Hendrick employees receive Gordon commemorative rings

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Staff Report

Photos courtesy of Jeff Gordon‘s Twitter account, @JeffGordonWeb

Christmas arrived in April at Hendrick Motorsports on Tuesday, and it was worth the wait. Four-time champion Jeff Gordon was on hand with team owner Rick Hendrick to distribute some pretty slick hardware.

Celebrating Gordon’s career in style, Hendrick and the NASCAR on FOX broadcaster gave out more than 600 rings commemorating the driver of the No. 24’s legendary career.

Gordon tweeted about the special gathering.

Handing out career commemorating rings to everyone @TeamHendrick. Thankful to be part of this organization. #TeamJG pic.twitter.com/VkFJG3UhiX

— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) April 26, 2016

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Staff Report

RELATED: Buy Darlington tickets | ’16 throwback schemes | SHOP: Bayne gear

Trevor Bayne and Roush Fenway Racing have unveiled the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford that will take the track at Darlington Raceway for the Bojangles’ Southern 500 (Sept. 4, 6 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) on Labor Day weekend.

Bayne’s car will carry the same red, white and blue design that Mark Martin‘s Ford did during the 1996 and 1997 seasons in the sport’s top series. Martin won four races with the look in the two years.

“It’s an honor any time you are mentioned alongside Mark Martin,” Bayne said in a team release. “He obviously contributed a lot to Roush Fenway and this organization, so to carry a paint scheme that he ran for the second year in a row is really cool. Our team has been working really hard and running well this season, so I’m hopeful that we can make Mark proud.”

Last year at Darlington, Bayne honored a different paint scheme that Martin drove in 1998. You can see that paint scheme here.

“It’s going to be really cool to see that car on the track again at Darlington,” Martin said in a team release. “It’s always been one of my favorite paint schemes and we had a lot of good times taking that car to Victory Lane and leading a lot of laps during that time. I look at it as a tribute to all the guys that put the hard work in on those cars and gave us the opportunity to go out and compete each week.”

Check out the original look driven by Martin below.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Staff Report

Tony Stewart, fresh off his return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, is among the four drivers scheduled to take part in a two-day Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tuesday and Wednesday.

Stewart, who missed the first eight points races of the 2016 season due to a back injury, made his first start of the season in this past weekend’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway. He finished 19th in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

He is currently scheduled to qualify and start this weekend’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) but will turn over the driving duties to NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ty Dillon at some point during the race.

Drivers expected to join the three-time series champion for the Goodyear test on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis track are Aric Almirola (No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford), Carl Edwards (No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota) and Chase Elliott (No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet). Edwards enters this weekend’s race at Talladega with a two-race win streak, having won at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway.

Because it is a Goodyear test, the grandstands will not be open. However, fans may view the action from the Turn 2 viewing mounds located adjacent to the Hall of Fame Museum.

This year’s Crown Royal Presents the ‘Your Hero’s Name Here’ at the Brickyard 400 is scheduled for Sunday, July 24 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Staff Report

PJ Stergios (ineX Racing Team) became the first multiple-race winner in the 2016 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series Powered by iRacing by passing Slip Angle Motorsports’ Ray Alfalla for the lead with 15 laps to go at Texas Motor Speedway. The two were clearly the class of the field, leading a combined 148 of 167 laps, but Stergios got the best of Alfalla on the long run to the checkers.

The battle for third came down to the wire with Nicholas Johnston (HPM) holding-off Jake Stergios by less than two-tenths of a second. Logan Clampitt, making his series debut, finished an impressive fifth.

Stergios trailed Alfalla by around half a second after the two made their final pit stops under green but quickly closed to the leader’s bumper in only a handful of laps. Stergios hounded the former series champion for nearly 20 laps, waiting for a rare mistake. His chance finally materialized when a lapped car on fresher tires passed Alfalla on the outside entering Turn Three. The pass forced Alfalla to compromise his entry, enabling Stergios to draw alongside down the front straightaway. The pair battled side-by-side for a couple of laps before Stergios cleared Alfalla and began pulling away.

“The last stint was pretty crazy with guys on all sorts of different strategies, so well done by everyone for keeping it going for so long despite some very close moments,” Stergios said.

Alfalla took control of the race early on, needing just six laps to assume the lead from his outside pole grid position. However, the race was not without incident for Alfalla. On Lap 82 he brought his car to pit road for routine service and, since he pitted early in the window, found himself in heavy traffic after returning to the track.

Not even a lap later, Dylan Duval got loose and slammed the wall off Turn 4, forcing Alfalla to dive to the grass in avoidance. Fortunately for Alfalla the off-road excursion did not damage his car, but a caution for another crash four laps later robbed him of valuable track position.

