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He won't be confused with Dale Earnhardt or Jeff Gordon, but John Kinder of Orange probably will be as popular as those NASCAR stars this weekend.
Kinder was one of 31 drivers selected to compete in the second Suzuka Thunder Special on Sunday (Saturday PST) in Suzuka City, Japan.
"We've been a pretty consistent runner in Winston West," Kinder said, "and the Japanese-American ancestry doesn't hurt."
Kinder is the youngest, and also the only Japanese-American driver, tabbed for the event, which combines Winston Cup, Craftsman Truck, Busch Grand National and Winston West drivers. Four NASCAR-licensed Japanese drivers also will compete.
The event has become a family affair for Kinder, one of the highlights of his professional and personal life. His grandmother will be his translator and his mother is returning to Japan for the first time since she was 2.
"It's one of those situations where I can bring part of my personal life into racing," Kinder said. "It's a part of my life I've never gotten to see."
Kinder, 23, is fourth-generation Japanese-American. His father, Jim, is German-Irish (and also the team owner of Santa Ana-based PowerBase Motorsports).
"I'm very proud of both sides of my family," Kinder said. "I'm a Japanese-American, that's what I'll be representing. It was my grandparents' parents who established us in the...