AS SILVER CROWN SERIES DEBUTS AT USA RACEWAY


Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif. hopes to start the 2010 USAC Silver Crown Championship Series the same way he started the 2009 campaign, with a victory in the Rosemont Copper “Copper on Dirt.”


 


The three-time series titlist hopes to become the first driver in USAC history to win four Silver Crown championships. Jimmy Sills also won three Silver Crown titles, but Kaeding’s victory at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix last year propelled him to a record-tying crown.


 


This year’s 4th Rosemont Copper “Copper on Dirt” takes place at USA Raceway Friday and Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., including the Silver Crown, USAC Amsoil National & CRA Sprints and the USAC Mopar National & Western Midgets.


 


Preliminary events are slated Friday, with semis and feature events on Saturday. A 50-lap Silver Crown feature follows a 30-lap feature for the Midgets and a 40-lapper for the Sprint Cars.


 


Kaeding won last year’s “Copper on Dirt” Silver Crown race, taking the lead from Jesse Hockett three laps from the checkered flag. He wound up winning the series title by 59 points over A.J. Fike. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2007) and Jerry Coons Jr. (2008) are also former winners of the “Copper on Dirt” Silver Crown race.


 


Kaeding has five career wins in the Silver Crown machines and has a pair of USAC Sprint car wins in Tucson in 1999 and 2000 at Tucson Raceway Park.


 


An interesting sidelight will be the battle for the all-time lead in car owner Silver Crown feature wins between Tony Stewart Racing and Six-R Racing. Stewart trails Six-R Racing by one, 23-22, entering the 2010 series. Levi Jones and Bryan Clauson will pilot cars for Stewart at Tucson, while Brian Tyler, Kody Swanson and Tanner Swanson will pilot Six-R machines.