Kasey Kahne led 152 laps at RIR on Friday as he prepared for Saturday night's main event. Credit: Autostock

Kahne learns track position lesson at RIR

RICHMOND, Va -- There were plenty of interested spectators Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, keeping a close eye on the Emerson 250 NASCAR Busch Series race.

And there were some fans, too.

But the most interested eyes belonged to the drivers and crew chiefs of the contenders for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Three of those contenders were in the race, with Kevin Harvick nailing down the best finish with a seventh-place.

Kasey Kahne ended up ninth, with Mark Martin 12th.

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Was it any kind of advantage to those three? Probably not, but getting 250 laps on the same track doesn't hurt.

"We kind of learned where the track went," Kahne said. "That was about it. We'd talk about where our Cup car is at, and we should be able to make some changes to it to hopefully help it from where the track was when we finished Happy Hour to where it should be when we start the race."

Kahne led Nextel Cup Happy Hour earlier Friday and starts 11th in Saturday night's Chevy Rock and Roll 400.

Kahne is ninth in the Nextel Cup points standings, nine ahead of 10th-place Martin and 34 ahead of 11th-place Jamie McMurray.

Richmond's .750-mile track should be racier Saturday night, Kahne said, because there will be more rubber worn in the groove.

Still, the place to be is out front.

"We couldn't do anything once we got back there," Kahne said. "I was a little free in and chattering the front tires behind cars. We were a lot better in the front."

That's for sure. Starting on the pole, Kahne dominated the first half of the race by leading 152 laps.

But he couldn't make the full 250 laps on fuel and had to pit for gas. That was his downfall.

Mark Martin never got his car dialed in -- he finished 11th. Credit: Autostock

"We couldn't make it," Kahne said. "The way everything was, we couldn't make it to the finish, so we had to pit and thought that was a good time to do it.

"We had one of the best cars. Whoever was out front didn't get passed all night. We got out front, and nobody passed us.

"The 14 got out front, and he never got passed until he got moved over. It's tough to pass the leader here."

Harvick pitted before Kahne and was able to get back in the top 10. Martin waited later in the event, but fresher tires didn't make a difference.

"We weren't very good tonight," Martin said. "We tried to get up front using pit strategy, and it didn't end up working."

But that's fine. It was only a Busch race. Saturday night's race is what really matters to the Nextel Cup guys.

Kevin Harvick (left) with Nextel Cup crew chief Todd Berrier Credit: Autostock

Martin is the all-time leader in Busch Series victories, but hasn't competed in the series before this year since 2000. Martin finished second at Michigan earlier this year but said his Busch and Cup teams didn't compare notes.

The two cars are different and need slightly different setups, Martin said. But his Nextel Cup crew paid attention to Friday's race.

"Yes, they will be watching closely," Martin said. "And I will be paying close attention to the things I can sense and feel and walk away with that might help us tomorrow night.

"But anything we might learn will be very, very minute, even though it's all those minute things that add up to something big that are enough to make a difference.

"We're going to use the race tonight as an opportunity to possibly get to know something we might not have seen."

That's the idea.

Besides, it's also a welcome break from the pressure of the Race to the Nextel Cup. Now, it's time to race.

"I'd say, 'Let's get it on,'" Kahne said. "Let's have the race. Let's get it over with and have those final 10. Whether we're in or not, we're going to run good the last 10 races."