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RAISING KAHNE

Posted October 17, 2007 11:00 pm

Hal Pilger

By Hal Pilger

Gatehouse News Service

MADISON - Kasey Kahne hadn't planned on using words like frustrating, disappointing and close so often this season.

But, there he was Wednesday, using them again during his rain-interrupted Car of Tomorrow testing session at Gateway International Raceway just outside St. Louis.

"Yeah, we've been close," Kahne said just before grabbing some lunch during a lengthy rain delay. "I think maybe six of the last eight races we've been in the top 10. At Bristol we had a shot at winning. Other than that we've had no shots at winning, but we've been there late in the race - kind of getting good points races.

"So it's been all right. We've improved. But, as far as the season goes, it's been terrible. We went into the year with a lot of expectations from last year. We won six races and felt like this was our year to make the Chase and have a shot at the Nextel Cup, and it just hasn't been that way.

"We've been way off throughout a lot of the year, and we're working on it to be better for next year. We've been a little bit off on some of these tracks with the COTs, so it just takes a little bit. It's not a lot, and we want to get that figured out this year and be prepared and ready to go at the start of next year."

Hence, the mid-week testing session at Gateway, whose tight turns approximate those of Phoenix International Raceway. And with it the hope of picking up just enough information to turn frustration into celebration with the Car of Tomorrow.

"At a race, it's frustrating," said Kahne, 20th in the Nextel Cup standings. "You're trying to make the right adjustments and they're not working, or they're doing things that you don't want. When you start a certain way, it's kind of hard to change that throughout a race anymore with this car. It's been a lot tougher to get it to do what you want it to do."

Kahne already knows some things will be different starting next season than they were starting this season, including the name of his No. 9 Dodge team - now Gillett Evernham Motorsports instead of simply Evernham Motorsports - following the deal that brought Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. on board.

And with full implementation of the COTs next year, there will be no more switching back and forth between car types.

"I think it will be nice to get back to one car, just be working on one car," Kahne said. "It will help the teams out a lot. With our team getting bought by Mr. Gillett, I think that will help as time goes on. We won't have to worry about that any more.

"So I think there's a couple things that will just change the way next year goes, and I look forward to it."

The NASCAR series itself will have a different name next year, because Nextel Cup will be changing to Sprint Cup.

And Kahne, while continuing his relationship with Dodge next year, also will have the sponsorship of Anheuser-Busch - Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s long-time sponsor - to start next season.

Kahne has no intention of ditching Dodge.

"It's been a good relationship; I've enjoyed working with Dodge and the dealers," he said. "It's been fun. We've had some good races, some good cars and won races.

"We haven't had the year we wanted this year, but it's been good over the last four years, and I'm looking forward to a lot more wins with Dodge."

Kahne also eagerly anticipates his new relationship with A-B as NASCAR's new Bud Man.

"It's a big deal, and I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It's going to be a big change, for myself and for our team. It's going to be huge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. I think it's going to help our company a lot to have that big of a brand, that big of a name.

"I love all types of sports, so it's exciting to have a brand like Budweiser to work with. I think I'll get more involved with sports, maybe go to some more games and do things like that with Bud. I've thrown a few pitches out at Fenway and in Seattle, so I can do that."

One thing that hasn't changed this season for Kahne, despite the disappointments, is his passion for helping kids through his charitable foundation. On Monday, Kahne donated $500,000 to the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, N.C., to support construction in one of the few large cities in the nation without such a house.

"We made a contribution from the Kasey Kahne Foundation, and it was nice to do that; I've worked with the house for a long time," Kahne said. "McDonald's has been one of our sponsors, one of our partners, and the house has been something that I've really always thought a lot of.

"My foundation's all for kids - underprivileged kids and their families - so it's perfect to raise money and try to get a house in Charlotte. That's the goal. It's one big city that doesn't have a Ronald McDonald House, and we're hoping with us starting that and more people supporting it, hopefully by '09 they'll have a house built with maybe 21 suites. And as 2010, 2011 come along, hopefully bump it up to 30 suites at some point.

"That would be really cool," Kahne said. "It would definitely be a nice one, and really good to have. They need them."

One thing Kahne and all Cup drivers need is a solid pit crew. Kahne has high praise for Rochester High School graduate Nick O'Dell, an important member of his team for several years.

"He's been with us for a while; he's a really good front tire changer," Kahne said. "He's done a lot for our team. He's quick. He's one of the best guys probably on pit road."

And, Kahne added, O'Dell has additional responsibilities back at the shop during the week.

"He works on the cars, prepares them. He actually builds a lot of the stuff, bolts a lot of the stuff together for each car that we use, whether it's a test car or race car. So he's right in the middle of it. He's been a big part of our team."

Which still is an extremely competitive team, but a team looking in 2008 to regain the kind of success it enjoyed so often in 2006.

"We have some things that we want to do," Kahne stated. "We want to win."

Hal Pilger can be reached at 788-1548 or hal.pilger@sj-r.com.

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