Kasey Kahne Ready to Make His Move

Holding off Tony Stewart on multiple late-race, double-file restarts on a road course may turn out to be the easier proposition for Sunday's race winner Kasey Kahne.

Capitalizing on the momentum from the victory and avoiding drama in the final days that set the Chase for the Championship 12-driver field ... that's another story.

Kahne said Tuesday he's up for the challenge.

"That might be one of the reasons I like racing ... all the pressure and the excitement,'' Kahne said. "I don't mind it, I enjoy trying to perform under pressure.''

Good thing.

With 10 races left to qualify for NASCAR's version of the playoffs, Kahne is ranked 13th -- a mere three points behind the 12th-place cutoff. For most drivers that's just inviting stress. For Kahne, it's about all he's known since NASCAR went to this format in 2004.

Kahne has teetered on the brink of a making a title run two of the last three years when entering the final "regular season" race at Richmond, Va. -- standing a few points from cracking the top 12 or a few points from falling out of it.

In 2006 he made the cut and went on to finish a career-best eighth in the final standings. Last year he missed it and finished 14th in the championship.

"It always seems a little different from year to year, but for some reason it always seems like we're in that 10th to 14th place position,'' Kahne said.

"I've learned anything can happen at any time, especially when it's winding down. We've been through them all (scenarios). We just need to be strong here the next five races especially.''

Kahne is a "verge" driver in another sense as well.

He's on the verge of making the Chase -- which given his talent, he should -- and he's on he verge of needing a fresh start, which may serve him just as well.

When Stewart indicated last week that he'd be open to adding a third car to the Stewart-Haas Racing stable, Kahne's name was logically among the first to come up. (That is, assuming the Danica Patrick-Tony Stewart volatility potential overrides the hype factor of that matchup.)

Stewart and Kahne have been friends for a long time and share a similar racing background. They help each others' charitable foundations and have a friendly rivalry as World of Outlaws and USAC team owners.

Best of all for this situation, they have a healthy respect for each others' talents.

Kahne's career -- which includes the 2004 Rookie of the Year honors and a 10-win resume -- could use a jump-start. His marketability is an easy sell to potential sponsors even in a zipped up economy and he currently has the Budweiser brand.

Beyond all that -- Kahne wins. And that's what really matters most to he and Stewart, who was among the first to stop by Victory Lane Sunday afternoon in Sonoma, Calif., to congratulate Kahne on his first road course win.

"It's pretty neat when you have someone like him come in and do that,'' Kahne said, adding with a laugh. "It was awesome to race with Tony and be able to beat him once in a while.''


Of course the other person in Victory Lane with him was the namesake of Kahne's Richard Petty Motorsports team. And that made a big impact on Kahne, too.

Since Kahne's Gillett Evernham Motorsports team merged with the Petty's team and took on the new RPM moniker this season, Kahne has often spoken of his strong desire to help Petty get back to Victory Lane.

Kahne's win Sunday was "The King's" first visit there since 1999.

"To see the fans' reaction to Richard Petty was eye-opening,'' said Kahne.

Imagine the fans' reaction to seeing Petty there more frequently. Having the sport's legend in the championship mix might just be the antidote to a season when NASCAR's current superstar, Dale Earnhardt Jr., isn't performing up to expectations.

A few days removed from his first win of the season, Kahne couldn't be more hopeful.

The new Dodge R6 engine has made a noticeable difference in Kahne's performance in the two races he's had it. He's scheduled to run it again Sunday in New Hampshire and shot down internet rumors that he would be driving a Toyota by season's end.

The new engine, along with better-constructed cars and improved communication between he and his Kenny Francis-led team have put him in the best position to contend on a consistent basis all year.

"The timing is perfect,'' Kahne said. "with the new cars, latest engines ... with all new stuff, it feels like February almost.''