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Here is a brief story from Dennis Mattish:
Campbell, CA, racing legend Howard Kaeding has died. The patriarch of the Kaeding family was 92 years old.
The elder Kaeding had been a part of the San Francisco Bay Area landscape since he was six. In 1937, he was moved west from Nebraska--not because of the depression, but because of the Dust Bowl. After losing cattle, chickens, their pets, and everything else except their car and their lives, Dad and sons piled into their 1919 Chevrolet before the severe drought and dust storm that ravaged the Great Plains could kill them, as it did others.
In an interview with Trailblazer magazine, Howard explained, "I was six. We slept under trees and behind bushes. . . . I had no idea my dad was poor. . . . My folks never had a completed house while I was at home. We lived in a house trailer that my dad built right here on this land [where the current Kaeding shop is located]."
What did he do for fun growing up? In high school, he and other like-minded individuals raced down Campbell Avenue (in Campbell, CA) on a Friday or Saturday night. Back then, it was all orchards and long farm roads and didn't have all the stop lights that are there today. Ironically, Campbell's downtown historical museum has a tribute to local “record makers and barrier breakers” which commemorates the Kaeding racing legacy.
Howard was a hard worker from the get-go, landing a job at Westinghouse in the early 1950s. He made his racing connections there, telling Trailblazer, "I knew a couple guys there that had hardtops [stock cars] and I used to go look at their cars. I said, 'one day I want to build one.' "
That's exactly what he did, starting with a ’37 Ford. After towing his car down to San Jose Speedway for his first-ever foray into the real racing world, he was washed out. Was it an omen? Apparently not. He towed to Belmont a few nights later. His race car number was 281, reflecting the number of cars that were registered. With that race, his career was up and running!
Howard married his neighbor and longtime sweetheart Dixie Joellen in1955. They would have four children, Joel, Brent, Kimberly and Sandra. When he wasn’t racing or working, he was a family man, even acting as the scoutmaster of Troop 334 for his sons.
During his professional career, Howard was a mechanical engineer and later a service manager for Magnuson Engineers, Inc., of San Jose. The Campbell executive often traveled thousands of miles a week seeing clients in America and abroad.
As an innovator, Howard created Kaeding Performance during the early 1960s. His sons Brent and Joel would later run the business before grandson Bud would take the reins. (It is Bud who operates Kaeding Performance today.)
Howard is famous for his Hall of Fame career, which lasted nearly 50 years. During his racing days, he won more San Jose main events than any other driver in the history of the sport, making him the king of San Jose Speedway. His 136 wins outdistance the next closest driver by 50.
Kaeding raced until he was 65 years old, setting single lap track records on both paved and dirt tracks and racking up championships galore:
1970 NASCAR State of California Super Modifieds champion;
1970 Clovis Speedway champion;
1971 NASCAR State of California Super Modifieds champion;
1971 Clovis Speedway champion;
1972 NASCAR State of California Super Modifieds champion;
1973 San Jose Speedway champion;
1973 Golden State Classic Open Competition Series champion;
1974 San Jose Speedway champion;
He claimed victory in the prestigious Johnny Key Classic four times over (1968, '73, '79, and '87).
Perhaps Howard’s most amazing feat was winning 17 main events in a row, all while starting last. Recognized as a spectacular racer, he was named, in 1973, as the Motor Sports Press Association Oval Track Driver of the Year and is recognized in three different Halls of Fame:
Motor Sports Press Association Hall of Fame (1993)
San Jose Speedway Hall of Fame (1997)
West Coast Motorsports Hall of Fame (2020)
Howard's love of racing was passed to his sons, the late Joel Kaeding, who became a specialty mechanic and president of Kaeding Performance, and sprint car Hall of Famer Brent Kaeding. Brent's two sons also inherited the speed gene, becoming sprint car racers. Both Bud and Tim are many time champions with Bud also adding a USAC Silver Crown Series championship.
Howard was predeceased by Dixie, his wife of 52 years, and his brother Herb. Tragically, Howard's son Joel predeceased him by one week. The racing world bows its collective head to say farewell to Howard Kaeding and his beloved son, Joel Kaeding.
~Dennis Mattish
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