MAKING A CASE FOR Kahne
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03/17/2015 J. L. Steele |
Kasey Kahne has been a bit of a mystery to me as a Sprint Cup driver. With his sprint car background, he's obviously had to display a lot of toughness on those dirt tracks. Toughness though is one quality that has seemed to be lacking in his NASCAR career. Perhaps that perception has been enhanced by his quiet demeanor and youthful looks. No one can doubt his ability as a driver. 17 wins in his 11 plus seasons can attest to that.
Rick Hendrick seldom makes mistakes when bringing drivers into his fold. Fairly or not, expectations were high when Kasey moved into the #5 car at the beginning of the 2012 season. That's an organization that races for championships and not just wins. Becoming teammates with championship winners Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as well as the ever popular Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the thinking was, Kahne had finally landed in a place that would propel to compete for titles. But was he tough enough?
Toughness in racing can sometimes be hard to define. There's the mental side, which to a degree, all 43 drivers on a NASCAR track possess. Then there's the outright physical toughness that's shown when a driver is willing to push another car out of the way if the difference is winning a race or not. Race fans know there's a huge difference in wrecking a guy out of carelessness and moving a driver in the late stages if the difference in position is critical to finding a win or improving your standing in points.
Fairly or not, that willingness to ruffle feathers for an extra position is one of the criticisms leveled against Mark Martin in explaining why he never won a NASCAR championship. No one can doubt the quality of man he is or the driver he was as evidenced by a 31 year career that saw him win 40 times. However it was well known he wouldn't "rattle his cage" if it was the difference in winning a race or settling for second. That's commendable. Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart are some of those who have no qualms about making that type of move. Notice they have championships to their name. Some drivers are content to get the most out of their cars and abilities without those tactics. Some are willing to do whatever it takes to move to the front. That question has been asked about Kasey Kahne for a few years. Was he going to be known as a nice guy who would get an occasional win when he car was good enough or would he be willing to make a move in a second place car, to go after a win?
He had the opportunity to answer that in the Bristol night race in 2013. Matt Kenseth led at the end after a late restart. Kahne was on his bumper with the chance to move Matt up the track and take the lead. If there's a track on the circuit where those maneuvers are excused and expected, it's Bristol. He didn't put the bumper to Kenseth though and wound up finishing second that night. Kahne even mentioned afterward that he wouldn't make that kind of move; he wouldn't wreck someone to win. Fair enough but realize you've just told the racing world you're content to finish second in a sport where winning should be what matters most.
There was a lot of pressure on Kahne as the 2014 season dragged on. As Chase Elliott continued an amazing year in the Xfinty Series which resulted in a title, Kasey faced the real possibility of not making the Chase. Rumors were rampant. Would he be able to keep his ride if he failed to advance to the field of 16? Then he went to Atlanta, drove a great race and finally secured his spot in the field just one week before the spots were filled. He had a win and a Chase spot, ensuring that he wouldn't be the lone Hendrick driver left on the outside looking in. The pressure seemed to lift.
Kahne will probably never get the attention his teammates will. Even if Earnhardt never wins a title, he'll continue to be the most popular driver. Both Gordon and Johnson have achieved legendary status and obviously Gordon will be a focal point of the 2015 season as he races toward retirement. So what can Kasey do? He answered that question in a resounding way at Las Vegas by showing us a side of him many wondered if he had.
With less than 75 laps to go in last week's Kobalt 400, Carl Edwards moved up the track in turn 4, pushing Kahne into the wall. Instead of backing off, Kahne stayed in the gas, racing Edwards down the front stretch. Going into turn one, he moved down a bit, pinching Edwards in the turn and forcing him to spin. The move was slight but it was enough. It sent a message to Edwards. It should have also sent a message to other drivers and to fans. Maybe Kasey Kahne is tired of messing around. The move by Edwards into the 5 car didn't appear to be intentional but that wasn't the point. The point was, I'm here and I'm going to be dealt with. Only three races into the season, it would have been easy for Kahne to let it go and chalk it up as, "one of those racing deals." He didn't. He dealt with it on the track and on his terms.
