DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Kasey Kahne says he and his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team learned a lot during three days of testing, and now he is eager to get back to work to apply that knowledge to the team's Daytona 500 cars.
Kahne also says he expects the move of Mark McArdle to vice president and managing director of competition for the team to pay dividends.
Kahne said that with only five to 10 cars in the draft at a time during testing, it was difficult to make comparisons from the session at Daytona International Speedway that concluded this week and what will happen in the Daytona 500.
The number of cars in the drafting pack will determine how the racing works out when NASCAR's new model debuts at the restrictor-plate track.
"That was not really how it will be on race day, and they would get separated really easily, and if people got in line, you could lead the cars that were side by side behind you, so that will be similar to Talladega and where it can get boring at times. But when everybody gets out two, three wide, it'll be very exciting. But if people get in line, it's going to get boring," he said after the final test session Wednesday.
Kahne said that one can't compare the car's performance to either the old Sprint Cup car or the one used in the Nationwide Series (the former Busch Series). This is a whole new concept for drivers to learn about and race.
"It bounces around more, it moves," he said of the new models. "You watch other people and you think, 'Man, that car looks really bad,' and then yours is probably doing the same thing. It's just a different-handling car. It's different to work on, to drive. ... What you're looking for is all a bit different, so it will take time."
Kahne said that the car felt really comfortable at the high speeds that teams saw on the final day, but he thinks that when more cars are on the track things will feel more uncomfortable and, in his mind, make the racing more exciting.
Kahne also thinks his organization will be more prepared for the race and the season with the move of McArdle.
In his new role, McArdle will be able to organize the three-car effort that also includes Elliott Sadler and Patrick Carpentier, who competes out of the same complex but under the Valvoline Evernham Racing banner.
"They've been working on some things with Mark. He's done a great job with the engine shop for the last couple of years or a lot longer than that," Kahne said. "He's going to run more of the race car side of things now, too. It'll be good for us. It'll be good for our teams and for our structure, and as time goes on we'll get better, and then we'll stay good for a longer amount of time with Mark in charge."
The driver says that move will complement the one of team founder and co-owner Ray Evernham, who seems to be taking less of a hands-on role within the organization this season.
Evernham said late last season that he would take on more of a consultant role with the team this season and that he didn't expect to be at all the races this season.
Kahne isn't worried about any gap with the transition. He says that McArdle has actually been in his role for about a month and that "everybody that I've talked to at the shop thinks things are better."
Kahne notes that McArdle is involved a lot with structure and organization of the group. His move will help fill the void any change in Evernham's role might leave.
"People are going to step up, they're going to do a good job," Kahne said. "That's why Mark is stepping up his role. Ray has done a lot in this sport. He's done a lot in the last five years, last 10 years, last 15 years, and he needs somewhat of a break. He's still going to be there; he's still going to help me when he can, help the drivers, help the teams, but he's stepping back a little bit, and he's going to enjoy owning the teams and enjoy himself away from the track probably."
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After Vegas test, Kahne sees a return to past glory
No. 9 puts up fourth-fastest time in final session of test
By Dave Rodman
NASCAR.COM
January 30, 2008
LAS VEGAS -- Kasey Kahne can only hope the inexorable progress he showed during this week's second round of Sprint Cup Preseason Thunder testing is truly a predictor that he and his Gillett Evernham Motorsports team will return to the league-leading level of performance they displayed two seasons ago.
After finishing eighth in the championship in 2006, with six wins, six poles and 19 top-10 finishes Kahne struggled to get a top 10 last season; ending with only eight, including one top-five.
How ironic that Kahne's latest step in his "comeback" occurred at the same track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he says his 2007 season took a dagger to the heart.
"Last year our test went pretty good until I blew a right front tire and crashed my car that I had won all the races with," Kahne said during Tuesday's lunch break. "That was kind of the year at that point."
A year ago, Cup teams came to Vegas to test for the first time after the 1.5-mile speedway had been reconfigured and repaved. Kahne had the fastest speed that Monday afternoon using the Dodge chassis with which he had won a league-high six races the previous season; but crashed it in the closing moments of practice.
Looking back, it seems that event put him and his team into a spiral from which they never recovered. This year; it took him until the last afternoon to get into the top five on the speed chart, but he ended the test very satisfied.
"I feel like we made some pretty good gains so far," Kahne said. "I'm looking forward to [the Car of Tomorrow]. The car -- the more you drive it, the more you work with it -- the better you make it feel [and] the more you like it.
"I'm starting to like this car as far as the way it handles, and it's getting closer to the car we used to have at this place. We just have to keep working, keep fine tuning, and hopefully it will make things good."
