Kasey Kahne edged his way into the Chase by winning at California and finishing third at Richmond. Credit: Autostock

Kahne relieved, focused after making Chase field

Third-year driver the only Dodge representative in 10-race playoff

RICHMOND, Va. -- Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, Kasey Kahne proved why he could be a threat to win his first Nextel Cup championship -- after his participation in the Chase for the Nextel Cup was very uncertain coming into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Kasey Kahne's concerned look took a different tone after he crossed the finish line at Richmond. Credit: Autostock

Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kevin Harvick Chevy 2. Kyle Busch Chevy 3. Kasey Kahne Dodge 4. Dave Blaney Dodge 5. Mark Martin Ford 6. Greg Biffle Ford 7. Ken Schrader Ford 8. Matt Kenseth Ford 9. Jeff Burton Chevy 10. Scott Riggs Dodge • Complete results, click here Victory LaneKevin Harvick secures Chase berth with Richmond win Top finisherJeff Gordon talks about his race at Richmond Final lapsKevin Harvick gets by Kyle Busch for the win at Richmond PaybackJimmie Johnson and Jeff Green feud on the track Saturday Caution outJohnson and Edwards involved in a spin on Lap 80 Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Kahne's No. 9 Dodge finished the season's 26th race in third, as Chase contenders took six of the top 10 positions. It provided a great relief for Kahne, who never asked about his points standing until he took the checkers.

Kahne ended up 16 points ahead of defending Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart, who will consequently finish out of the top 10 for the first time in his eight-year career.

"I'm just relieved that I'm in [because] I had so many things to think about if I didn't make it," said Kahne, who'd failed in two previous attempts to make the Chase. "To make it is huge for myself -- my whole team did an awesome job."

Kahne, who entered the night 30 points out of the critical top 10, charged from his 20th starting position and was a fixture in the top 10 for 90 percent of the 400 laps around the .75-mile oval.

"I couldn't be happier," Kahne said. "I raced hard the entire race. With 15 laps to go, I knew I was not going to get second, so I decided to hold onto third and I just took it easy.

"I didn't want to do anything stupid -- I had to bring the car home in one piece. After that, it was all about bringing it home in the top 10. We were able to do that [and] I want to thank all the people who helped us get into the Chase [because] I've been nervous."

The evening recalled how Kahne, the series' leading winner with five victories, performed through the first third of the season, when he spent eight of the first nine weeks ranked fourth or better in the standings.

Actually, the result was Kahne's 14th top-10 of the season, which is more indicative of how he might perform in the Chase.

"Well, that level [at the beginning of the season] was pretty good," Kahne said. "I would never have expected to win four races that early in the year [so] to expect to win four in the final 10 is not something that I'm going to do for sure.

"I think that we can race competitively, consistently in the top 10 throughout the rest of the year if we do everything that we need to do."

While Stewart never untied himself from the knot he started the evening in, Kahne remained in the race's top five from the first time he appeared there, at about Lap 180, through the finish.

"We fought really hard all year long, and I had some mistakes, you know, a month ago and lost a lot of points for our team," Kahne said. "That's something that's really been on my mind. If I was to miss [the Chase] that would be the thing I would think about all winter long."

Chase for the Nextel Cup Standings Pos. Driver Behind 1. Matt Kenseth Leader 2. Jimmie Johnson -5 3. Kevin Harvick -10 4. Kyle Busch -15 5. Denny Hamlin -20 6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -25 7. Mark Martin -30 8. Jeff Burton -35 9. Jeff Gordon -40 10. Kasey Kahne -45 • Complete standings, click here SUPERSTORE •   Get Chase merchandise now! Points leaderMatt Kenseth decribes how it feels to be the points leader Five points outJohnson assesses his title chances as he enters the Chase Chase qualifierDale Jr. talks about how he is pleased with his team RelievedMark Martin earns a Chase spot, chance for first title In the showKasey Kahne takes the final spot in the Chase Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

But Kahne's performance Saturday night made such fears irrelevant.

Kahne squeaked past Stewart into the top 10 in the standings by Lap 40 and never fell out save for a brief period at about Lap 100, when Stewart scratched his way up to 14th -- virtually the furthest forward he advanced all night.

"It was definitely big to make it in, and to have the run we had [Saturday night]," Kahne said. "We battled for the lead, led one lap and to be close to [runner-up Kyle] Busch and [race winner Kevin] Harvick was big."

Kahne's performance heading to the cutoff for the Chase, which included a Busch-Nextel Cup sweep last weekend at California Speedway and a solid evening Saturday, had crew chief Kenny Francis smiling early Sunday morning because he qualified for his third consecutive Chase after making the previous two while working with Jeremy Mayfield.

"I'm feeling relief right now," Francis said while relaxing in his hauler's lounge. "Yeah, this is the way we ran at the beginning of the year, but we had some good races through the summer, too -- but we had a few bad ones, unfortunately.

"But this is some relief, and maybe some justification to run the last two races so well. We thought we had a shot at winning [Saturday], but we just got a little too tight at the end and we didn't know how big of an adjustment to make to try to win the race."

Francis said that heading into the Chase's opening event next weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway was pretty big since his team had put back-to-back strong weekends together.

"It means a lot," Francis said. "We've got a great team -- most of us have been together, what, for four years?

"We've got Keith Rodden, our engineer, and some of the guys on the pit crew are new -- but we came together earlier this year, some of the guys were new to Kasey and he was new to them, so it's pretty cool to make it."

Kahne's qualification for the Chase avoided a big bullet for Dodge, as the third-year driver was the only DaimlerChrysler entry to make it. But with Evernham Motorsports teammate Scott Riggs (10th) and Elliott Sadler (16th) having another good event, spirits were high in the Evernham camp.

"Hat's off to Kasey Kahne -- I'm really proud of him for making the Chase," Sadler said. "I know he really wanted it and it's nice to see him make it [because] he's a cool customer to be so young.

"I think he might be one of the guys to watch in these last 10 races. I think he can win it all, and we'll do everything we can to help his team. He's really accomplished a lot the past two weeks."

"I couldn't have won [Saturday], but we easily had a top-three car all night," Kahne said. "It's exciting to be in the Chase. That was our goal when the season started and I'm really happy that we made it.

"We have the most wins [this season], and I think we have a good start to the final 10. We ran first and third the final two weeks, and we're going to take this momentum to New Hampshire and focus on the championship now."