No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger Race Facts
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series --- Daytona International Speedway
Driver: Kasey Kahne
Team Director: Tommy Baldwin
Team Owner: Ray Evernham
Chassis: No. 62
Info: Raced in Daytona 500;
Finished 22nd
KASEY KAHNE QUOTES
“I’m excited. I think Daytona is one place where the Dodge Charger definitely is better this year. It seems like the package that Dodge has given us for speedway racing this year is a lot better than what we had last year. I’m just really excited to go back to Daytona. We had a top 10 going in the 500, and then we ended up cutting a tire from damage that was from a wreck earlier on. You need a car that handles well to run good at Daytona – even at night there. And if we can get that, we can hopefully run up in the top 10 in the Pepsi 400.”
Do you feel more comfortable running in the draft there?
“Yeah, you get more comfortable every time you do it, and you learn more every time you do it. It just takes time. It’s a different type of racing. I’m going to be racing the Busch car again this weekend. And that helps to get those extra laps, being in the draft and trying to figure things out, learning a little bit more about the air and I think it will all pay off and help our Dodge Charger on Saturday night.”
STATS & FACTS
KASEY KAHNE AT DAYTONA
This weekend will mark Kahne’s fourth NASCAR Nextel Cup Series start at Daytona.
Kahne earned his best finish at Daytona in this year’s 500 when he finished 22nd. He earned his best start at the track during his first Daytona 500 in 2004 when he qualified 27th.
2006 ANNOUNCEMENT ON FRIDAY
Ray Evernham will make an announcement with news about the 2006 season at the Daytona infield media center, Friday, July 1 at 3:15 (EST).
EVERNHAM MOTORSPORTS IN GOOD HANDS
Evernham Motorsports announced a multi-year associate sponsorship deal with Allstate, making Allstate the official auto, home, life and supplemental insurance, motor club and retirement products sponsor of the team.
As part of the sponsorship agreement, Kasey Kahne, Jeremy Mayfield, Bill Elliott and Evernham Motorsports crew members will display the Allstate logo on their race uniforms. Allstate will also work with members from Evernham Motorsports’ driver development program, including Tommy Lane and Erin Crocker, on a broader diversity program with NASCAR.
TESTING, TESTING…
Kahne and the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger team tested at Chicagoland Speedway on Tuesday, June 21. The team used the test to prepare for next weekend’s July 10 race in Chicago. Speeds from the test were not released.
KAHNE CHARGES TO VICTORY AT RICHMOND!!!
Kahne claimed his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Series victory at Richmond. Kahne started from the pole position, led seven times for 242 laps, and never fell out of the top ten, en route to his first career victory.
Kahne’s win was also the first of the season for the new Dodge Charger, which returned this year after a 27-year hiatus from NASCAR’s premier series.
RICHMOND WIN MILESTONES
Kahne’s win was the sixth win for Evernham Motorsports, marking the fifth consecutive year that an Evernham Dodge has visited victory lane.
Kahne also joined an exclusive club of 13 drivers to earn career wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, Busch and Cup series.
