CAMPBELL, Calif. — Racing legend Howard Kaeding has died. The patriarch of the Kaeding family was 92 years old.
The elder Kaeding’s death was confirmed in a social media post on the Kaeding Performance Facebook page.
The father of sprint car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding and grandfather of sprint car racers Bud and Tim Kaeding was inducted into the West Coast Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2020.
Howard Kaeding moved to California as a youngster from Nebraska and took up racing during the early 1950s at San Jose Speedway.
Kaeding was victorious in 136 main events at the now-defunct track and won track championships there in 1973 and 1974 while winning 17 consecutive features.
He also won three California NASCAR supermodified championships from 1970-72.
Known as an innovator, Kaeding, who raced until he was 65 years old, also created Kaeding Performance during the early 1960s with his sons Brent and Joel later running the business. Today, it is operated by his grandson, Bud, a USAC Silver Crown Series champion.
The family promotes the annual Howard Kaeding Classic sprint car race at Ocean Speedway.
