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KAEDING TOO TOUGH IN WESTERN PRELIM |
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PHOENIX, AZ, NOVEMBER 7, 2002 - Bud Kaeding started ninth and went on to win the 20-lap opening-night preliminary feature to kickoff the NAPA Auto Parts / Budweiser Western World Championships at Keith Hall's Manzanita Speedway. Even though Thursday's win doesn't make up for last year's heartbreaking loss that saw Kaeding lead all but the final lap of the "Western", it puts him on the front row for this year's race. A race he confessed last week he wanted to win more than the Oval Nationals at Perris (CA). "Of course I wanted to win the Oval Nationals (which he did), but we were so close to winning this one last year that I'd really love to win it this year. This is a prestigious race, and to put your name in the record-books with the likes of Steve Kinser would be incredible. We'll just keep our fingers crossed, and hope we make it past the 39th and a half lap. I think we'll be in good shape (for Saturday's finale), but these guys have really been gunning for us this year, which makes the racing awesome," Kaeding said after gathering his fourth Non-Winged World Championship (NWWC) win of the year Last year's Western World Champ, Jeremy Sherman, was slated to start on the inside of the third row, but was forced to start at the rear of the field after his car stopped on the backstraight prior to the start of the race. Sherman re-fired and went on to finish tenth. Dave Darland put the Cory Witherill / WSA Health Care No. 61 TCR into the lead at the drop of the green flag and was followed by Mike English, Levi Jones, Bob Ream, Jr., Cory Kruseman and Kaeding. Jones ran into problems exiting turn two on the second lap when his car suddenly veered towards the wall. Slamming on his brakes to avoid a big hit, Jones flipped before hitting the concrete and was collected by Kruseman, who subsequently flipped, as well. Neither driver was hurt, in fact, Kruseman, who was only a few hours away from making his NASCAR Truck series debut, briefly rejoined the race. Darland separated himself from the field after the restart as Kaeding found the cushion in turn two to his liking. Driving the BK Racing / High Five Pizza No. 29K Maxim, Kaeding moved ahead of Ream for third on the restart, then, on lap four, zoomed around the Tomarco Fasteners No. 6 Gambler driven by English. Darland enjoyed about a ten car-length lead at the time Kaeding moved into second place. Showing his strength, Kaeding was able to quickly eat away at Darland's lead. Catching Darland was one thing, passing him proved to be another. Using a variety of moves and racing lines, Kaeding came close to overtaking the leader on several occasions, but Darland was just fast to enough keep Kaeding behind him. Finally, Kaeding darted to the outside of Darland on lap 14 and took the lead exiting four. Darland stayed near the lead for the remainder of the race, and even took a couple stabs at Kaeding when he was slowed by lapped traffic. Darland's best shot came two laps from the finish when Kaeding was once again hindered by a slower car. Diving to the bottom of turn one, Darland rubbed tires with Kaeding, but that would be as close he would get to preventing another Kaeding win. "Darland got in there on the next to last lap and got me going again. I got a little comfortable out front, and was trying not to make any mistakes, and I think I was back-peddling a little bit," Kaeding admitted. Driving the B&R Automotive No. 8 Buckley, Bob Ream, Jr. finished third ahead of English and the Alexander Trucking No. 4 driven by Rickie Gaunt. Joining the top-five with automatic births into Saturday's finale were Charles Davis, Jr., Rip Williams and 2000 Western World Champion Jay Drake. SCRA RACE #40 - MANZANITA SPEEDWAY, PHOENIX, AZ (NWWC) Date of Race: 11/7/02 SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS 1. Jerry Coons, Jr., Smiley 2, 19.284, 2. Bob Ream, Jr., Brat Racing 8, 19.288, 3. Jeremy Sherman, Ellis 21, 19.417, 4. Cory Kruseman, Willis 1, 19.462, 5. Levi Jones, Crossno 38, 19.515, 6. Dave Darland, Witherill 61, 19.550, 7. Mike English, Jory 6, 19.554, 8. Rickie Gaunt, Alexander 4, 19.589, 9. Bud Kaeding, BK Motorsports 29K, 19.589, 10. Jay Drake, BWB Racing 62, 19.655, 11. J.D. Vance, Wadsworth 45AZ, 19.886, 12. Charles Davis, Jr., Davis 94, 19.958, 13. Travis Rilat, Minks X, 19.982 14. Rip Williams, Jory 3, 20.067, 15. John Scott, Scott Mtrsprts 83, 20.078, 16. Paul Norbury, Carsten 91, 20.159, 17. Bobby Cody, Cody 41, 20.177, 18. Marty Wilcox, Wilcox 3A, 20.625, 19. Ronnie Clark, Clark 33, 20.678, 20. Tom Downing, Downing 90, 21.091, 21. Matt Westfall, Staab 44A, 21.205, 22. Dan Hillberg, Hillberg 82, 21.262 23. Josh Ford, Ford 73, 21.586, 24. Steve Stone, Stone 57X, 21.902, 25. Mike Rux, Jr., Rux, Sr. 12X, 21.933 HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1 1. Drake, 2. English, 3. Coons, 4. Kruseman, 5. Clark, 6. Rux, 7. Hillberg, 8. Norbury, 9. Rilat. SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2 1. Cody, 2. Vance, 3. Williams, 4. L. Jones, 5. Gaunt, 6. Downing, 7. Ford, 8. Ream. SPIN TECH MUFFLERS / STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 3 1. Wilcox, 2. Davis, 3. Darland, 4. Scott, 5. Sherman, 6. Westfall, 7. Kaeding. B FEATURE 1. Kaeding, 2. Ream, 3. Downing, 4. Hillberg, 5. Ford, 6. Rux, 7. Westfall, 8. Norbury, 9. Stone, Rilat. A FEATURE (20 Laps) 1. Kaeding, 2. Darland, 3. Ream, 4. English, 5. Gaunt, 6. Davis, 7. Williams, 8. Drake, 9. Coons, 10. Sherman, 11. Scott, 12. Vance, 13. Hillberg, 14. Cody, 15. Norbury, 16. Downing, 17. Ford, 18. Kruseman, 19. Wilcox, 20. Clark, 21. Rux, 22. L. Jones. Laps Led: Darland 1-13, Kaeding 14-20 |
