No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Race Facts
MBNA America 400 --- Dover International Speedway
Driver: Kasey Kahne
Team Director: Tommy Baldwin
Team Owner: Ray Evernham
Chassis: No. 59
Car Info: Started second at Bristol (b);
Finished 21st
KASEY KAHNE QUOTES
“I enjoy going to Dover, and I’m excited to go back. I think we have as good a shot as anybody at getting the win. I don’t feel like the track owes us one or anything like that because of what happened the last time. We’ll have a good racecar and we’re looking forward to running there. As a driver I’m definitely better. I have gained a lot of experience. And, I think we can make the car a little better when we go back…be as good or better at every track we go back to.
“We’re having our own little battle for that 11th spot between the five of us. Winning a million would be pretty awesome. It would be real exciting if we did that…like we accomplished everything we needed to this year.”
STATS & FACTS
KASEY KAHNE AT DOVER
This weekend will mark Kahne’s second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series start at Dover Int’l Speedway.
Kahne started 12th and finished 21st at Dover in June. He had commanded the race lead for 36 laps when, with just 20 laps between him and his first career victory, Kahne spun in unseen oil spread by another driver when an engine expired. Kahne’s Dodge suffered extensive damage, and did not return to the racetrack.
Kahne earned his third consecutive top-10 finish at Dover in the Busch Series this June.
ADDING UP THE POINTS
After his fourth-place run at New Hampshire, Kahne retains his 12th place NASCAR Nextel Cup Series ranking, but closes to just eight points out of 11th place.
KEEPING THE TOP FIVES ALIVE
Kahne is chasing NASCAR’s modern-era record for top-five finishes by a rookie driver. (See Table)
Kahne is one of only four drivers to have scored 10 or more top-five finishes this season.
Kahne has five top fives in his last eight races.
RAYBESTOS ROOKIE BESTS
Kahne’s four pole positions are two shy of Ryan Newman’s record six poles in a rookie season.
After 27 races, Kahne has a commanding 93-point lead in the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year race.
Kahne’s total of 425 laps led is more than three times the combined amount of laps led by the five other 2004 Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year candidates (136). He also has more poles, top fives and top 10s than the combined amount of his Rookie-of-the-Year competitors.
YOUNG-GUN SUCCESS AT DOVER
Kahne is looking for a good run at Dover, as five of the last six NEXTEL Cup races have been won by drivers in either their first or second full season of Cup racing (Newman – 2003(a, b); Johnson – 2002 (a, b); Earnhardt, Jr. – 2001(b).
FAST ON FRIDAYS
Kahne earned his fourth pole (Las Vegas, Darlington, California and Pocono) and his second track qualifying record (Las Vegas, Pocono) at Pocono in June.
Evernham Motorsports has set three track qualifying records this season (Kahne – Las Vegas and Pocono (a), Mayfield – Dover).
Kahne tied Art Watts (1957) for the quickest any driver has reached four career poles – 14 races.
