Cale Kanke Leads the SRL Into All American Speedway for a Wild West Shootout
Bakersfield, CA – Cale Kanke finished a career best fourth in the Spears Srl Southwest TourSeries championship standings in 2021. He scored a career high three top-fives and eight top-10 finishes. The 2022 season got off to a great start for the Frazier Park, CA driver, bringing home a fourth-place finish in the 33-car field at the “All-Star Showdown 200” at Irwindale Speedway. Kanke will lead the championship standings of those teams entered for the “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout Back in Business 127” at ALL AMERICAN SPEEDWAY – ROSEVILLE CA on March 5th. It puts Kanke in a great position to lead off the championship chase, but he knows it will be a tough task to maintain that position.
“Well, it is certainly a good place to be”, Kanke exclaimed! “But I hold no assumptions that it will be easy to stay there, especially with the teams that I know that plan to compete for the championship this year.”
Kanke had five SRL Legend Series starts at All American Speedway entering the 2021 season, but had never visited the 1/3-mile in a Super Late Model. Kanke had a season tying worst 15th-place effort in the JM Environmental Wild West Shootout in May, but earned an eighth-place finish in September’s event. Despite finishes far below his season average, Kanke still enjoyed racing at the fairground’s facility.
“I actually like racing at AAS”, Kanke began. “It’s very much a driver’s track, as it has some bumps and character to it. You have to be patient, but aggressive at the same time. I learned a bunch from my first couple of visits to AAS in the SRL car in 2021, about the driving and the set-up, so I look forward to finishing much better this weekend than last year.”
Cale will hope to learn even more as he visits for the third time in a SRL Super Late Model. He will also have the opportunity to learn from a former series winner at the facility, his father M.K. Kanke. The senior Kanke won in the SRL in his championship season in 2009. He has a total of five top-five, and nine top-10 finishes in 12 SRL and NASCAR Southwest Tour Series visits. That, combined with support from his team, family, and sponsors should find younger Kanke competing for the $10,000 victory this weekend.
“I would like to always say thank you to our hardworking RPM Motorsports team, Dan Nikolai & Kathy Nikolai, Willie Allen (Rackley WAR), and Cody Glick (Hamke Racecars) for all their help and advice”, Kanke expressed. “Also, check out our sweets sponsor Allie Bakes (alliebakes.com). Some cookies and cakes to go fast! Thanks also to the SRL for running this series with good teams to race with. My team and I are excited and look forward to the weekend!”
Admission Gates for the $10,000-to-win “JM Environmental Inc. Wild West Shootout Back in Business 127” will open at 4:00 PM. The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will be joined by the SPEARS Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Servicesand the Spears Modified Series. The local Mini Cup / Bandolero Division, F4 Division and Super Stocks will also join the action. Qualifying will begin at 3:55 PM with Opening Ceremonies scheduled at 5:00 PM. The Feature events will begin shortly thereafter with the SPEARS Modified Series closing out the evenings action.
Celebrating its twenty-second season in 2022, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.
PC: Sal Jr. Sigala
