MOTOR SPORTS / BRYAN RODGERS : Kanke Is Stuck in Second

From worst to first. That’s what Granada Hills driver M.K. Kanke tried to pull off in the 100-lap Southwest Tour race in Bakersfield Saturday night.

And if it hadn’t been for two caution flags in the final 10 laps, Kanke might have succeeded. Instead he finished second, just .19 of a second behind the winner, Bryan Germone.

Kanke, who at 6 feet 6 is the tallest racer to compete in a Southwest Tour sanctioned race, qualified last in the 30-car field.

But with some splendid driving and his ability to take advantage of several caution flags, Kanke maneuvered his Oldsmobile Cutlass into position for a possible victory.

However Roy Testa’s crash in the back straightaway with only four laps remaining ended Kanke’s victory hopes.

“When they threw that last caution flag I knew it would be tough,” Kanke said. “When we restarted they threw a green flag to start the race and white at the same time and there’s not enough time to catch somebody off of that.”

Kanke, who competes without a sponsor, has been successful at Bakersfield in recent races, finishing second four consecutive times.

“Make no mistake about it,” fellow tour driver Sean Monroe said, “Kanke is tough when he races at Bakersfield.”

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Nick Joanides’ return to Saugus Speedway was a bittersweet experience.

The Woodland Hills driver competed at Saugus regularly last year but shortly after the season ended his car was stolen from in front of his home.

“They came and took the truck, trailer and everything else they could get,” Joanides said.

After finding a new sponsor, Joanides built a new car and has been racing in the Super Late Model division at Mesa Marin Speedway in Bakersfield.

But with the Southwest Tour at Bakersfield on Saturday, Joanides decided to race at Saugus.

At first, things went well there for Joanides. He set the track record for fastest lap with a 16.25 clocking.

He also was in contention to win the Super Late Model feature until he received a bad break.

Under a caution flag on Lap 44, Terry Limberopoulos crashed into Joanides’ right rear tire, causing it to go flat.

“If he hits the quarter panel it’s not too bad,” Joanides said. “That would have caused a little body damage, but at least I could have raced.”

Instead Joanides was forced to make a pit stop and lost his second-place position. He finished seventh.

“If I had any luck at all, I know I would have a few more wins this season,” Joanides said.

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Mum’s the word at Ventura Raceway, where Doug Thornton and James Weston have been exchanging pleasantries.

After a crash in Saturday night’s Modified feature race at Ventura, Thornton charged Weston’s vehicle and threw a punch at him.

Thornton was told to leave the track immediately, which he did. Weston declined comment.

The two were involved in an incident earlier this season when it was alleged that Thornton intentionally forced Weston to spin out.

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Local drivers Ron Hornaday Jr. and Bill Sedgwick continued their success in the SuperTruck series, both finishing in the top five in the Milwaukee Mile.

Hornaday spent the early portion of the race battling with the points leader, Mike Skinner.

Hornaday, who is from Palmdale, held the lead after 63 laps of the 125-lap feature and finished in third.

Meanwhile, Agua Dulce’s Sedgwick took fifth place after starting in the 15th position.

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If Saugus Speedway Pure Stock driver Joe Hansen seems to be extra courteous to Marion Deist, who could blame him?

Deist is his mother-in-law.

Hansen and Deist aren’t the only competitors with family ties. Saugus also boasts the brother-sister racing duo of Brian and Amy Horst.

The Horsts have been splitting time in one car this season, but on Saturday, Brian entered his own car for the first time.

After Amy spun out on Lap 9, Brian assumed the lead and held on for his fourth victory in a feature race this season.

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During last week’s 20-lap Street Stock feature race at Ventura Raceway, Bob Pease of Ventura flipped his Camaro into the Turn 3 wall, knocking down a sign with the Coors Light logo on it.

Since the Colorado brewery is the primary sponsor of racing at the track, promoter Jim Naylor, a sign painter by trade, worked long and hard to make sure the sign was replaced before Saturday’s Sprint Car Racing Assn. program.

Naylor’s work was almost destroyed again when Mike Knopf of Santa Maria flipped in the backstretch of a 10-lap heat race.

The car landed on its wheels and headed straight for the wall.

An audible sigh of relief was heard from Naylor, who handles the track’s public address duties, when the car stopped inches short of the sign.

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Funny car racer Cruz Pedregon of Moorpark captured first place in the Western Auto Nationals at Topeka, Kan., on Sunday. Pedregon’s time was 5.912 at 273.39 m.p.h. in the final. He easily defeated K.C. Spurlock of Tennessee, who finished with a time of 9.434 at 98.25 m.p.h. . . . Saugus Speedway has added oval and figure eight Street Stock racing to this weekend’s card. It will be a non-points event. . . . Dave Phipps, points leader in the Grand American Modified division at Saugus, won the 40-lap feature in a special July 4 card. It was Phipps’ 57th career victory at Saugus and his second of the season.

* Contributing: Darin Esper.