While Alfalla had unlapped himself after his green-flag stop, having fresh tires was so critical he pitted again under the caution and restarted eleventh on Lap 92. Alfalla had little trouble with traffic and by Lap 126 he was already back in the runner-up spot behind Stergios. Knowing passing Stergios on track would prove difficult, Alfalla chose to pit a lap earlier than his rival. While that enabled Alfalla to take the lead, in the end he could not hold it.

Stergios’ win broke the tie with Alfalla atop the championship standings. Stergios now leads by three points over Alfalla as the two have begun distancing themselves from the rest of the field. Jake Stergios is third, 21 points back of his brother. He is followed closely by Allen Boes, who is only a single point back in fourth after an eighth place effort at Texas. Chris Overland still holds fifth despite finishing 37th in the Lone Star state, but he is now 58 points behind and just two in front of Andrew Fayash III, who is in the running for “biggest surprise” of the sim racing season thus far.

Next up on the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series schedule are the tight confines of Richmond International Raceway. The .75-mile short track is the only venue on the schedule less than a mile in length and will force teams to build a much different setup than the last two races.

With the 2016 season quickly turning into the PJ Stergios vs. Alfalla show at the front, can any other sim racers challenge their dominance? The uniqueness of Richmond may play into the field’s hands but Stergios and Alfalla will be bringing their A-games to the virtual Virginia track — as usual. Who will find their way to Victory Lane? Find out in two weeks on iRacingLive!

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Track Release

CONCORD, N.C. (April 26, 2016) — While many in the professional football world are focused on the NFL Draft, Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen will lead a different kind of draft when he drives the Toyota Camry pace car prior to the unforgettable, action-packed May 21 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race during the 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Since arriving in Charlotte I have developed a great admiration for NASCAR and their athletes,” Olsen said. “Their concept of teamwork and commitment to excellence is second to none and I have a great deal of respect for the drivers and their teams. I am honored to be included in such an event and I am looking forward to driving the pace car to kick off the 2016 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.”

Olsen, one of the NFL’s premier pass catchers, is no stranger to NASCAR. For the past two years, the Charlotte, North Carolina, resident has participated in fundraising efforts with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. to support The Dale Jr. Foundation and The Greg Olsen Foundation’s HEARTest Yard campaign.

Olsen has also attended race events at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the past, but never in a dignitary role.

Last season, the veteran tight end earned his second Pro Bowl nod after recording a career-high 1,104 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Olsen’s efforts helped the Panthers finish with a franchise-best 15-1 record in a season that also saw Carolina advance to Super Bowl 50.

Olsen joins linebacker Luke Kuechly as the second Panthers player in the last three years to pace the field prior to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, a battle among NASCAR’s biggest stars for a $1 million prize and the sport’s ultimate bragging rights.

Frontstretch tickets to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start at just two for $99 and include a pre-race concert by triple-platinum recording artist Andy Grammer. Fans can purchase tickets, camping and race-day upgrades to the entire 10 Days of NASCAR Thunder at Charlotte Motor Speedway by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or shopping online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Track Release

RELATED: Buy tickets for Chicagoland

Photo credit: Stewart-Haas Racing‘s Twitter account, @StewartHaasRcng

NEW YORK – April 26, 2016 – Nickelodeon today announced that it is the entitlement sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Sept. 18, dubbed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Danica Patrick has signed on to drive a special car for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, which will be broadcast on NBCSN at 2:30 p.m. ET, and will feature a weekend of action, activities and fun for the entire family with the iconic Heroes in a Half Shell.

NASCAR star Danica Patrick, a Roscoe, Illinois native, helped kick off the partnership in true Turtles style. She unveiled her No. 10 April O’Neil/Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet SS at an event at Wrigley Square in Millennium Park with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, then took her car for a spin down Michigan Ave. She will join a number of other drivers with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles paint schemes for the Sept. 18 race.

Photo courtesy of Chicagoland Speedway‘s Twitter account, @ChicagoIndSpdwy

This Sept. 15-18 marks the sixth consecutive year that Chicagoland Speedway will kick off the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The Nickelodeon partnership will include sponsorship of the 2017 kickoff race, as well.

“We are excited to partner with Chicagoland Speedway to continue sponsoring and participating in marquee racing events that resonate with motorsports fans across the country,” said Anthony DiCosmo, Senior Vice President, Sports Marketing and Development, Nickelodeon. “Just as we did with last season’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 will continue to expand our relationship with NASCAR, while working with another best-in-class ISC track to give fans a unique and engaging race experience that the whole family can enjoy.”

