GEM's test gains end with Kahne as fastest of the fast

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Mark McArdle had to be smiling in North Carolina at the Gillett Evernham Motorsports shop as Sprint Cup Series Preseason Thunder ended Wednesday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway.

GEM opened Preseason Thunder last week with driver Elliott Sadler posting mid-pack times on the single-car and drafting speed charts, with his No. 19 Dodge.

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But his teammates, Kasey Kahne in the No. 9 Dodge and Sprint Cup newcomer Patrick Carpentier in the No. 10 Charger, used his baseline settings to good effect.

"We got some information and some things that made us better at the start [of the test]," Kahne said. "And then we did some things that Elliott and the 19 guys weren't able to do and I felt like we got better.

"So I think you just put everybody together -- three teams, four teams or whatever your company has -- and make the best out of it. Now we have two or three weeks to work on things and be ready for the Bud Shootout and then the [Daytona] 500 the following week, so this was a good test when you're starting at the Daytona 500."

Kahne, who posted the preseason's fastest drafting test lap when he circled the 2.5-mile tri-oval in 47.591 seconds, an average speed of 189.111 mph, said McArdle's impact in his new role had already been felt.

Earlier Wednesday afternoon McArdle, who previously had served as vice president and managing director of Gillett Evernham Engines, was officially named GEM's vice president and managing director of competition.

So when his two teams that were in Daytona responded with respectable three-day performance gains, Kahne made as strong a statement outside the car as he had from inside it.

Dodges, which lagged on the single-car speed chart in the two Preseason Thunder sessions, stepped up Wednesday and posted five of the top-10 speeds on the final drafting cumulative speed chart; and Kahne said McArdle had played a big part in his own progress, at least.

"I think, for the last month [McArdle] has kind of been in his new role, and it's helped," Kahne said. "The shop's been better -- everybody I've talked to at the shop thinks things are better now -- but yeah, for them to announce it and to know what the real plan is, is a good thing.

"He's going to do a lot for us. He's going to help our team a lot. He does a lot with structure, and he plans ahead -- he has a plan for everything and he has structure and people in place and in charge of certain areas and that's going to help.

"At times we've had a lot of things thrown at us, the last couple of years -- the last three years, or four years -- and we need a better structure, we need a better plan and that's what he's going to bring."

Kahne said the structure transferred the information from Sadler's first test, to his and Carpentier's teams.

"Patrick definitely did improve with qualifying stuff and we made a lot of race runs -- drafting things, to figure that out more," Kahne said. "So as far as working together, I think all three teams did, and we learned a lot that will help us.

What to do?

Ray Evernham enters this NASCAR season like none other in recent memory. The former championship crew chief turned owner is looking to find his niche with restructured GEM.

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"Elliott's team helped us out and we were a little closer when drafting started than we would have been if we just would have unloaded [on our own]."

But Kahne said he would have been happy to be in Daytona even if his familiar No. 9 hadn't been so fast.

"Just to get back in the car was the most pleasant aspect of it, for me," Kahne said. "I was excited to get into the car with Budweiser on it, so it's 2008, we had a good test and the car was fast at times and I feel like it's a good starting point."

Having a fast, comfortable car was a key for Kahne, especially in the draft.

"It's actually real comfortable," Kahne said. "I think when you get more cars on the track it'll be less comfortable and that's when things will get better -- when the racing will get better and more exciting, for myself, anyways -- but our speed [Wednesday] was very comfortable."

The Gillett Evernham management team, including co-owners George Gillett Jr. and team founder Ray Evernham, obviously were comfortable with McArdle's promotion.

"This is another example of the business and performance-related improvements Ray Evernham and I are committed to making," Gillett said. "The goal is to position our resources and leadership where they will have the greatest impact, conduct assessments and then make any additional strategic investments necessary to compete for championships.

"That's what we expect as an organization and we are committed to delivering that level of performance to our partners."

McArdle spent 10 years building engines in the Championship Auto Racing Teams open-wheel circuit with organizations such as Penske Racing and Mercedes-Benz. After visiting Victory Lane in the Indianapolis 500 three times, McArdle made the move to NASCAR and has been with his current organization since 2003.

In addition to his management responsibilities at Gillett Evernham Engines, he also provided oversight and direction to Advanced Engine Technology, the Gillett Evernham facility based in Northhamptonshire, England.

"We are promoting Mark to this role based on his remarkable performance and innumerable contributions to Gillett Evernham Motorsports over the past five seasons, especially with our engine program," Evernham said. "Mark has an exceptional understanding of the technical side of this business, but additionally he understands that the foundation of this business is people.

"He has an outstanding reputation with his effective management style and is a proven team leader that is committed to excellence and delivering results."

"I am very grateful to both Ray Evernham and George Gillett for the trust they are placing in me," McArdle said in the announcement. "Our goal is to win races and championships and until we do that I won't rest and neither will our employees at this race shop.

"This company has a history of winning races and I fully expect we will resume that tradition here shortly."

Kahne won a league-leading six races in 2006 but is currently mired in a 41-race winless stretch that goes back to the end of that season. Sadler hasn't won in 119 races, since late in the 2004 season.

Carpentier has three career starts, with his best finish, 22nd, coming in his debut this past August at Watkins Glen International.