WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Bud Kaeding scored his third Taco Bravo 360 Series sprint car win of the season at Ocean Speedway on Friday night.
Kaeding beat Justin Sanders and Dominic Scelzi in the 30-lap grind around the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds dirt oval.
Kaeding passed Sanders on lap 18 with a slide job in the first and second turn. His Al’s Roofing black No. 69 then went on cruise mode, masterfully working lapped traffic while Sanders would fade after being the early leader since the first lap. Pole sitter Mitchell Faccinto would finish fourth ahead of a fast improving James Ringo.
Faccinto and Sanders would bring the 22-car starting field down for the start with Faccinto taking the lead in the first turn only to lose it to Sanders in the third. Sanders would go on to lead but Jerry Bonnema would bring out the race’s first caution when he stopped on the backstretch with front end damage and become the race’s first retiree.
By lap 13 Kaeding had moved up to the third spot by passing Scelzi. One lap later, the red flag stopped the action when Joey Ancona did a slow roll exiting the second turn. Once up righted, he would refire and join the tail of the field. On the restart, Kaeding would gain another position. A lap-16 caution for a Cole Macedo flat right rear tire aided Kaeding again, putting him right on Sander’s tail. Kaeding would take the lead on lap 18 while Sanders would fade and have to hold off a Scelzi challenge.
The finish:
Bud Kaeding, Justin Sanders, Dominic Scelzi, Mitchell Faccinto, James Ringo, Jake Andreotti, Kurt Nelson, Brad Furr, Kalib Henry, Jason Chisum, Koen Shaw, John Clark, Keith Day Jr., Jeremy Chisum, Ryon Nelson, Joey Ancona, Vaughn Schott, Richard Fajardo, Cole Macedo, Nick Ringo Jr., Jerry Bonnema, Jason Bright