“We are thrilled to partner with a world class brand like Nickelodeon for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 on Sept. 18,” said Scott Paddock, Chicagoland Speedway President. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to partner with one of the preeminent youth focused brands on the planet to deliver an unprecedented level of family entertainment while engaging Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans of all ages.”

“It’s great to be back in my home state of Illinois to be a part of this exciting announcement for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400,” said Patrick. “The Nickelodeon-sponsored races are really cool because they truly are fun for the entire family. Nature’s Bakery and Nickelodeon have put together an awesome paint scheme and I can’t wait to have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and April O’Neil riding along with me in September.”

Patrick’s unique car was designed by Chicago artist Hebru Brantley, who will also design the race trophy, additional Turtles-branded paint schemes and other visual elements. Brantley breaks down the walls of cultural boundaries through his art and inspired by his 1980s Chicago upbringing, Brantley’s work touches on tough subjects in a way that may be easily digestible to the viewer, by telling his stories through youthful characters and their adventures. Brantley’s work can be described as pop infused contemporary art inspired by Japanese anime and the bold aesthetics of street art pioneers Jean Michel Basquiat, KAWS and Keith Haring.

During the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 race weekend, attendees will be able to enjoy fun family activities in the Nickelodeon Kids Zone, located in Champion’s Park. The area will feature appearances from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumed characters, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles photo station and more.

Nickelodeon has a long-standing relationship with NASCAR, teaming up with the motorsports giant on several programming and racing events. On the track, the network has sponsored the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway in 2015; brought the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2014; participated in the Bank of America 500 week in 2012; and the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC in 2004. NASCAR has also contributed talent and content to Nickelodeon programming such as the Kids’ Choice Awards (Danica Patrick, 2012 and 2013), Kids’ Choice Sports Awards (Danica Patrick, 2014, Ben Kennedy, 2015), Team Umizoomi (Jeff Gordon, 2012), Hammer Down (2014), which aired on Nicktoon’s NickSports block, and an upcoming Bubble Guppies episode (Jimmie Johnson, 2015).

Currently in its fourth season, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is seen in over 170 countries and territories and translated in 50+ languages. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles follows four mutant turtles—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo—trained in the art of ninjutsu by their mutant rat sensei, Master Splinter, who teaches the turtles to battle evil from the New York City sewers. Executive produced by Ciro Nieli and Brandon Auman, the series is created at Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif. Additionally, this summer the Turtles will once again defend the streets of New York City in Paramount Pictures’ highly anticipated theatrical movie, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, which arrives in theaters June 3.”

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Pat DeCola

Carledwards

For the sixth time in his career, Edwards won back-to-back races. Don’t expect him to make it three in a row for the first time, however, as Talladega is his worst track (20.8 average finish).

MORE: Edwards bumps Busch for win

KyleBusch

-1

Busch was certainly unhappy about his teammate’s bump that forced him out of a Richmond win, but hey, maybe Carl Edwards will make it up to him by drafting with him at Talladega.

Kevinharvick

Harvick finished in the top five after leading 63 Richmond laps, but it sure was a quietly solid finish for the 2014 champ. Look for another solid showing at Talladega, where he typically manages to avoid "The Big One."

JimmieJohnson

Through the season’s first nine races, Jimmie Johnson is on pace for a career-best average finish of 7.9.

DaleEarnhardt Jr.

"Amelia" is back, so Junior instantly shoots to the top of the "Talladega favorites" list, even if it didn’t do so well in the season-opening Daytona 500.

MORE: No. 88 chassis restored for ‘Dega

Joeylogano

Logano has increased his top-10 finish count each of the past five seasons. After 28 last year, he’s on pace for 24 in 2016.

MORE: Penske perserveres at Richmond

DennyHamlin

After failing to win again at his home track, Hamlin will try to right the ship at Talladega in a race he won as recently as 2014 — from a starting position of 34th.

Kurtbusch

-1

Toward the end of the Richmond race, it looked like at least one of the Busch brothers would win, as they were running 1-2. To put it bluntly … nope.

MORE: Kurt calls out crew

BradKeselowski

If Keselowski hadn’t already won this season, would people be wondering what’s plaguing the No. 2 team? After a career-high top 10s in 2015, the 2012 champ has just four in nine races.

Martintruex jr

After being on the losing end of the closest finish in Daytona 500 history, want to guess if Truex Jr. is looking forward to the first restrictor-plate race since then?

ChaseElliott

-1

Should be interesting to see how Elliott does in his first Cup foray at Talladega, but at least he should have some speed in his car: His No. 24 ride is the defending pole-winner.

