[Xplantdad]

Marty Kinerk-in the ad for the 1968 Dana Camaro had a interesting racing career...

Daniel M. "Marty" Kinerk

passed away peacefully after a long term illness in Tucson on September 19, 2012. Marty was a native Tucsonan born on April 19, 1940. He was most importantly a kind, loving and gentle Christian man. He graduated from Salpointe Catholic High School and attended the University of Arizona and NAU.



He started his race career in earnest in 1963, racing roadsters on the dirt tracks of Arizona under the tutelage of future Hall of Famer Roger McCluskey, before switching to super-modified cars and being named 1964 Arizona State Rookie of the Year. In late 1966 Marty traveled to South Africa and raced for the South African Sprint Car Championship winning consecutive championships 1966 - 1967 before returning stateside full time in 1968.



He broke through to racing's major leagues at a 1968 USAC Stock Car event at Phoenix International Raceway finishing 13th. Also in 1968, he won the Arizona Late Model Stock Car Championship. In 1969, he placed third in the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Championship Division winning three races and two pole positions in the Frank Townsend Racing-Tucson owned Chevelle, scoring 1014 points versus winners 1060. Marty raced two events of what is now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup, stock car racing's highest level, at the 1969 Motor Trend Riverside 500 and 1971 Miller High Life Ontario 500. He was a featured driver the hard bound volume "Racing's Real McCoy, Sharing the Road with Pioneers of the Wild West."



In April 1972, a near fatal Sprint Car wreck in Phoenix ended his promising career. He then worked within local construction businesses. He is survived by his brother, Burt (Nancy) and sister, Susan Trujillo (Alfonso); nieces, nephews and their children. A Memorial Service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, September 29, 2012 at St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, 3201 E. Presidio Road, Tucson, Arizona 85716. In lieu of flowers, memorials in memory of Marty, may be sent to the American Cancer Society, 1636 N. Swan, Tucson, Arizona 85712.