By Lee Elder
CHICO, Calif. (Sept. 7, 2018) – Pennsylvania has its Posse but Californians can race, too.
Brad Sweet grabbed the lead with 14 laps to go, overcame a late-race challenge and won the opening night of the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway. It was Sweet’s sixth World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series victory of 2018.
Sweet was one of eight California natives at the top of the finishing order on night one of the two-race event.
“It would be awesome to get a Gold Cup victory tomorrow, that’s something I dreamed about as a kid,” Sweet said.
Sweet was followed across the finish line by brothers Tim and Bud Kaeding, Shane Golobic and Cory Eliason. Kyle Hirst, Justin Sanders and Andy Forsberg completed the top eight. Outlaws regulars Ian Madsen and Shane Stewart completed the top 10.
A caution period with two laps remaining set the field for a scramble at the finish. Sweet and Tim Kaeding gave the crowd a show as they raced for the lead before Sweet won.
“I made a mistake and I will learn from it in the future,” Sweet said.
Tim Kaeding grinned and said, “Ten years ago I probably would have crashed both of us.”
Cory Eliason led the first eight laps before Tim Kaeding went to the point for the next eight laps.
The race around the quarter-mile track was so competitive that Daryn Pittman finished 11th and Donny Schatz, who has been all-conquering this season and won the previous two WoO events, started 17th and finished 12th.
More information is available at www.WoOsprint.com.
NOTES: 42 cars participated in hot laps. … Michael Kofoid had the best qualifying time at 11.82 seconds. … The heat race winners were Kofoid, Austen Wheatley, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding. … The Craftsman Dash had an unlikely lineup; Bud Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Brad Sweet, Kyle Hirst, Austen Wheatley, Colby Copeland, Michael Kofoid, Cory Eliason. …Brent Marks and David Gravel won the last chance qualifying races. … The B flight last chance race was halted by a four-car wreck on the first straight with seven laps remaining. Two cars flipped over but neither driver was hurt.
Feature (30 Laps, by car, driver, starting position, money): 1. 49-Brad Sweet [5][$8,000]; 2. 3-Tim Kaeding [1][$4,000]; 3. O-Bud Kaeding [4][$2,500]; 4. 17W-Shane Golobic [10][$2,200]; 5. 83-Cory Eliason [2][$2,100]; 6. 83JR-Kyle Hirst [6][$2,000]; 7. 121-Justin Sanders [13][$1,800]; 8. 92-Andy Forsberg [9][$1,600]; 9. 18-Ian Madsen [14][$1,500]; 10. 2-Shane Stewart [11][$1,300]; 11. 9-Daryn Pittman [18][$1,200]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz [17][$1,100]; 13. 16A-Colby Copeland [3][$1,000]; 14. 88N-DJ Netto [12][$700]; 15. 24-Rico Abreu [15][$600]; 16. 3C-Tanner Thorson [19][$600]; 17. 45-Austen Wheatley [8][$600]; 18. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild [16][$600]; 19. 11K-Kraig Kinser [20][$600]; 20. 5-David Gravel [21][$600]; 21. 26-Joey Saldana [23][$600]; 22. 1S-Logan Schuchart [25][$]; 23. 22-Mason Moore [24][$600]; 24. 4S-Michael Kofoid [7][$600]; 25. 19-Brent Marks [26][$]; 26. 1A-Jacob Allen [22][$600]; Lap Leaders: Cory Eliason 1-8, Tim Kaeding 9-16, Brad Sweet 17-30; KSE Hard Charger Award: 9-Daryn Pittman[+7]
Qualifying Flight-A: 1. 4S-Michael Kofoid, 11.812; 2. 45-Austen Wheatley, 11.889; 3. 16A-Colby Copeland, 11.93; 4. 49-Brad Sweet, 11.93; 5. 1A-Jacob Allen, 11.996; 6. 2-Shane Stewart, 12.023; 7. 92-Andy Forsberg, 12.053; 8. 24-Rico Abreu, 12.06; 9. 121-Justin Sanders, 12.08; 10. 83T-Tanner Carrick, 12.123; 11. 26-Joey Saldana, 12.138; 12. 3C-Tanner Thorson, 12.144; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 12.157; 14. 37-Mitchell Faccinto, 12.158; 15. 21W-Jake Wheeler, 12.196; 16. 19-Brent Marks, 12.246; 17. 31C-Justyn Cox, 12.26; 18. 21P-Robbie Price, 12.324; 19. 7S-Jason Sides, 12.4; 20. 28-Nathan Rolfe, 12.436; 21. 96-Andy Caruana, 12.687
Qualifying Flight-B: 1. O-Bud Kaeding, 11.827; 2. 3-Tim Kaeding, 11.897; 3. 83JR-Kyle Hirst, 11.933; 4. 5-David Gravel, 11.935; 5. 18-Ian Madsen, 11.94; 6. 88N-DJ Netto, 11.974; 7. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 11.988; 8. 83-Cory Eliason, 12; 9. 9-Daryn Pittman, 12.036; 10. 22-Mason Moore, 12.05; 11. 17W-Shane Golobic, 12.158; 12. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild, 12.16; 13. 7-Scott Bogucki, 12.162; 14. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 12.191; 15. 2X-Chase Majdic, 12.24; 16. 29-Willie Croft, 12.273; 17. 98-Sean Watts, 12.298; 18. W20-Greg Wilson, 12.307; 19. 21-Michael Ing, 12.344; 20. 18Z-Jennafer Frazier, 12.83
