2005 Racing Issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

LEFT CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: GETTY (2), BOB MAHONEY; THIS PAGE: GETTY
motorcoach and Cole is his spotter.
Kasey won four events in his first
year on the micro-midget tour. After
more success, winning the Hannigan
Speedway Championship in Washington
and the Northwest Mini-
Sprint Car Championship, Kahne’s
performance caught the eye of Steve
Lewis, owner of U.S. Auto Club’s
Lewis Racing. Kahne became the first
driver since Jeff Gordon to win the
“Night Before the 500” race at
Indianapolis back-to-back. After successful
Busch Series runs in 2002 and
2003, Kahne was more than ready
for the Nextel Cup.
Deep down, observers say, the kid
has an uncanny intuition about
driving that usually takes years to
develop. “He can be as good as anyone,”
says No. 9 owner Ray Evernham.
“He’s come to us with incredible
natural ability. But unlike a few racers
who’ve come up to this level, he’s
determined to work as hard as he can
with this natural ability. That’s what
sets him apart.”
Ask Kahne about any Star Wars–
like “force” within, and you’ll get a
polite denial. “I’m doing the same
thing I’ve always done,” he says,
“racing to win, gunning to get to the
front. I’ve been doing that with
midget cars, sprint cars, Nextel Cup
cars — it doesn’t matter.”
Well, he concedes that maybe a little
Jedi-style karma does enter in.
“Yeah, maybe there’s a point where a
special sort of instinct kicks in.” But
let’s not make too much of it, OK?
Kahne is young, but levelheaded. “It
really just comes down to racing,” he
says. Case closed.
Seasoned veterans are taking
notice. “He races like there’s no
tomorrow,” says teammate Jeremy
Mayfield, a Top 10 championship
contender last season. “That’s what
makes him and his team so strong.
The No. 9 team has a strong, winning
tradition, and he’s doing a great
job of keeping it going.”
The fact that Kahne is gunning for
MY
TRACK
FAVORITE
Jeremy Mayfield, driver of
No. 19 Dodge: “My favorite track is
Richmond. That’s where we won the
big race that got us into the Chase.
It’s a day I’ll never forget.”
Casey Mears, driver of No. 41
Dodge: “I like the mile-and-a-half
tracks — Texas, Atlanta and Lowe’s.
I came up with an Indy background,
going 240 mph. These NASCAR
tracks come closest to that adrenaline
rush.”
Kasey Kahne at the
Darlington Raceway.
“I LOVE DARLINGTON.
YOU’RE RUNNING RIGHT
UP THERE NEXT TO THE
FENCE. AT ANY POINT, YOU
CAN RUN INTO THE WALL.”
Kasey Kahne
Driver of No. 9 Dodge
a championship in a Dodge Charger
this year only makes it more exciting.
“We’re really going to do well in this
car — it’s a great move by Dodge.
The car looks and runs great. Every
year, Dodge is focused on making the
cars better and better, and that’s
what the Charger is all about.” ■
Kasey Kahne, driver of No. 9
Dodge: “I love Darlington. You’re running
right up there next to the fence.
At any point, you can run into the
wall. On every lap, you have old tires
racing against new tires. It’s even
tricky getting on and off the pit road.
Drivers love that kind of challenge.”
Ken Schrader, driver of No.
49 Dodge: “Daytona and Darlington
are neat because of the history. But
from a competitor’s standpoint, I’d
say Richmond. It’s a short track, but
multi-grooved. You can pass high or
low, and new tires can make a huge
difference, which allows for different
pit strategies.”
Ryan Newman, driver of No. 12
Dodge: “Darlington is hands-down my
favorite to drive. I don’t say race,
because at Darlington you race the
track, not the competition. To win at
Darlington, you have to be on top of
your game.”
Jamie McMurray, driver of
the No. 42 Dodge: “At Darlington,
you can make the most difference as
a driver. In fact, if you pointed a
camera at our feet all race long,
you’d see how hard we’re driving.”
TOMORROW SPECIAL RACING 2005 17