 | | Kasey Kahne has one more chance to make it into the Chase. Credit: Autostock |
Official Release
September 6, 2006
03:12 PM EDT (19:12 GMT)
Kasey is the only driver outside the current top 10 eligible to race his way into the Chase. Kahne leads the series with five victories this season, but trails 10th-place Jeff Burton by 30 points going into Richmond. Q: Would you consider this season a disappointment if you did not make the Chase, especially with having the most wins of anybody this year? Kahne: I don't think it would be a disappointment. It would definitely be upsetting that we didn't make it. You know, somebody is not going to make it. The season we've had has been an awesome season. We're hopefully not done winning, whether we're in or not, I think we still have some wins in us. It's what it is. Hopefully we do everything right this weekend to make the Chase and we don't have to worry about anything else. Q: With the points race being as close as it is, have you found yourself one position short of making the Chase on the last lap with someone in front of you, how would you approach the car in front of you at Richmond this weekend? Kahne: Just race like I always race, thoughtful, try to pass every car that I can see. I don't think you want to get into a Chase by swiping somebody out on the last lap. I don't think that's the way to do it. Just race like I always race and be aggressive and bring the car home in one piece and see where we end up in the points. Q: You typically do pretty well in the Cup race when you race in the Busch race that same weekend. Whose idea was it that you kind of limit your schedule this weekend, is that something you guys are consciously doing? Kahne: Actually, you know, when I do race Busch, it seems like we raced pretty good in the Cup car like you're saying. This weekend I was supposed to race at Busch and we decided not to. I'm thinking about it now, kind of wishing I was, but either way, it should be all right. It will give me more time to focus on the Cup car.  |
| Inside the Numbers |
| Kasey Kahne in 2006 |
| Race |
Start |
Finish |
| Daytona |
27 |
11 |
| Fontana |
13 |
4 |
| Las Vegas |
5 |
4 |
| Atlanta |
1 |
1 |
| Bristol |
23 |
10 |
| Martinsville |
5 |
35 |
| Texas |
1 |
1 |
| Phoenix |
22 |
6 |
| Talladega |
37 |
39 |
| Richmond |
6 |
34 |
| Darlington |
1 |
21 |
| Charlotte |
9 |
1 |
| Dover |
26 |
7 |
| Pocono |
3 |
7 |
| Michigan |
1 |
1 |
| Sonoma |
6 |
31 |
| Daytona |
38 |
25 |
| Chicago |
3 |
23 |
| Loudon |
11 |
8 |
| Pocono |
3 |
31 |
| Indianapolis |
4 |
36 |
| Watkins Glen |
2 |
22 |
| Michigan |
15 |
4 |
| Bristol |
31 |
12 |
| Fontana |
9 |
1 |
| Average |
12.1 |
15.0 |
|
 |
Last week the Busch car actually really helped the Cup side because I learned some things driving that car and then we used the Cup setup to help that car out. So it was definitely a big part of why we did so well was running both at California. Q: Are you looking at Saturday night's race as a match race between you and Jeff because you're so close in points? Kahne: Not really. Not at all. I'm looking at, you know, just doing everything we can. I think Jeff's going to be good. His car was really good in the first race there. Tony Stewart, Mark Martin are all going to be good. As close as all three of those guys are, it's just going to come down to what happens late in the race. I don't really look at one guy as who I have to beat or not. We just got to go out there and try to beat everybody. Q: Would this be the kind of race that you go out 100 percent from start to end and maybe be more aggressive than usual? Kahne: I think it's going to be similar to California. I didn't give up any position easy. I battled to try to lead as many possible laps. Cars were better than I was and I tried to battle with them and hold them off. That's what you have to do if you want to gain as many points as possible. Q: You may not have an objective opinion on this issue, but if you don't make the Chase, and you have five wins, right now obviously you're leading the series, do you think that's a flaw in the Chase points system, after the first 26 races, should the guy with the most wins automatically be in the Chase? Kahne: I don't know what they will do with that or if they feel like changing it. I feel you start doing stuff like that, next thing you know, why even have points? Just give people bonuses for doing certain things that make the fans happy. I'm not really for that. I think you need to put a full season together if you want to go for a championship. If you want to be in the Chase, you need to have a full season. It can't be hit and miss. We missed for a little while and now we're back on, and hopefully we have enough time to make it. We'll just see what happens. But the other two guys