Kanke Prefers the Homestretch

The NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour has been a springboard to national prominence for drivers in recent years.

The most successful driver in the series has no aspirations to move up. He does not even have a contract to compete in every race.

This does not mean M.K. Kanke, a Granada Hills High graduate, won’t be racing to win when the series makes its first of three stops at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday night for the Foods4Less 150-lap race.

Kanke, who surpassed Winston Cup rookie Ron Hornaday Jr., a native of Palmdale, last year as the series’ all-time leading money-winner, leads the points standings and needs to win $5,168 to reach $300,000 in career earnings.

He is content to remain in Southern California and beat the up-and-coming stars.

Family and business is more important to Kanke, who built a house in Frazier Park for his wife and two preteen children, than moving to the South and competing in any of NASCAR’s three national series’--Winston Cup, Craftsman Truck or the Busch Grand National Division.

“People think I’m crazy, but my family’s worth more to me at my age than to try and change,” Kanke said.

“It’s my decision. You have to live where you want to live and I want to live in Southern California.”

Kanke, 39, began his career at 15, racing stock cars at Ascot Park. He won a track championship in 1983, and one of the highlights of his career was beating Winston Cup stars Dale Earnhardt, Neil Bonnett and Darrel Waltrip in a Friday night race that was set up because Winston Cup was racing at Riverside Raceway that weekend.

When Kanke switched to pavement cars, he chose Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield as his home base rather than Saugus Speedway, where he attended races with his grandparents while growing up.

“You learn to like different tracks,” Kanke said. “Bakersfield, I always liked better. I’ve run Orange Show and El Cajon. You always try to go to the track you like.”

Kanke joined the Southwest Tour in 1987, racing a limited schedule.

The attraction of the series for Kanke was the challenge of racing at different tracks.

Since then, Kanke has competed five complete seasons, most recently last year, usually racing a limited schedule.

This year, he signed with owner Tom Fry of Sun Valley on a race-by-race agreement.

“I look at it that they have really good cars, the team is superior, they have a really strong test program and a great crew chief in Dave Hand,” Kanke said.

The pairing of Kanke and Fry produced instant results.

Kanke finished second to Ken Schrader, a Winston Cup regular, in the season-opening NAPA Auto Parts 100 on Feb. 4 at Phoenix International Raceway, and Kanke won the Coors Light 125 at Cajon Speedway March 24.

The third race of the series was scheduled for Mesa Marin on April 7 but was postponed until June 2 because of rain.

Kanke says not competing in the entire series contributes to his success.

“There’s no pressure between [Fry] and me to run this whole deal,” Kanke said. “That’s less pressure when you go to the track because you’re not racing for points, you’re just racing to win.”

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Cory Kruseman’s lead in the Sprint Car Racing Assn. points standings will remain safe until April 28, when the series returns to Perris Auto Speedway. Kruseman, of Ventura, finished fourth March 31, and the April 7 race at Perris was rained out. . . . Ventura Racing Assn. sprint cars, street stocks and modifieds, and International Motor Contest Assn. modifieds will compete at Ventura Raceway Saturday. . . . Bryan Herta of Valencia heads the guest list for SpeedFreaks Sunday on KLSX-FM (97.1) at 7 p.m., hosted by Kenny Sargent of Van Nuys. Other guests will be Joe Ruttman, NASCAR Craftsman Truck series driver, road racer Ben Spies and Eric Norris, NASCAR Winston West series driver and son of actor Chuck Norris.