Kahne looks to bounce back from Sonoma disappointment

By SceneDaily Staff
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
$util.encode.html($content.photo.alt)

Jerry Markland
Getty Images

Kasey Kahne had high hopes for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Infineon Speedway after winning his first road-course pole, but he ended up 33rd with an ill-handling car.
 
Kahne hopes to bounce back from that disappointing finish with a solid performance in this weekend’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
 
“It was frustrating to say the least, to start on the pole and then finish 33rd,” Kahne said. “Sonoma is always tough for us, and it seemed like if it could go wrong, it did last Sunday.
 
“But this week is a new week, and we’re going to a track that’s been pretty good to us over the years. We really haven’t had too many cars capable of winning at Loudon, but we’ve usually been good enough to run in the top 10 or top 15. This weekend, it’s going to be important for us to get some of the momentum back.”
 
Kahne had finished first and second in his two races before Infineon, but the last time he finished worse than 30th (a 31st at Dover), he bounced back to win at Pocono Raceway.
 
Kahne is ninth in the Sprint Cup standings, but he’s only 68 points ahead of 13th-place Kevin Harvick with 10 races left for the Chase For The Sprint Cup, where 12 drivers battle for the 2008 championship.
 
“I’m not super-comfortable with where we are at in the points,” Kahne said. “We definitely need to keep staying after it and keep gaining points and doing everything we can to stay in the top 12. We definitely have a lot of work to get in, and there are a lot of good cars still on the outside and right behind us. We need to keep working. There are a lot of good tracks coming up for us. We’ve been fast at a lot of the upcoming tracks.”
 
Kahne said he doesn’t try to race against the drivers around him in the Cup standings.
 
“All I look at is our performance in the Budweiser Dodge and what we need to work on each day,” Kahne said. “We have to focus on the best job that we can do and get the best finish that we can get. Whether that’s a 30th, 20th or first place, it doesn’t matter to me.
 
“If its 30th, it’s not what we’re looking for, but 30th is better than 35th. We just have to get our best finish – every single weekend at every single race. If we do that, I think that we’ll have a really good shot at making the Chase.”

Mentioned Drivers: Kasey Kahne

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: All comments are subject to filtering for language, and libelous content. Comments are intended to encourage spirited debate and discussion about the subject matter contained within the articles and ARE NOT intended for personal or demeaning attacks directed at other users. We reserve the right to remove any comments deemed inappropriate. Users who violate this policy may be banned from posting comments on the site.

Comment Preview

Nov 8, 2009 at 1:35 PM
You said:

You must login before you can post comments or rate content.

If you don't have an account you can create a free one here.

2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

NASCAR Schedules

abc

Dickies 500

Texas Motor Speedway
03:31 PM, 11/08/2009

Poll PositionView All

Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?

Promotions

  • Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!

  • Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.

  • Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.

  • Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.

  • Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.

NASCAR Community Join the Community

In the Forums View All

Presented by

Don't have an account yet?

Insiders Guide to NASCAR

Register with SceneDaily.com and get access to the following features:

  • FREE Insider’s Guide to NASCAR (available as a PDF download)
  • Daily NASCAR news updates delivered directly to your e-mail
  • Pre-race and Post-race emails delivered each race week
  • Ability to comment on blog and news articles
  • Information on new website features and upcoming contests
Create my Account

Login

Forgot Password?
Login or Create an Account