SCENEDAILY
09:53AM ET THURSDAY AUGUST 16, 2007
BY SCENEDAILY STAFF REPORT
Kasey Kahne and his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team are looking forward to returning to the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway oval for this weekend's 3M Performance 400.
Kahne, who has a win and four top-five finishes in seven races at the track, has a best finish of seventh this season, and that came in the season-opening Daytona 500. That's one of two top-10 finishes he has this season (he finished ninth at Daytona in July). A year after winning six races and competing for the championship, Kahne finds himself 27th in the standings with 14 races remaining.
Michigan, though, offers the team a chance to rally. Although he finished 32nd there earlier this season, Kahne is optimistic a better results will be forthcoming this weekend, especially since the team has returned to its 2006 aerodynamic package for this race.
"We won the first race at Michigan last year with that package and finished fourth in the second," Kahne said. "Although it's the same car we used last year, there are major differences in how it handles and responds to adjustments because of the tires we're running this year."
Kahne says that the very nature of the Michigan track will also be to his advantage as he, like the other competitors, can shift around on the surface and try to find the area where his car performs best instead of constantly losing ground if his car isn't handling well.
"By moving around, running a different line, a driver can loosen or tighten up a race car," Kahne said. "You can't do that at some tracks. It's very important to search for a faster line around the track. It may be a line other drivers are running, or it may be a line that only provides results for your car."
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Kahne's disappointing season got a major boost last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway with a Busch Series win, NEXTEL Cup Bud Pole and a second-place finish in the Sharpie 500.
The succesful trip to "Thunder Valley" was a definite relief for Kahne who after leading the Cup Series with six wins a year ago has suffered through a dismal season.
"You go into a season and you think you’re going to run well, but you don’t,” said Kahne. "Then you get a great weekend like we did here and it feels good. We’re just going to try to carry it on.”
Kahne started the weekend with his second NEXTEL Cup pole of the season, earning the top spot for the Sharpie 500.
He followed that with a win in Friday night's thrilling Busch Series Food City 250, holding off a hard-charging Jason Leffler to the checkered flag.
Saturday night, Kahne had his Gillette Evernham Motorsports Dodge in front of the field for 305 laps before finally giving up the top spot to eventual race winner Carl Edwards on pit road.
But Kahne was able to maintain the runnerup position to score his second top five and third top ten of the season.
"I think Carl came on a little stronger and I just couldn’t get back to him,” Kahne said. “He was a touch better through the center of the corner and would get back to the throttle a little quicker.”
Before heading to California Speedway for next Sunday night's next NEXTEL Cup round, Kahne will do a little sprint car racing this week including a return to his old stomping grounds in Washington Wednesday night at Skagit Speedway.
That event will also find Tony Stewart in action in a race that will benefit the Kasey Kahne Foundation.
"I'm looking forward to having a little fun this week," Kahne said with a smile, the first many had seen in a very long time.
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yeah kasey he should have won if waltrip hadn't blocked him
and yes waltrip is the other driver i blame kaseys problems on at the moment
since stremme hasn't done anything in awhile and my computer didn't work after indy so i could be mad at raines but good job on second and next is california kasey led 30 or so laps there in Feb. until he lost an engine
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"It's all fun and games until somebody wrecks a racecar" Larry McRenyolds
Info: The same chassis that Kahne drove to victory at Charlotte. It also raced at Vegas at Michigan earlier this year.
KASEY KAHNE QUOTES:
“I was real happy with our performance last weekend. Getting a win at Bristol is very special. The track has so much history and knowing that some of the greatest names in the sport have won there, it’s just such a big deal. The guys did a great job and it was fun to drive this Busch car to victory lane again this year. Everything was right, pit stops were good and the car handled great.
“We will be running a special vitaminwater paint scheme on our No. 9 Busch car this week at California. I’m really looking forward to heading back to a track where we have won in the past. All you need is one strong weekend, like we had last week to get your confidence back. That quickly you can feel good about your season again and feel good about what you’re doing and the progress that the team is making. You have one really good race and it quickly turns around people’s attitudes and confidence. Hopefully with the way things went this past weekend, California will be another good race for us.”
QUICK FACTS:
- Kahne led 14 laps en route to a victory at California Speedway in the Busch Series last fall.
- Last season Kahne swept the Busch and Cup races at Fontana over Labor Day weekend.
- Kahne’s statistics at California are outstanding. In six career starts he has finished in the top-five all but once.
- His average finish at the 2-mile oval in Fontana is 6.2.
- The No. 9 Gillett Evernham Motorsports team currently sits seventh in NASCAR Busch Series Owner Points.
This Press Release and any images that are used,
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Looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel
Sure was glad to see the GEM cars running better. Looks like they are going to have a very strong motor in the Dodges. I was a little disappointed that Kasey finished 16th after running in the top 10 all day, but he lost his drafing help. Shame Elliott got caugh up in "The Big One". I don't know if I'm sad or happy about Scott leaving, I kind of liked him. And it seems the talks with Petty has slowed.
Hey!! with all the new Kahne fans I see on this site why ain't there any new post?
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Slowly but surely Kasey Kahne is starting to show signs of success as the Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver works his way up the NEXTEL Cup Series standings.
Kahne is up to 17th in the points, which may not sound like much, but is a marked improvement after the dismal season the Dodge driver has endured.
He has notched six top-10 finishes in the last 10 series starts, showing the consistency that disappeared early on.
“It helps a ton,” Kahne said. “It helps me a lot and the team has the same attitude. When things are negative and down, it’s easy to stay that way. But when you get a pole or a top five, you don’t feel like it’s nearly as bad. Things can turn quick in racing."
Three of those top-10 finishes have come on 1.5-mile tracks, which bodes well for this week's visit to Texas Motor Speedway and Sunday's Dickies 500.
Kahne won at Texas last season, but finished 20th in the series' first visit to the Lone Star State last April.
He looks to rebound this weekend and feels his recent turnaround will play a part in the outcome.
"When you have problems like we've had, the key is remaining patient and working toward small gains each week. We've done that in recent weeks."
After his ninth-place run last Sunday in Atlanta, Kahne looks to keep the top 10 streak alive.
"We have a chance to put together back-to-back, top-10 finishes," he said. "That’s what this No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge team needs. Our team has worked hard to get us back to the point where we’re consistently running in the top 10. That creates the opportunity to challenge for the win. We’re close. We’re real close."
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Kahne hoping to rally at Michigan
Kahne Can Finally Smile
Looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel
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