Kahne appreciates Atlanta
Answers to pressing questions heading into Sunday’s Bass Pro Shops 500 Nextel Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Question: Why are all eyes on Kasey Kahne this week?
Answer: The 26-year-old driver from Enumclaw, Wash., feels right at home at Atlanta, where he not only won in March but has finished in the top five in four of his five career starts.
This weekend’s Bass Pro Shops 500, like next weekend’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, will be contested on a 1.5-mile track. Kahne has excelled on those layouts this season, winning four of seven races at that distance.
Although he’s eighth in the standings, Kahne has moved to within 99 points of the leader, thanks to three consecutive top-10 finishes, including his victory at Lowe’s Motor Speedway two weeks ago. He trailed by 273 points after the Chase for the Nextel Cup’s third race at Kansas.
Q: Why is Kahne’s Dodge Charger so good on 1.5-mile ovals?
A: Clearly, Ray Evernham Motorsports’ efforts to make the Charger aerodynamically efficient on the 1.5-mile tracks have paid off.
Of Kahne’s six victories, five have come with chassis No. 128, the chassis Evernham will run this week at Atlanta. Coincidentally, Kahne is partial to a nearly identical car, which he won with at Lowe’s.
“Chassis 128 is the car that’s won five races, but really, all year long, it’s never been my favorite car,” Kahne said. “It’s just won the races. It’s been the lucky car – the car that’s up front when it counts.”
Q: Matt Kenseth leads the Chase going into Sunday’s race. What’s the chance he’ll lead coming out, and how does he feel about Atlanta?
A: “It’s a lot of fun for the drivers – it’s so fast with so much room to pass,” Kenseth said. “Each mile-and-a-half track is a little bit different.
Atlanta’s just real wide and has got a lot of banking to it. Since it’s aged for a while, it’s got several different grooves, and it wears the tires out fast.”
We’ll see what Kenseth thinks about Atlanta after the race. He hasn’t won there in 13 starts but does have six top-10s.
Mathematically, his chances of leaving Georgia with the lead are not great, simply because any one of nine drivers could take over.
Q: Which other Chase drivers are a threat at Atlanta?
A: Jimmie Johnson, a 2004 winner at Atlanta, has a history of success with five top-10s in 10 races, and teammate Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with four wins and 17 top-10 finishes in 28 starts.
Mark Martin has two victories and 13 top-fives in his 41 Atlanta starts, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., though winless, has eight top-10s in 14 races.