with the most wins are first and second. Usually when you have a lot of wins, you're good in points. We just screwed up for a couple of weeks. Q: You have the most wins in the series, but you're 11th, how much do you think getting into the Chase has become points racing and running consistently versus getting wins? Kahne: I think it all helps. If we didn't have five wins, we wouldn't be even be close to making the Chase. We've had some other races that we didn't do as well as some of the other teams and got behind a little bit. If we would have just been consistent and not won five races and won one race, we wouldn't be close in points. You've definitely got to win races and I think you've got to be consistent at the same time if you want to make it in there. Q: You were nervous going into last week, is there other nerves going into this week, and knowing that it's all on the line right now? Kahne: Yeah, there's definitely going to be some nerves going into the race. There is at every race, and then this one has just got a little bit more on the line. There's a lot relying on what we do on Saturday night. I look forward to it. I enjoy the pressure and I enjoy being in this position. I think it's pretty cool that we still have a chance to make the Chase and that we're running as good as we're running. Q: Is there any kicking yourself over the final laps at Indy and Watkins Glen at this point, knowing if you had finished those races, you would be in pretty securely right now? Kahne: Yeah, definitely. You look back at the driver and you beat yourself up over certain stuff. But I mean, if I start looking back at that, I've got to look at the engine that broke, I've got to look at running terrible on restrictor-plate tracks and not running good at other places and things. So there's always things you can look at and be mad at yourself for or depressed about, but, you know, you've got to look forward if you want to go fast and win races. Q: Has Kenny [Francis, crew chief] revealed any wisdom or special plans for the weekend, especially since he hit the home run a few years ago and raced his way in at Richmond? Kahne: No, he's been doing the same stuff. He's going to be aggressive with setups and things like that. Adjustments, we'll be aggressive with those during the race, but it's just where it's at. He did a good job the last time he was in this position, and he got back in the hunt this last weekend in California. That guy is always up to make our car quick and to make everybody happy and proud. Q: NASCAR in California made an announcement regarding the Chase in case there is a tie this year. How did that give you, knowing what might happen at Richmond, a better feeling knowing that if there is a tie between whoever is in 10th and 11th, that both of you would go in instead of it going to the tiebreaker that they had talked about before? Kahne: Yeah, I mean, I think that's pretty cool that they did that. I really think you should be in. You know, if you're tied for 10th or if you're 11th and close enough to the leader in points, you should be in. I think that's good that they made that clear and everybody knows going in. I wouldn't mind tying and having 11 cars in the Chase. I think that would be pretty cool, too. So just whatever happens. But it's definitely good to know that, you know, that with a tie, you are in. Q: I have talked to a lot of drivers at this time of year who are in a chance for a championship. And it's down to the last trace race, and it will be two or three drivers and they all tell me about when we talk about pressure, they all say, "Well, you know, I've put a lot of pressure on myself." That's a standard answer. What's the real answer about going into something where so much is at stake? Kahne: Man, you just want to perform, you want to do your best, do everything you can to run up front and just make everybody that's part of Evernham Motorsports happy. It's tough to do, but it's just pressure, that's the way it is. That's why we do this stuff. We enjoy it, and at least I enjoy it and pressure's cool. It's good to have once in awhile to get through and when you wake up Sunday morning, I'm going to know where I'm at and hopefully we're in. Q: Can you describe anything in your past racing experience that prepares you for being this close to the Chase? Kahne: I don't know. I think this weekend, you know, last weekend at California prepared us pretty well. We just know that we need to step up and gain points, and we did that. So we'll go into Richmond the same way as we went into California and try to do that again, lead as many laps as possible and get all the points we can get. We're ready. I've been in a lot of pressure situations over my time racing, and it's time to step up and see what happens. | 
