Kasey Kahne: wonderful driver, great car
Q: I heard on television that Kasey Kahne came from midget racing. What’s up with this guy? He really didn’t do that well in Busch racing, where I think he only won one race. How can he come into Nextel Cup and run up front every race? — Kelly P., e-mail from Kansas
A: Kelly, let’s start with Kasey’s background. In 2000, I attended the Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis organized by noted USAC Midget team owner Steve Lewis. Lewis, who operates out of Laguna Beach, Calif., has ushered along drivers like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, to name just a few. His No. 9 and 91 cars are always the cream of the crop, and along with chassis expert Bob East, the duo has basically dominated the series.
At the PRI show, Steve introduced me to a youthful Kasey Kahne and told me I was shaking hands with the next Jeff Gordon. Well, I think Steve’s words will ring true, as Kasey and car owner Ray Evernham have made quite the statement this year in the Dodge Dealers No. 9 car at the Nextel Cup races.
As for why Kasey is doing so well in Nextel after not doing as well in Busch, it all comes down to the car. (Remember Tony Stewart? He did the same thing.) I’m not saying that the car Kasey runs in Busch isn’t a good, top-10 or better car, because it is capable of winning. However, the car is not a dominant, winning-capable car every time out.
The difference between Kasey’s Busch and Nextel results stems from putting a great driver in a great car with a great team, not just a good car and a good team. Evernham’s Dodges and team members are dominant this year, thus Kasey’s ability to run at the very front, lead races and also qualify up front.
On the other side of the coin, if you put a great driver in a top 20 car, that’s where he will finish, or maybe eek out a top 10 now and then.
Now, if you put the very best driver in a car that can barely make the field, odds are the car will either start in the back or be loaded up when the other cars take the green flag. There is no chance of winning nowadays in a sub-par car, no matter how good the chauffeur is.
Flip the coin again, and if you put a marginal driver in a great car, it most likely not only won’t win, it probably won’t run in the top 10 either. The whole secret is getting the best driver in the best car, and that’s why Evernham went after Kahne with a vengeance in hopes of stealing him away from the Busch and Nextel Cup Ford teams (where Kasey was running in Busch).
It’s pretty much the same thing that happened when Jeff Gordon was running Fords in the Busch series for Bill Davis prior to his Cup days, and Rick Hendrick “stole” him away and has since signed Gordon to a lifetime Cup contract.