SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY, CHICO, CALIFORNIA
PRESS RELEASE/RACE RESULTS
SUMMARY 2004 MINI GOLD CUP GOLDEN STATE CHALLENGE
SPRINT CARS ROUND #1 FRIDAY MARCH 12, 2004
Kaeding and new Beef Packers team garner
$3,000 Mini Gold Cup win Friday night by Bill Sullivan, John Padjen
Motorsports CHICO - Over the last three years San Jose driver Tim Kaeding
has become one of California's hottest open wheel drivers with multiple
victories, a Golden State Challenge Championship and a handful of different
driver seats and car owners in these recent seasons. Early last week veteran
car owner Dennis Roth announced he had signed Kaeding to drive his Beef
Packers #83jr for 2004 . So what happens when you team one of the best drivers
with one of the best teams on the circuit ? Well, it starts off with an
untouchable $3,000 victory in the 18th Annual Mini-Gold Cup at Silver Dollar
Speedway.
Before a packed grandstand in attendance for
the $51,000 two day event, Kaeding made an impression early, dominating
the action throughout the evening with a heat race victory before the familiar
face brought his new car, new crew chief and new team to the victory lane
he calls home in the 30-lap feature, a race in which he led every lap of.
"I hope this relationship with this team goes on forever," said Kaeding.
"I couldn't ask for a better team and better place to start things off,
this place is home to me. I've known Dennis Roth for a long time and I love
being in this car and I think we're going to go places together, I'm already
looking forward to tomorrow night."
Kaeding took charge of the 22-car field at
the flash of green flag when he muscled into the lead over his younger brother
Bud Kaeding of San Jose and Dennis Moore Jr. of Grinnell, Iowa to take a
lead he would never relinquish. While the feature event still remained in
single digits, Kaeding had already driven to a healthy lead. Meanwhile,
Moore and the younger Kaeding rounded out the top five and were soon joined
by oldest competitor of the Kaeding clan as Brent Kaeding worked his way
towards the front from the seventh position. With Kaeding entering lapped
traffic by the 12th circuit, action heated up a few positions back as Randy
Hannagan, Brent Kaeding and local star Sean Becker put on a show all battling
for the fifth position.
At the 21st lap, it was Kaeding who advanced
from the three car battle into the fourth position as powered past both
Hannagan and Roger Crockett to move into the fourth position behind Moore
and his son Bud. After a restart on the 23rd lap, it was father vs. son
as Brent chased Bud down for the show position and moved into third to set
his sights on Moore, five laps later the top two positions became that of
father and son as Brent overtook Moore on the backstretch to move into the
second positions, distantly trailing Tim to the checkered flag. Moore finished
in the third position followed by Bud Kaeding, Becker, Crockett, Jason Statler,
Hannagan and Wayne Williams who drove his way into the feature all the way
from the C-main.
"This new Beef Packers car, let me tell you
she was smoking around this place, she was really fast," said Kaeding. "I
knew my old man started back there a few spots but I knew he was coming.
I just wish Bud could have gotten up here on this front stretch with us
but he had a good night too."
After being greeted by his excited crew, Tim
received a handshake from Brent who offered his best wishes for his son
and new team for the season to come in which both will vie for the "King
of California" Golden State Challenge title. "Dennis Moore did a great job
letting me get by now I just think he should have let Bud pass him too so
I could be on this front stretch with both my kids," Kaeding joked. "Tim
did a great job tonight and I really want to thank Dennis Roth and that
team for giving him this opportunity, I don't think they'll be sorry at
all. Its great to see this many fans here for the first race and maybe tomorrow
night we'll be celebrating right here."
Preliminary competition on Friday has four
heat races won by Jason Statler, Tim Kaeding, Blake Robertson and Brad Sweet.
The C-main event was claimed by defending
Civil War Series champion Mike Henry aboard the #93, powered by a 410 motor
and now owned by Dave Angus. Brent Kaeding won the B-main and was fast qualifier
for the evening posting a time of 13:048.
The 18th Annual Mini-Gold Cup continues Saturday
night in which $6,000 goes to the feature winner. For additional information
log onto www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com.
FAST QUALIFIERS Brent Kaeding, Campbell 13:048
2) Randy Hannagan, San Jose 13:103 3) Sean Becker , Oroville13:106
HEAT 1: Jason Statler, San Jose; Colby Wiesz,
Colfax; Roger Crockett, Eugene, OR; Dennis Moore Jr., Grinnel, IA; Kevin
Pylant, Santa Cruz; Brent Kaeding; Andy Forsberg, Auburn; Shain Matthews,
Marysville; Carl Enns, Magalia; Heath Hall; Jon Maiwald, Gilroy.
HEAT 2: Tim Kaeding, San Jose; Billy Wallace,
Grass Valley; Jason York, Chico; Randy Hannagan, San Jose; Willie Croft,
Sacramento; Dan Ochs, Los Molinos; Matt Shelton, Chico; Jim Skinner, Byron;
Travis Rutz, Langley, BC; Pat Harvey, Grass Valley; Ernest McAfee, Redding.
HEAT 3: Brad Sweet, Grass Valley; Dan Menne,
Fort Jones; Bud Kaeding, Campbell; Sean Becker, Oroville; Stephen Allard,
Chico; Garrett Ishii, Caruthers; John Gray, Chico; Pete Johnson, Princeton;
Ivan Wordon, Cotati; Kykle Hirst, Elk Grove; Mike Henry, Sacramento.
HEAT 4: Blake Robertson, Visalia; Robert Stice,
Grass Valley; Ricky Fauver, Everett, WA; Stuart Krum, Sacramento; Beau Perkins,
Gerber; Bob Maiwald, Gilroy; Craig Stidham, Fresno; Eddie Lewis, Chico;
Shawna Wilskey, Burlington, WA; Wayne Williams, Monterey.
C-MAIN: Henry; Williams; Rutz; Hall; Harvey;
Enns; McAfee; Worden; Hirst;Joe Maiwald.
B-MAIN: Brent Kaeding; Croft; Williams; Stidham;
Allard; Ishii; Pylant; Matthews; Forsberg; Shelton; Skinner; Rutz;Lewis;
Ochs; Johnson; Bob Maiwald; Perkins; Henry.
A MAIN: Tim Kaeding; Brent Kaeding; Moore;
Bud Kaeding; Becker; Crockett; Statler; Hannagan; Williams; Fauver; Menne;
Robertson; Stice; Croft; Ishii; Allard; Krum; Wiesz; Wallace; York; Stidham;
Sweet.
Time / Temp. in the Rock
