend last year’s title in the series for winged 410 sprint cars, Kaeding led the 13 laps on the fast 3/8 surface at the fairgrounds oval. In the accompanying nonwing 360 Sprint Bandit division, Davey Pombo won for the 2nd straight time in 2003, also taking the lead on lap 18 to match T. Kaeding’s path to success. A 23 car field appeared in the GSC division and six drivers bettered the previous track record for the series with Brent Kaeding now owning the mark with a 12.962 mark. Other drivers beating the former record were Tim Kaeding, Brad Furr, Dennis Moore, Jr., Ricci Faria, and Craig Stidham. A trio of invert six, take five heats led to wins for Jason Meyers, Steve Kent, and Danny Faria, Jr. while a B main finished setting the alignment for the 30 lap main event. With a six inversion, Stidham and R. Faria shared the front row and all six drivers that had beaten the prior track record filled the first three rows. Stidham led one lap before Furr drove under him low in turn four to lead through lap five. R. Faria was 3rd ahead of 5th starting T. Kaeding and Moore when Furr spun in turn two as the sixth lap unfolded, handing the lead back to Stidham. The Stidham, R. Faria, and T. Kaeding trio ran in that order until Kaeding was momentarily boxed behind a lapped car, allowing Moore to grab 3rd. T. Kaeding got the spot back at the midpoint of the race with a high side effort into turn one. As the field raced the 18th time around the expertly prepared oval, T. Kaeding charged into the lead, using the top of turns 3 and 4 for the gain. Once in the lead, T. Kaeding stretch his advantage and a lap 24 yellow, slowing the race for only the 2nd time, only served to delay the win. T. Kaeding grabbed a huge lead on the restart and the focus fell on who would get 2nd. Stidham proved up to the task with R. Faria, Moore, and Meyers filling the top five. The 16 car Sprint Bandit field was led in time trials by Greg Porte but his 15.385 effort was followed by a night ending flip in heat one. John Burnett also flipped hard over the turn 3 fence in the rough and tumble first heat. Josh Davis claimed that preliminary and the other two heats went to Derrick Hearron and A. J. Burgin. With a six invert, the 25 lap main started with Richard Harvey Jr. and Davis on row one while Davey Pombo started in 3rd. Davis led initially with Aaron Altaffer and D. Pombo in pursuit. After 3 laps the red flew when Hearron flipped in the berm in turn two, one of only two slowdowns for the well raced main event. D. Pombo moved into 2nd on lap 6 when Altaffer went high in turn two and chased Davis until lap 18 when the leading Davis went too high in the same turn as Altaffer. D. Pombo cruised into the lead but had pressure for those last 8 laps from the trio chasing him. Jerome Warmerdam picked up a pair of spots the last 10 laps and pressured Altaffer for 2nd the last five laps. D. Pombo won to claim both of the 2003 Bandit mains while Altaffer, Warmerdam, Burgin, and Davis completed the top five. Golden State Challenge Fast time—Brent Kaeding
12.962 (new GSC record) Sprint Bandits Fast time—Greg Porte
15.385 |
