Drag Illustrated Issue 127, November 2017 | Page 76
30 UNDER 30
DANIEL McKUNE
W
ise beyond his 22 years,
Daniel McKune has man-
aged to turn life-altering
adversity into a positive in
hopes of being an inspira-
tion to others. It doesn’t take much to see McKune
has already accomplished that.
Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 17
and told at one point he would never walk
again – just before he was to graduate high
school – McKune has nonetheless thrived in
the face of it all. His raced his Pro Mod Fire-
bird to a runner-up finish in the Aeromotive
Wild Card Shootout at the World Series of Pro
Mod, earning a spot in the weekend’s main
event. It was a thrilling moment for McKune,
who earned a spot on the DI 30 Under 30
list in 2017 while trying to use his story for a
bigger purpose.
“I’m trying to get out there and let people know
that they might have a bad day and think it’s over,
but it’s not,” McKune says. “I have my days, but
I’m always trying to push myself to get better.
Whatever needs to happen, I’ve tried to make
it happen.”
McKune takes chemotherapy drugs every six
months, which is a rough and draining process,
but it’s necessary if he wants to continue to race,
and the Colorado native is determined to make
racing a big part of his present and future. He’s
transformed his diet, added a strict workout rou-
tine and feels physically and mentally stronger
than ever, which also has a strong carryover to
his racing.
“I had to buckle down and change some things
to be able to (race),” McKune admits. “Just be-
cause you hit a speed bump doesn’t mean you
have to stop. I want to motivate everybody as
much as I possibly can.”
McKune’s perseverance provides that, and
racing in the World Series of Pro Mod was the
culmination of that work in 2017. Outside of some
local racing, it was the only major race he attend-
ed this year, and he performed well in his super-
charged ’68 Firebird. He lost in the first round of
the WSOPM main event to Steve Matusek, but
McKune certainly made himself known. The 2018
World Series of Pro Mod will be his main focus
next year, and he is expecting success, no matter
what stands in his way.
“It was great to be part of the first one and to
make it to the main event, it was definitely awe-
some,” McKune continues. “Getting our name out
there was the biggest thing. We might be David
but we’ll fight with Goliath. This is everything to
me, and my dream come true. I’m putting every-
thing into this.” - JOSH HACHAT
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A
t just 15 years old, Los
Alamitos, California’s Cade Poe
has etched his name into the drag
racing history books as the most
successful driver in the 25-year
history of the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag
Racing League. He brought his JDRL Confer-
ence Finals title total to five this season when
he won the Western Conference Finals in Tulsa,
Oklahoma, and the Eastern Conference Finals
in Bristol, Tennessee.
“It’s kind of hard to comprehend,” Poe says
about his title as the winningest Jr. Dragster driv-
er in NHRA history. “I just see it as something
that people call me. I don’t see myself as that.
That’s one thing that I think is so cool about drag
racing; I could have a bad day. Anyone can win.”
Poe, who’s been racing Jr. Dragsters since he
was 8 years old, will continue to pursue NHRA
JDRL Conference Finals championships at least
until he gets his driver’s license, when he plans to
begin the process of moving up to Super Comp.
He’s quick to assert that he won’t rush into big
cars, but one can’t help but believe the third-gen-
eration drag racer is itching to make his next
mark on the sport.
“I think it’s kind of crazy that I’ve been able to
accomplish all this so early,” Poe adds. “This is just
the beginning. This is just the foundation. I’m just
waiting to see what’s next.” – NATE VAN WAGNEN
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76 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 127
CADE POE