Kahne leaves his mark
HAMPTON, Ga. – Kasey Kahne showed early signs of being a championship contender by winning at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Monday while Bill Lester finished way back in becoming the first black driver to race in NASCAR’s top series since 1986.
Lester accomplished one of his stated goals, staying out of trouble and racing to the end of the Golden Corral 500, which had been postponed Sunday because of rain. But it was not the kind of performance he had hoped for. He finished six laps off the pace in 38th.
“It was a very significant learning experience for me,” said the first black driver in NASCAR’s top series since Willy T. Ribbs. “It was fun to be out there with them. This is just the beginning and we have two more (Nextel Cup) races to go.”
Lester, 45, a regular in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series since 2002, said he was a little embarrassed to get so much scrutiny despite running so far off the pace.
“I don’t really deserve all the attention I’ve gotten,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the time when it’s about racing instead of race.”
But Lester, whose next Cup race is expected to be at Michigan International Speedway in June, said he hopes he earned some respect from the other Cup drivers.
Kahne, the top Cup rookie in 2004 who grew up in Enumclaw, Wash., slumped last year. But he’s started this season with four strong performances, including 11th at Daytona and two fourth-place finishes before earning the second victory of his career.
His first win came last May in Richmond and was the highlight of a difficult sophomore season.
“We had momentum,” said Kahne, who also finished second to Jeff Burton in Saturday’s Busch Series race here. “We’ve had momentum all weekend long.
“Man, to win at Atlanta, one of my favorites racetracks, is so cool.”
It was the first victory at Atlanta for a Dodge in 29 years, since Richard Petty did it in 1977.
Mark Martin made a late run at Kahne, driving his Ford alongside and nosing ahead of Kahne’s No. 9 Charger 12 laps from the end of the 325-lap event. But Martin had to back off when his car began to slide. He didn’t challenge again.
Kahne, who led 85 laps including the final 80, finished 1.929 seconds ahead of Martin.
“We just couldn’t beat Kasey,” Martin said. “He was strong there at the end and really got up on the wheel when I got up with him.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was third, his best finish of the year. He was followed by Jeff Gordon and reigning series champion Tony Stewart. Paul Menard, making only his third Cup start, was seventh.
Jimmie Johnson, who won two races and finished second in the other heading into Monday’s event, wound up sixth and will head to Bristol, Tenn., next weekend with a 50-point lead over new runner-up Kahne in the standings.