Press Release
Kasey Kahne to make 100th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup start at Dover International Speedway
Release date: September 17, 2006
Contact: Gary Camp
Director of Public Relations
Dover International Speedway
(302) 857-3212
DOVER, Del. — Kasey Kahne, one of NASCAR’s most popular young drivers, will make his 100th career start at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, September 24, 2006. This accomplishment is the latest in a string of career milestones for the 26-year-old Enumclaw, Wash. native.
“It doesn’t seem like that many starts. I guess that’s because I enjoy what I do. I want to race,” said Kahne. “The 36-race season takes a toll. We’re racing February to November. However, when the season is over, in a couple of weeks I’m ready to go again, ready for Daytona.”
Although Kahne is young and fairly new to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit, he is already a consistent fan favorite everywhere he goes. Most of his fame can be attributed to his on-track prowess, compiling awards and statistics comparable to great drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson.
 | | Photo by Getty Images |
Kasey Kahne - through 99 Cup races
6 wins
10 poles
42 top-10 starts
27 top-5 finishes
36 top-10 finishes
37 races led
1,628 laps led
Jimmie Johnson - through 99 Cup races
10 wins
7 poles
50 top-10 Starts
35 top-5 finishes
57 top-10 finishes
50 races led
2,480 laps led
Jeff Gordon - through 99 Cup races
12 wins
10 poles
63 top-10 starts
35 top-5 finishes
52 top-10 finishes
64 races led
3,771 laps led
Tony Stewart - through 99 Cup races
12 wins
4 poles
45 Top-10 starts
37 Top-5s
62 Top-10s
42 Races Led
2,778 Laps Led
 | | Photo by Getty Images |
Few rookies impacted the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series the way Kahne did in 2004. In his first season with Evernham Motorsports, Kahne had 13 top-five finishes and four poles. He finished 13th in the season point standings and easily claimed the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title. In May 2005, Kahne started on the pole and won at Richmond International Raceway for his first ever Cup victory.
“My rookie season was unreal. When I was chosen by Ray (Evernham) to replace Bill (Elliott) in the No. 9, I knew I was getting in a great car. But I didn’t expect to get off to the kind of start we had with all the second-place finishes,” said Kahne of his early success.
After that breakout rookie campaign, Kahne and his team struggled to make the same impact on the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup circuit during his sophomore season. “Although I got my first career (Cup) victory last year at Richmond, it was a disappointing season overall based on our expectations and what we had done the year before,” said Kahne. “All teams had to deal with NASCAR’s new spoiler rule and change in the tire compound. We also had the new Dodge Charger. It just took a little longer than expected to sort things out. We had some good runs, but not the consistency needed to challenge for wins each week and earn a spot in the Chase.”
This season Kahne and the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge team have experienced a return to form. Kahne has started on the pole four times, notching five wins, nine top-5 and 14 top-10 finishes. Kahne’s continued success propelled him into the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship, as he was able to secure the 10th and final position in the Chase with a third place finish during the last race of the regular season.
“The last four races we were points racing as hard as anybody, but we were also racing for wins as hard as anybody,” said Kahne. “There was nobody else on the track trying to lead more laps than I was at those races.
“This has been a very good season for the No. 9 team. There were crew changes made at Evernham Motorsports in the off-season. Kenny (Francis, team director), Mike (Shiplett, car director) and Keith (Rodden, engineer) came over to the No. 9 team from the No. 19, said Kahne. “We went to work doing a lot of testing in the off-season. The communication has been great. It’s like Kenny and I have been working together all along.”
In June 2006, after starting 26th, Kahne enjoyed his best run at the Monster Mile, finishing seventh in the Neighborhood Excellence 400 presented by Bank of America.
“I definitely enjoy driving Dover. It’s one of those tracks that you really attack,” says Kahne. “I thought we had that first win at Dover (2004). We had a great car and I was leading late in the race when a car in front of me dropped oil on the track. I didn’t see it. When my tires hit it, the car came around and hit the wall. We just missed making the Chase that year, but won Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. When we return to Dover in September, we will be racing for the win.”
This time around, Kahne will also be racing for the championship, and considering his late season success, may be considered one of the favorites to win it all. “I think the last month we’ve been able to really do a good job in practice and talk to Kenny about what the car’s doing and what I need to do better to be fast in the race,” he said. “I feel like the last four races I’ve figured out how I want the car at different race track because every track is a little different. If I can keep that up in the final 10 it’ll help a lot in the point standings.”
So far in 2006, Kahne has collected more wins than any other driver in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Kahne believes that the consistency his team has shown this year is the reason they are in the Chase. “You have to finish. You can’t go out there and try to make a pass too early and spin out or something like that,” he said. “You have to make it when you can clear the guy and when you know you can pass him and not get in a bad situation.”
And it all started for Kahne not that long ago. In 2000, Steve Lewis, who once employed Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, offered Kahne a sprint, midget and Silver Crown deal. In his first season, he garnered the USAC Silver Crown Rookie-of-the-Year awards, and both the USAC Midget Series Champion and Driver of the Year honors.
He won the "Night Before The 500" Classic at O’Reily Raceway Park in Indianapolis in 2000 and 2001, becoming the first driver to post back-to-back victories in the annual event since Gordon did so in 1989 and 1990.
Kahne moved to the NASCAR scene in 2002, running a limited Busch Series in preparation for a full Busch schedule in 2003. He ended the 2003 season in exciting fashion, notching his first NASCAR win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In addition to his win, he had one pole, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes en route to a seventh-place finish in the NASCAR Busch Series standings.
Now in his third year of racing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Kahne knows what is expected of him and has his sights set on a championship. “You have to stay focused all season. That’s the only way you’re going to win the NEXTEL Cup,” said Kahne.
The September 2006 race weekend includes the Sunday, Sept. 24 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, the Saturday, Sept. 23 NASCAR Busch Series race, and the Friday, Sept. 22 NASCAR Busch East Series race. Great seats for the entire race weekend are still available and can be obtained by calling 800-441-RACE or online by clicking here.
Dover International Speedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo., and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com. This release may contain forward-looking statements based on management’s beliefs and assumptions. Such statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause results to vary materially. Please refer to the SEC filings of DVD for a discussion of such factors.
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