KAEDING GRABS 31ST “PACIFIC COAST NATIONALS” VICTORY

 


Levi Jones and the Tony Stewart Racing Team are the 2010 AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Champions. Jones also locked up the Sprint Car Dirt crown Saturday night, finishing second to Bud Kaeding in the 31st “Pacific Coast Nationals” finale at the Gropetti Automotive Thunderbowl Raceway at Tulare, Calif.


 


Kaeding, of Campbell, Calif., captured Saturday night’s Tulare 30-lapper, leading the final 23 laps after race leaders Bryan Clauson and Damion Gardner tangled and flipped. Neither driver was injured in the incident, two of seven flips which interrupted Saturday’s Sprint racing action.


 


Following Kaeding’s Alviso Rock/High Five Pizza Maxim/Speedway Chevy were Jones, Tracy Hines, Justin Grant and Matt Mitchell. Jones finished the National campaign with a 132-point margin over runner-up Gardner and sliced Clauson’s USAC National Drivers Championship lead to five points with two races remaining (at Ventura and Irwindale, Calif.).


 


Mike Spencer, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA point leader, finished seventh and increased his insurmountable lead over Danny Sheridan to 356 points with just one race remaining, at Perris, Calif. Nov. 27. Clauson led the first seven laps before he and Gardner tangled.


 


Jones’ championship is his fourth, which ties Steve Butler’s USAC National Sprint Championship record.