KANKE SEEMS TO BE HITTING HIS PEAK DRIVER IS POINTS LEADER EVEN AFTER DISASTROUS RACE.

Byline: Tim Haddock Auto Racing

M.K. Kanke is off to such a great start in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series that not even a 16th-place finish could do much damage to his season-points lead.

The Frazier Park driver of the No. 98 Crown Motorsports Chevy holds a 90-point lead over Darrell LaMoure as the series heads to Pikes Peak International Raceway for the Sunstate Equipment Company 100 on Sunday.

Even though he had what many might consider a disastrous weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the series' last race, Kanke says he had a car with which to contend.

`'We qualified second and ran in the top five most of the race,'' said Kanke, who ran into trouble after a pit stop. The pressure in his right-side tires wasn't where he wanted it and his rear end broke once he left the pits. ``You can't help it when stuff breaks. We had a fast enough car to win.''

If there is a track on the Southwest Series that has been kind to Kanke over the last two years, it's Pike's Peak. He finished third there last year. It was the first time the Southwest Series visited the Colorado one-mile paved oval.

``It comes down to the guys in the pits,'' Kanke said. ``They're the ones who are going to win it this weekend.''

Kanke and his team are bringing the same car they ran at Phoenix to start the season. That car ended up finishing second behind NASCAR Winston Cup star Ken Schrader. Kanke followed the Phoenix race with back- to-back wins at Cajon Speedway and Irwindale Speedway.

The Southwest Series race at Pike's Peak will follow the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Jelly Belly 200 on Sunday.

``It's going to be interesting after the trucks run,'' Kanke said.

--CART in Twin Ring Motegi in Japan: CART FedEx Series driver Bryan Herta of Valencia has some work to do if he wants to make a run in today's Firestone Firehawk 500 at Twin Ring Motegi motorsports complex in Japan.

Herta, driver of the Zakspeed Forsythe Racing Ford, posted the 23rd- fastest time in Thursday's practice for the race. He was more than 6 mph off the top speeds of Mo Nunn Racing's Tony Kanaan, who clocked a lap at 213.174 mph.

Herta moved up a spot in Friday's qualifying and will start 22nd. Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves has the pole.

The Firestone Firehawk 500 will be broadcast on tape-delay today at 10 a.m. on Ch. 7.

--Grand Am update from Irwindale Speedway: Roger Carufel of Saugus is in the midst of a championship chase in the NASCAR Grand American Modified division at Irwindale Speedway.

He trails Rick Crow of Simi Valley by four points.

The Grand Am season continues tonight at Irwindale Speedway. The NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks and Ultra Wheel Spec Trucks will also be racing.

Gates open at 4 p.m. Racing starts at 7 p.m.

--Winston West update: Sean Woodside of Saugus and Bill Sedgwick of Acton each posted top-five finishes in the NASCAR Winston West Food 4 Less 250 at Irwindale Speedway on May 12.

Woodside, the 1999 Winston West champion, was third in the Irwindale race. Sedgwick, 1991 and 1992 series champion, was fifth.

Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas, the defending series champion, won his second race in a row. He became the first Winston West driver to post multiple wins this season and won the fourth Winston West race of his career.

Woodside's third-place finish matched his season best. He finished third at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the second race of the season.

Troy Cline of Santa Clarita was 17th.

Mark Reed of Bakersfield, who finished second at Irwindale, leads the Winston West Series in points. Gaughan is third.

The next race on the Winston West Series, the Salinas 250 at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca in Monterey, is Sunday.

--USAC update: Jay Drake of Val Verde posted a top-10 finish in the USAC Sprint Car series Sunday.

Drake finished ninth in the 30-lap USAC Sprint main at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.

Tony Elliott led 26 laps to win the Sprint main. Drake is fourth in points in the Sprint standings. He trails leader Dave Darland by 30 points.

The next USAC National Sprint Car race is today at Terre Haute Action Track in Terre Haute, Ind.

Drake finished 12th in the USAC Silver Bullet series Coca Cola 100 at Indianapolis Raceway Park on May 12.

Mike Bliss led 90 laps to win the Silver Bullet main.

The next USAC Silver Bullet race is on May 25 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Drake held a one-point lead as of Friday in the USAC National Midget Car standings, before the USAC Midgets raced at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, later Friday. Rain washed out the previous USAC Midget races at Kentucky Speedway.

Before Friday night's race, Drake was in search of his first USAC win of 2001 after winning a record-tying 19 in 2000.

AT THE RACES 

NASCAR

Winston West

Foodsco NASCAR Challenge

Salinas 250

Where: Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca, Monterey (2.238-mile road course)

When: Sunday, 1 p.m.

Distance: 69 laps, 154.422 miles

Posted awards: $170,828

Field: 32 cars possible. Fastest 27 cars through time trials. Two provisional spots based on 2001 Winston West driver points standings. Two provisional spots based on 2001 Winston West owner points standings. One provisional spot to Winston West champion.

2000 review: Bobby Dotter took advantage of a flat left-rear tire on race leader Johnny Borneman's car on the last lap and sped by to claim victory in Monterey. Dotter led only one lap, but it was enough to win. Austin Cameron set the track record with a lap of 86.911 mph in winning the pole. Bill Sedgwick of Acton finished fifth.

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AT THE RACES (see text)