Kaeding Wins the USAC Silver Crown Opener at Manzy/ Kyle Busch Makes History/ Michael McDowell Wreck and Fire

Kaeding Wins the USAC Silver Crown Opener at Manzy

File image courtesy of USACRacing.com
Bud Kadeing won the USAC Silver Crown season opener tonight at Manzanita in Phoenix, Arizona. The California native battled Jesse Hockett all night up fron but made a late pass when it counted for the win. The runner up position was Hockett’s best finish in the Silver Crown Series. Levi Jones was third. Brad Sweet won the USAC Midget feature race. Darren Hagen took the USAC Sprint feature race.

USAC Silver Crown Manzanita Results
29 Bud Kaeding
199 Jesse Hockett
3 Levi Jones
22 Tracy Hines
6 Derek Hagar
37 Jon Stanbrough
32 AJ Fike
4 Josh Wise
27 Jerry Coons Jr.
21 Brian Tyler
50 Zack Daum
19 Kody Swanson
42 Mike Spencer
17 Shane Hmiel
96 Rickie Gaunt
26 Shane Cottle

Kyle Busch Makes History
Kyle Busch became the first driver in NASCAR history to win two major series races in the same day by winning both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series at California today.

Welcome to California where it appears no one cares about NASCAR.

Yes folks the seats were empty for the truck race and they are empty again for the Nationwide race. The folks in LA abandoned the IRL race at the Fontana oval and now they have abandoned the support races for Cup. Well the folks still brought their campers.

Oh look, it’s Mickey and Minnie. How did they get into the broadcast? Oh, ESPN2 is owned by Disney or as Allen Bestwick put it, “It’s nice to see the boss and Mrs. Mouse.”

Ok, time to light this candle for the folks at home. Yawn, are we done yet?

Wait we have a caution with Michael McDowell.

The guy that barrel rolled his car at Texas has done blowed up and his car is on fire.

Actually oil is getting all over the headers causing this inferno.

Oil, engine parts and crap litter the track.

Michael McDowell looks for a safety crew. Luckily he escaped the fire with no injuries.

Then Open Wheeler Mike Bliss blows a tire.

Now the action is heating up. Greg Biffle gets into Brian Vickers and around he goes.

Biffle makes contact with Brad K

and as K spins, he collects Jason Leffler.

Lap 22 Milka, I mean Greg Biffle spins on his own and calls it a night.

Green flag now with 17 to go and Kyle Busch puts a bump and run on Carl Edwards and gets around him for the lead. Edwards meanwhile slips back several places. Meanwhile Busch tuens on the afterburners and no one can catch him. After the race Edwards told ESPN2 that the touch from Busch upset his car on the restart but it was just racing and added that Busch deserved to win because no one could touch him.

As noted above, Kyle Busch became the first driver in NASCAR history to win two major series races in the same day by winning both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series at California today.

In both races, he drove away from his competition. He goes for the threepeat tomorrow and we will have post race coverage.

Here is where the Open Wheelers finished in the Nationwide Race at California:
1. (Kyle Busch)
4. Carl Edwards
11. Jason Leffler
13. Mike Bliss
14. Justin Allgaier
16. Michael Annett
37. Terry Cook

Coming Sunday
Coverage of our Open Wheelers on action in California plus Wind Tunnel notes.

Note to SpeedTV and Wendy Venturini fans, Raceday airs at 3:30pm eastern Sunday afternoon because of the late start of the Cup race. It will not air at it's normal time on Sunday morning.

Another quick Speed note: Wind Tunnel Sunday night will feature SPEED’s Peter Windsor who will talk about this year’s F1 season as well as preview his big F1 announcement which will be made next Tuesday LIVE on SPEED. (Hint, hint US based F1 team with US driver). Miguel Duhamel will talk motorcycle racing as Daytona Bike Week approaches.

Ideas, thoughts, questions? Drop me a line at bjohnson_292@comcast.net.

Images appearing in this blog courtesy of USACRacing.com, ESPN2 and NASCAR Images.