No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Race Facts
UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Driver: Kasey Kahne
Team Director: Tommy Baldwin
Team Owner: Ray Evernham
CHASSIS INFO: New – Tested at Las Vegas.
KASEY KAHNE QUOTES
On Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
“Las Vegas is a great track, and it’s really fun to race on. We tested there before Daytona and it went really well. I had a pretty good run there in the Busch car last year, but I think we really could have finished better than 11th.”
On New Aerodynamic Rules and Tires:
“We should get a better idea this weekend about how the new aero rules and softer tire will play out. I really like the new tire, because it puts more control into my hands.”
On Photo-Finish at Rockingham:
“That was an exciting race and something I’ll never forget. I guess if the start/finish line was a couple feet further, I may have won. It’s hard to believe that I finished second in just my second Nextel Cup Series race.”
On Attention You Received After Rockingham:
“I kind of expected it and it’s been a lot of fun. Being in demand is good thing, because that means we’re running well.”
On Next Four Races:
“I’ve looked forward to this stretch of races since the season ended last year. I really like Vegas, Atlanta, Darlington and Bristol, and I think we’ve got a great shot at putting the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge in Victory Lane.”
STATS & FACTS
KASEY KAHNE AT LAS VEGAS
· Kahne has competed once at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Busch Series. He started 27th and finished 11th last year.
NO. 9 DODGE DEALERS/UAW DODGE HIGHLIGHTS AT LAS VEGAS
· The No. 9 Dodge Squad has never fielded a car to finish outside of the top-15 at Las Vegas. Bill Elliott piloted the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge to finish 14th, eighth and 14th in the past three UAW-DaimlerChrysler events at L.V.M.S.
LAS VEGAS TEST
· The No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge team conducted a two day test-session at Las Vegas in January. Both Evernham Motorsports drivers, Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield, unofficially ran a lap of 31.42 seconds, 171.851 miles per hour, in their Dodges at the 1.5-mile oval. The speeds were the fastest of the 23 NASCAR Nextel Cup and 15 Busch Series teams participating.
LAST WEEKEND
· After starting last weekend’s race at North Carolina Speedway in the third spot, Kahne battled among the top-10 drivers for the entire day. The Enumclaw, Wash., native held second place when a late-race restart pitted him against Matt Kenseth in a nail biting 30-lap shootout for first place. With a great run off of turns three and four in the final lap, Kahne maneuvered his No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge underneath and alongside the No. 17 car, but a photo finish would show that Kahne came up about three feet short of the start/finish line for the win.
KAHNE ON DOORSTEP OF NASCAR HISTORY
· In one of the most dramatic finishes in NASCAR history, Kasey Kahne proved that he is a rookie to contend with in 2004 as he came within a 0.010-sec. margin of his first Nextel Cup victory in only his second career start last weekend at Rockingham. The margin of victory tied Dale Earnhardt’s win over Bobby Labonte at Atlanta (3-12-00) for the fourth closest finish since electronic scoring was introduced in 1993. A victory for Kahne would have tied Jamie McMurray for the modern-era record of the fewest Nextel Cup career starts to a series victory.
ADDING UP THE POINTS
· Kahne’s incredible runner-up finish at Rockingham moved him up 20 spots to 21st in the Nextel Cup Series points race. Kahne’s first career top-five finish also propelled him to second place in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year chase.