Mattkenseth

Kenseth has led multiple laps in eight of nine races this season, but has just two top-10 finishes to show for it.

Kaseykahne

Based on Kahne’s post-race comments at Richmond, it sounds like something clicked internally with the No. 5 team three or four weeks ago. If it keeps up, Kahne should be set for the Chase after missing it last year.

MORE: Kahne back on track

AustinDillon

-2

Dillon has cooled a bit, but certainly wouldn’t mind putting the No. 3 Chevrolet back in Victory Lane at Talladega. Perhaps that gives him a little extra juice heading into the weekend.

Ryanblaney

-2

Something you’re going to hear a lot later this week: Blaney finished fourth in last year’s running of this race.

Jamiemcmurray

Jamie McMurray is fascinating. He has just one top-10 finish, yet is 13th in the standings. Seven drivers who are below him in points have more top 10s.

Kylelarson

-2

Larson has yet to finish in the top 10 at Talladega since his debut at the restrictor-plate track in 2014.

Ryannewman

Newman has a whopping 28 starts at Talladega under his belt. He’s never won, and has an average finish outside the top 20.

RickyStenhouse Jr.

-1

Stenhouse has led 38 laps in his Sprint Cup Series career. Eleven of those laps have come at Talladega, where he has an average finish of 12.2.

Ajallmendinger

Allmendinger finished fifth at Talladega in the 2014 spring race. He has an average finish of 25.64 in the other 11 races on his resume at the Alabama track.

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Nascar

NASCAR teams hoping to shave time off pit stops by replacing only four lug nuts on wheels will now face penalties from the sanctioning body, according to a memo sent to organizations Monday.

The memo states that all tires, wheels and all five lug nuts “must be installed in a safe and secure manner at all times during the event.”

Failure to comply can result in penalties ranging from a written warning for pre-race violations (wheels not having five lug nuts glued in place) to a minimum $20,000 fine, one-race suspension and probation for the responsible crew chief if a post-race inspection turns up a car that does not have five lug nuts in place on each wheel.

If found during pre-race, the infraction is considered an unapproved adjustment, and the violator will be required to correct the issue and drop to the rear of the field before the start of the event.

Multiple offenses for infractions will result in escalating penalties.

NASCAR stopped policing how many lug nuts teams were installing during pit stops after the 2014 season. In 2015, the sanctioning body debuted its Pit Road Officiating (PRO) system that utilizes cameras to regulate pit road.

According to Monday’s memo, updated methods for officiating the new rules will be introduced at a later date. “That process will continue to evolve over time and we will provide further updates as that model progresses.”

By tightening, or in some cases installing, only four lug nuts on each wheel, teams have often gained an advantage during pit stops. But the practice has led to a rise in the number of loose wheels this season, often sending a driver back to pit road to correct the problem.

While at least one NASCAR crew chief has noted that there have been occasions when a car would end the race with fewer than five lug nuts in place, NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France said Monday that the inspection process would be no different than it has been for other areas of the vehicles that are examined each week.

“When things are altered we have to deal with that,” France said during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “There’s no difference in that. … Really what you’re hearing is just how close and tight competition is across the board. And that’s why the crew chiefs, and rightfully so, are worried about every millisecond; they don’t want to get one of these … penalties and understandably so. They’re trying to get it right and we’re trying to get it right.

“And by the way, we will. We have for 60 years and we will always sort it out, especially when it comes to safety. We will get to the right place as fast as we can. That’s Job 1 for us.”

Last week, three-time premier series champion Tony Stewart expressed concerns that the safety of competitors was being overlooked by not mandating all five lug nuts be properly installed on wheels. A day later, when Stewart announced he would return to competition after missing the season’s first eight races, NASCAR announced it had fined the co-owner/driver $35,000.

“It wasn’t (a case of) saying they’re not doing their job,” Stewart told FOX Sports during Sunday’s pre-race show. “I just felt like this is one thing they dropped the ball on. So, they’re doing a good job. They’re looking at it. They’re going to address it and make it right, and down the road we won’t have to worry about this again, hopefully.”

France said Stewart is “very aware of how we approach criticism … of the sport and the product of the racing itself, and safety is paramount of that. Tony is very aware of how we look at that. We allow them to criticize and give their point of view way more than any other sport. … We’re thick-skinned; we get it.

“It’s when you go into the area of denigrating the racing product. That’s all we have in NASCAR, the highest quality of competition. When you start working against that in any way, we’re going to have to deal with that. And everybody understands that.”

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Joie Chitwood III, president of Daytona International Speedway since 2010, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of International Speedway Corporation.