With the Car of Tomorrow being the full-time ride for the Sprint Cup this season, Kahne is trading off an increasing affinity for the vehicle, which he said began with a few relatively strong late-season runs.
His four-session test on Monday and Tuesday reinforced it, as Kahne advanced from 33rd on the Monday morning speed chart, at 175.901 mph (30.699 seconds); to fourth on Tuesday afternoon, at 185.217 (29.155) -- an increase of 1.544 seconds.
"The thing that's been tough is we had a car that handled really well and did things a certain way," Kahne said. "We went to the Car of Tomorrow and it was like taking a step back. So on these tracks, it's the same way. It handles so much different, especially when you're off. The more you work with it, the better you get it to do the things that it needs to do to go around the track right [and] the more fun it gets to drive.
"I think mainly it's just a matter of time. The more you work with the car, the better it gets. I'm starting to like it. I mean, I didn't care for it much last year at times. I thought we were pretty far off. Right now we seem like we're kind of in the ballpark [so] we'll keep working and we'll be where we need to be."
Even with his evergreen nature, Kahne's looking forward to kicking off this season in less than three weeks with the Daytona 500, followed up two weeks later with the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas.
"I think we have a lot to learn still," Kahne said. "But we've made gains. I feel like when we come back for the race we'll be pretty strong.
"But I always feel pretty good about everything. Even last year when we were struggling, going into every Sunday, I thought, 'Hey, we can run good today. We can get things figured out and go fast.'
"A lot of times we didn't. I try to look at the bright side, try to make things right. I think they'll be good this year. It might take us a little while. I'm kind of hoping these kinds of tests -- here and California -- is going to be really good for us."
Perhaps the most significant aspect of this year's test was that Kahne's GEM teammates, the veteran Elliott Sadler and Canadian newcomer Patrick Carpentier, showed plenty of promise as well.
Sadler had two top-10 showings on the four speed charts, including sixth on the final afternoon; while Carpentier, after Kahne took a test-drive in his No. 10 Charger and suggested some set-up improvements, moved up to a session-best 21st on the final time sheet.
"They're trying things, we're trying things," Kahne said. "I just have driven these cars more than Patrick so I have a different way of explaining things compared to what he does. It was good for me to feel what it felt like, and also for his team to kind of listen to me explain it and talk to Patrick about it.
"It wasn't what I would have wanted, but there were certain things his car was doing that were really good, and then there were other things that I didn't care for as much. We talked about that stuff.
"I didn't go any faster than Patrick did. We ran about the same speed in the car. They just need to keep working on it and get him a better platform; a better setup and they'll go faster.
"It's hard to figure that stuff out. It's hard to know -- to get into the sport and know, 'OK, what's a good car, what's a bad car? That feels pretty good. Is that really pretty good or is it not pretty good?' It's difficult."
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You know how when something really great happens you look up at the sky and you get like that Ahhhhhhh feeling, god I can only hope that he has a better year this year!!!
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This thread is for the articles, press releases, discussions and comments about Kasey Kahne in the 2008 season.
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Elevationn Motorsports Group For Budweiser Racing, Press Release
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger
Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway
Qualifying for the Daytona 500
Budweiser Racing Team Notes of Interest
· Kasey Kahne will make his fourth career start in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona this weekend.
· Kahne qualified for the 30th annual Budweiser Shootout at Daytona by winning the pole for the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2007. Kahne also earned the pole award for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in August.
· Kahne’s best finish in the Budweiser Shootout is ninth, a position he earned during his first start in the annual race. His best start is fifth, the starting position he randomly selected during the 2007 edition of the Shootout.
Kasey Kahne Discusses Racing in the Budweiser Shootout
How cool is it to be racing in a special event that belongs to your primary sponsor?
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool to be able to be a part of the Shootout and have Budweiser as my sponsor. It’s all pretty exciting. Budweiser is one of the most respected sponsors in all of sports and the entire team is excited to get the season started as the Budweiser team.”
What kind of advantage is there for teams competing in the Budweiser Shootout?
“I think track time is pretty important with these new cars. It’s just a different handling car that’s different to work on and to drive. It’s going to take time and with these new testing rules you need as much time on the track as you can get. So I do think there is an advantage for the teams competing in the Budweiser Shootout.”
What would it mean to win the Shootout now with Budweiser as your sponsor?
“That would obviously be a best-case situation for the team and me. I always want to win but it would be more special to be able to win this race with Budweiser as my sponsor and it being my first race with them. We feel like we had a good test at Daytona and learned some things that will help us for both the Shootout and the 500.”
This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.
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Kahne ready to get back to work
After Vegas test, Kahne sees a return to past glory
Kasey Kahne Budweiser Shoootout Preview
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