California's Tim Kaeding broke into Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters victory lane for the first time by taking the checkered flag in Friday night's 25-lap Kronik Energy Qualifying feature (ASCS)
Tim Kaeding and Brady Bacon nabbed the headlines by racing to victory lane in Friday night's 42nd Annual Kronik Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios preliminary main events atop the 3/8-mile USA Raceway.
Kaeding survived several exchanges with Danny Lasoski en route to winning the 25-lap Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters main event, while Bacon dashed forward from five rows deep to win the 25-lap Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region non-wing main event.
Another 69 cars took to the track for Friday's Kronik Energy Qualifying action, including 42 winged Lucas Oil Sprint Cars and 27 non-wing ASCS Canyon competitors, bringing the 2009 Western World Championships total to 133 competitors (81 winged and 52 non-wing).
Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters (Winged)
California's Tim Kaeding broke into Lucas Oil Sprint Cars presented by K&N Filters victory lane for the first time by taking the checkered flag in Friday night's 25-lap Kronik Energy Qualifying feature at USA Raceway's 42nd Annual Kronik Energy Western World Championships presented by Old Tucson Studios.
The recent Trophy Cup winner charged past 2008 Lucas Oil Sprint Car champion Jason Johnson on the third round and then fought off Danny Lasoski on several occasions to take the top spot aboard the Roth No. 83 entry, earning the front row outside starting position in Saturday night's $15,000-to-win Western World Championship main event.
While Kaeding led the feature field to the green flag, it was outside front row starter Johnson gunning into the early lead and pacing the opening pair of circuits.
But, after the caution flew for Rick Boughan's stalled mount on the third circuit, Kaeding powered into the top spot with eighth-starter Lasoski making his way past Roger Crockett and then Johnson to take over second by the fifth round.
Lasoski reeled in Kaeding and charged into the lead on the seventh round only to slip too high in turns one and two, allowing Kaeding to race back out front. The pair diced for the lead in traffic until the caution flew after eleven laps for Joey Saldana, who came to a stop in turn four after charging from 18th to eighth in the opening ten circuits.
Back under way, Kaeding set the pace with Lasoski in tow. As traffic once again became a factor, Lasoski closed on Kaeding's tailtank upon the completion of the 18th lap. Kaeding responded by breezing by four lapped cars within a lap.
Smoke began billowing from Lasoski's machine soon after, with "The Dude" pulling to the infield five laps shy of the checkered flag.
With Lasoski out of the picture, Kaeding cruised to the checkered flag with a healthy advantage over Johnson. While Johnson settled for runner-up honors in Lanny Row's Wesmar-powered The Shop Motorsports No. 41 Eagle, ASCS Northwest champion Roger Crockett took the show position in the Shaver-powered Omlid & Swinney Fire Protection No. 11 KPC.
ASCS Gulf South shoe Channin Tankersley posted his top career Lucas Oil ASCS National finish by crossing the stripe fourth in the Griffith Truck & Equipment No. 71 Maxim, with ASCS Lone Star champion Kevin Ramey rounding out the top five in the Williams Motorsports Wells-powered City Vending No. 7m Maxim.
With some wild action for the final transfer spots to Saturday night's main event, two-time and reigning Short Track Nationals champion Tony Bruce, Jr., emerged in sixth, with Bobby McMahan and 20th-starter Travis Rilat taking the final two lock-in spots by crossing the stripe seventh and eighth, respectively.
Sean Becker missed the cut by just one spot with a ninth-place run, with Stephen Allard completing the top ten.
McMahan, Becker, Jerry Coons, Jr., Bruce, Jr., and Crockett topped Friday night's heat race action, with Eric Baldaccini and Saldana winning the "B" Mains.
After winning Thursday night's non-wing feature, Coons made his first winged Sprint Car start in over two years and responded with a heat race win. Slated to start the feature inside row two, Coons was forced to the tail of the field after requiring a second push. Coons still salvaged a 13th-place finish.
Saldana was leading the fifth heat race when he suffered engine woes. Kenneth Walker assumed the point only to suffer a similar fate a couple of laps later.
Kaylene Verville held down the third and final transfer position in the second "B" Main until an errant Calvin Landis slider sent her flipping through a turn two billboard. Verville was uninjured, with Rilat and Rickey Hood taking advantage by taking the final two transfers after disposing of J.T. Imperial on the restart.
Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region (Non-Wing)
While Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Brady Bacon has adapted quite nicely to the winged Sprint Car ranks in 2009, his propensity for success in the wingless ranks is difficult to deny.
The 19-year-old started Friday night's 25-lap Discount Tire Co. ASCS Canyon Region five rows deep, but it didn't take long for Bacon to make his way to the front.
Taking command on the eleventh round, Bacon went on to take the checkered flag with more than an eight-second margin between himself and runner-up Jeremy Sherman. The 2009 Sprint Bandits TNT champion earned a front row outside starting position in Saturday night's $5,000-to-win non-wing main event with the triumph.
With Bacon gridding Friday's feature outside the fifth row, pole starter Bobby Taylor outgunned Mike Martin for the lead at the drop of the green with third-starter Ronnie Clark moving into second.
With Taylor, Clark and Martin leading the way, Bacon cracked the top five by the fifth round and then passed both Sherman and Martin to take over third on the seventh circuit.
As the lead duo of Taylor and Clark reached the tail of the field on the 11th lap, Bacon pounced into the top spot with Clark slipping past Taylor for second. Before Bacon could stretch out his lead though, the caution flew when Clark tangled with the lapped car of Brian O'Donnell exiting turn two on the 12th lap, with O'Donnell sailing into the darkness of the desert without injury.
Back under way, it was all Bacon all the time, as the young shoe drove away from the field aboard Mike and Megan Eubanks' Wesmar-powered Tel-Star Communications No. 99 Triple-X.
Bacon ultimately took the checkered flag well ahead of two-time ASCS Canyon Region champion Sherman, with Nathan High advancing from 13th to claim the show position.
After sweeping last year's ASCS Canyon Region portion of the Western World Championships, Jesse Hockett charged from 16th to finish fourth, with Dustin Morgan advancing a half-dozen positions to round out the top five.
Johnny Herrera was sixth, with 18th-starter Johnathon Henry racing into the seventh and final lock-in position to Saturday night's championship main event.
Jimmy Crawford was eighth, Tony Elliott was the final car on the lead lap in ninth and Brandon Lane was tenth.
Crawford, Elliott and Taylor won Friday night's heat races, with O'Donnell winning the "B" Main.