And Darlington Raceway President Chip Wile, has been named President of Daytona International Speedway replacing Chitwood there.

The big news came Monday, a little more than two months before the newly transformed Daytona track plays host to its second Sprint Cup Series race of the season, the Coke Zero 400 on July 2 (7:45 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Joie has played a tremendous role in the success of our flagship racetrack at Daytona International Speedway since 2010,” stated ISC CEO Lesa France Kennedy. “Most recently, his leadership of the Daytona Rising project, while simultaneously operating the facility, has demonstrated his operational acumen.”

Chitwood oversaw the $400 million “reimagining” of the Daytona facility that received rave reviews at its February unveiling for 2016 Speedweeks. Among the dutires in his new position, Chitwood will oversee future ISC “enterprise facility operations.”

“Joie’s promotion is well deserved and reflects his achievements and increased role in the company’s future,” said John Saunders, President of ISC. “He brings a distinct passion, creativity, and drive to this new role and we look forward to his contributions.”

Wile, who oversaw a massive transformation with the Darlington Raceway Sprint Cup Series races the past two seasons, spearheaded the hugely popular “throwback” race weekend at the famous track last year. He is set to assume his new role at Daytona in time for the Florida track’s “Country 500” music event set for Memorial Day weekend.

“Chip personifies the ideal track president being someone who values relationship building as the catalyst for collaboration and promotion,” Kennedy said. “He not only operates with a fan-first mentality, but is deeply community-focused and a real team player, all of which will serve him well in this new role.”

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Holly Cain

RICHMOND, Va. — For the second time in three weeks, Kasey Kahne finished among the top 10 in Sprint Cup Series competition. There was a time in his career that would have been par for the course. Right now, it’s an extremely encouraging sign of renewal.

Kahne is coming off his best finish of the still-early 2016 season — a fourth-place run at Richmond International Raceway on Sunday. And it already equals his top effort of 2015 (three fourth-place showings) and puts him in reasonable position to better the mark of three top-five finishes he scored in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Simply put, it appears that Kahne, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, is back on track. His team regained the mojo that he regularly demonstrated just a few years ago with double-digit top-five runs (in 2012 and 2013) and multi-win seasons.

It’s the kind of can-do that resulted in him being hired by the esteemed Hendrick Motorsports organization to compete under its banner for the 2012 season. And it’s meeting the high expectations that this powerhouse team has, considering Kahne’s teammates include six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, perennial winner and the sport’s Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the sport’s newest whiz kid, Chase Elliott, who replaced retired four-time champion Jeff Gordon ahead of this season.

Listen to Kahne speak about the uptick in his finishing order and you might be surprised to hear the driver talk as much about the importance of good kumbaya as the comfort of having the best equipment in the garage.

It’s the people that Kahne thinks make the difference. And while that may be a popular catchphrase, Kahne is convinced the belief in his team — and second-year crew chief Keith Rodden — truly has restored his course and energized the crew.

“It just starts with the attitudes of everybody, from myself to the team,” Kahne said. “How we all appreciate each other, work together, know that each particular person is there for a reason and is really good at what each one of us does. I think it’s more being together, being a group, a solid team. To me that started three, four weeks ago, and each week it seems to get better from the previous week. We’re going to keep heading in that direction.

“I think the closer you get as a group, the closer you get with your crew chief, your engineers, the guys on pit road, the car chief, the guys building the race car, all of that is communication to me. All of that kind of makes the whole race on Sunday better when you are better in those areas.”

Judging by the results of Kahne’s No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team of late, it would be hard to argue with the philosophy. And while next week’s race at Talladega Superspeedway is typically considered a roll of the dice, Kahne has run well there — even scoring runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2009.

And he is even better at Kansas and Charlotte, where the series heads after Talladega. Kahne has four wins at Charlotte — including a sweep of the 2006 season there — and Kansas was one of his three top-five finishes in 2015. He has three pole positions in Kansas and five top-five finishes in his last nine races there.

Although Kahne is hardly saying his team has “arrived,” he does like the direction it has taken.

This past weekend at Richmond, for example, Kahne qualified eighth and was second-fastest in final practice — so the race result was not an anomaly.

“When you have each other’s backs, you work together as a team and you keep getting better,” Kahne said. “That’s where we’ve been. That’s where we’ve been excelling at.

“I think there’s kind of consistency on the whole weekend. There’s more times I look at the scoring pylon and I’m at the top half rather than the bottom half — whether it’s one of the practices, qualifying or race.

“I think it’s a slow process, really. We were so far gone there for a little while, it takes time to start getting back to where we need to be.

“We’re heading in that direction now, so it’s really nice.’”