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KASEY KAHNE<br />
At KlubKahne.<strong>com</strong>, the main man pops in<br />
from time to time to say hello — and<br />
thanks. It’s another example of how fan<br />
darling Kasey Kahne, the hot driver with the<br />
movie-star looks, is maturing into his role as<br />
NASCAR matinee idol.<br />
“I want to thank all of you who were able to<br />
<strong>com</strong>e out to our Klub Kahne Picnic Charlotte<br />
Edition,” he wrote last fall. “It was tons of fun<br />
and I really enjoyed meeting everyone. My<br />
mom was really worried about the weather but<br />
everything went off without a hitch.”<br />
Typical Kahne. A modest thank you and,<br />
of course, a nod to mom. Though he is in<br />
only his third Nextel Cup season, demand<br />
for Kahne’s apparel and memorabilia<br />
runs head-to-head with that for<br />
established stars like Jeff<br />
Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. In<br />
fact, the red No. 9 Dodge Dealers/<br />
<strong>UAW</strong> Dodge Charger cap was such<br />
a fan favorite that Evernham<br />
offered a “reverse” color design<br />
based on Kahne’s paint job at the<br />
Brickyard 400 last year. The car, cosponsored<br />
by the <strong>UAW</strong>-Daimler<strong>Chrysler</strong><br />
National Training Center, featured a<br />
predominantly white design with two<br />
red racing stripes across the length<br />
of the top. It brought good luck to<br />
Kahne, who led the race for a time<br />
and finished second.<br />
Kahne is one of a new generation<br />
of NASCAR drivers who have<br />
a legion of female fans. He was<br />
even named one of People<br />
magazine’s “50 Hottest Bachelors”<br />
in 2004. He once dated a<br />
woman who first came to his<br />
attention when USA Today ran<br />
a story about how she was a<br />
big fan. There is no shortage of women who’d<br />
love the same chance, including the admirer<br />
who made her intentions clear with a T-shirt<br />
emblazoned with “Mrs. Kasey Kahne.”<br />
Kahne seems to take his celebrity in stride.<br />
He listens to George Strait, and his favorite<br />
meal is chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.<br />
But his popularity with the female fans makes<br />
for some interesting moments, especially at<br />
signing sessions. Kahne has a clear sense of<br />
what’s proper, though, and he doesn’t cross<br />
any line. “Some girls will just walk up to you<br />
and give you a kiss on the cheek and whisper<br />
something in your ear,” he says. “You get a lot<br />
of things you wouldn’t expect.” ■<br />
A victorious Kasey Kahne<br />
22 www.uawdcx.<strong>com</strong>
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