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 TULSA,
OK (September 14) -- Bud Kaeding won the USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown
Series "Tulsa 100" race at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Motorplex
last Sunday. What was to have been a 100-lap race was shortened to 77
laps due to poor track conditions. Kaeding took the lead on lap eight
and remained out front until the checkered flag dropped on lap 77. It
was Kaeding's first win in the series and was worth $10,000 to the
Campbell, CA driver. Kaeding was followed to the finish line by J.J.
Yeley and Tyler Walker. With his second place finish, J.J. Yeley is
now 75 points ahead in the series standings going into the final race
of the season at Syracuse, NY on October 11th. With only 66 points
available at that season-ending event, Yeley has successfully garnered
one of three National titles in his quest of winning the USAC Triple
Crown. Ironically, the only other driver to accomplish that feat was
Tony Stewart--who sponsors two of the three cars Yeley drives this
year.
While the USAC Silver Crown Series uses only Hoosier
tires when competing on pavement, they have no rule when competing on
dirt. Still, 29 of the 31 cars on hand were mounted atop Hoosier
racing tires with Team-Hoosier claiming the 11 fastest times in
qualifying. J.J. Yeley earned fast qualifier honors after circling the
3/4-mile clay oval in 24.921 seconds in the East/Stewart sponsored #9
car. Tyler Walker was second followed by Bud Kaeding, Aaron Fike and
Dave Darland.
In the feature, Tyler Walker jumped out to the early
race lead using a Hoosier D12/D20 (LR/RR) combination. Walker's lead
lasted until lap 8, when Bud Kaeding moved into the lead using a
Hoosier RD12/D20 set up. At just past the half-way mark, the race was
halted to attempt to recondition the track. The race resumed with
Kaeding pacing the field. Finally, on lap 77, the race was halted for
good with Kaeding out front earning his first feature victory in the
USAC Silver Crown Series.
Following Kaeding to the stripe was J.J. Yeley who was
running the same rear drive tire compound combination as the race
winner. Yeley pocketed $6,050 for his night's work, while third place
finisher Tyler Walker collected $4,000 for the final podium
spot.
All told, Team-Hoosier captured the first 12 spots in
the feature race. Aaron Fike finished fourth, while Tracy Hines, Paul
White, Jay Drake, Matt Westfall, Russ Gamester, Dave Darland, Donny
Schatz and Mike Hess rounded out the all-Hoosier top 12.
J.J. Yeley is in first place in the driver standings
with 560 points followed by Dave Darland with 485 points, while Tracy
Hines, Dave Steele and Jay Drake round out the top five in the USAC
Silver Crown Series standings.
The final race of the season for the series is on dirt
on October 11, at the New York State Fairgrounds.
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