No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger Race Facts
Michigan International Spedway--NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series
Driver: Kasey Kahne
Team Director: Kenny Francis
Car Director: Mike Shiplett
Engineer: Keith Rodden
Team Owner: Ray Evernham
Chassis: EMS 128
Car Info: Ran at Atlanta, Texas, Charlotte
KASEY KAHNE QUOTES
On racing at Michigan- “One of the keys at Michigan is moving around on the track during the race, finding the fastest line for the setup you have in the car. It may be at the bottom of the track at the start and at the middle or on top by the end. To be successful at Michigan, you have to carry momentum exiting the corners. We’ve had success at the one-and-a-half-mile tracks this year. It should be no different on a two-mile track.”
On the team’s strategy in the 12 races leading up to the Chase: “It’ll be business as usual for our team. We’ll do everything we can to have good days. We need top-10s. We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing. We’re in the top-five, but we have 12 races to go before the Chase field is set. I’m happy with what’s going on and we just need to keep going.”
STATS & FACTS
KASEY KAHNE AT MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
Not a MIS-fit. Kahne has posted two-top five finishes in four starts at the Michigan International Speedway, a second and a fifth. Both came in 2004, during his rookie season.
Another winning weekend? The No. 9 Evernham Dodge team is bringing EMS chassis 128 which Kahne has taken to victory lane three times this season.
Back in the Top-five. With his finish at Pocono, Kahne picked up 151 points and moved up one position in the Chase for the Championship standings, returning him to the top-five.
Consistency key to success. Kahne has nine top-10 finishes in 2006. One year ago, he was ranked 19th in the point standings with four top-10 finishes.
Starting up front helpful. Forty-two of 73 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Michigan have been won from the first four starting positions. Only 14 races have been won from outside a top-10 starting spot with all coming in the past 29 races. The farthest back a Michigan race winner has started is 28th.