How big of a message did he send? Time will tell as the season unfolds but it was a statement. It was a statement that surprised many who have often felt in the past that when push came to shove, Kasey could be both pushed and shoved. After a 4th place finish at Phoenix, Kahne now sits 4th in the points. It's not yet time to think of him as a title contender but if he's developed that kind of edge on the track, maybe it's also time to quit overlooking the possibility.
Rick Hendrick seldom makes mistakes when bringing drivers into his fold. Fairly or not, expectations were high when Kasey moved into the #5 car at the beginning of the 2012 season. That's an organization that races for championships and not just wins. Becoming teammates with championship winners Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as well as the ever popular Dale Earnhardt, Jr., the thinking was, Kahne had finally landed in a place that would propel to compete for titles. But was he tough enough?
Toughness in racing can sometimes be hard to define. There's the mental side, which to a degree, all 43 drivers on a NASCAR track possess. Then there's the outright physical toughness that's shown when a driver is willing to push another car out of the way if the difference is winning a race or not. Race fans know there's a huge difference in wrecking a guy out of carelessness and moving a driver in the late stages if the difference in position is critical to finding a win or improving your standing in points.
Fairly or not, that willingness to ruffle feathers for an extra position is one of the criticisms leveled against Mark Martin in explaining why he never won a NASCAR championship. No one can doubt the quality of man he is or the driver he was as evidenced by a 31 year career that saw him win 40 times. However it was well known he wouldn't "rattle his cage" if it was the difference in winning a race or settling for second. That's commendable. Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart are some of those who have no qualms about making that type of move. Notice they have championships to their name. Some drivers are content to get the most out of their cars and abilities without those tactics. Some are willing to do whatever it takes to move to the front. That question has been asked about Kasey Kahne for a few years. Was he going to be known as a nice guy who would get an occasional win when he car was good enough or would he be willing to make a move in a second place car, to go after a win?
He had the opportunity to answer that in the Bristol night race in 2013. Matt Kenseth led at the end after a late restart. Kahne was on his bumper with the chance to move Matt up the track and take the lead. If there's a track on the circuit where those maneuvers are excused and expected, it's Bristol. He didn't put the bumper to Kenseth though and wound up finishing second that night. Kahne even mentioned afterward that he wouldn't make that kind of move; he wouldn't wreck someone to win. Fair enough but realize you've just told the racing world you're content to finish second in a sport where winning should be what matters most.
There was a lot of pressure on Kahne as the 2014 season dragged on. As Chase Elliott continued an amazing year in the Xfinty Series which resulted in a title, Kasey faced the real possibility of not making the Chase. Rumors were rampant. Would he be able to keep his ride if he failed to advance to the field of 16? Then he went to Atlanta, drove a great race and finally secured his spot in the field just one week before the spots were filled. He had a win and a Chase spot, ensuring that he wouldn't be the lone Hendrick driver left on the outside looking in. The pressure seemed to lift.
Kahne will probably never get the attention his teammates will. Even if Earnhardt never wins a title, he'll continue to be the most popular driver. Both Gordon and Johnson have achieved legendary status and obviously Gordon will be a focal point of the 2015 season as he races toward retirement. So what can Kasey do? He answered that question in a resounding way at Las Vegas by showing us a side of him many wondered if he had.
With less than 75 laps to go in last week's Kobalt 400, Carl Edwards moved up the track in turn 4, pushing Kahne into the wall. Instead of backing off, Kahne stayed in the gas, racing Edwards down the front stretch. Going into turn one, he moved down a bit, pinching Edwards in the turn and forcing him to spin. The move was slight but it was enough. It sent a message to Edwards. It should have also sent a message to other drivers and to fans. Maybe Kasey Kahne is tired of messing around. The move by Edwards into the 5 car didn't appear to be intentional but that wasn't the point. The point was, I'm here and I'm going to be dealt with. Only three races into the season, it would have been easy for Kahne to let it go and chalk it up as, "one of those racing deals." He didn't. He dealt with it on the track and on his terms.
How big of a message did he send? Time will tell as the season unfolds but it was a statement. It was a statement that surprised many who have often felt in the past that when push came to shove, Kasey could be both pushed and shoved. After a 4th place finish at Phoenix, Kahne now sits 4th in the points. It's not yet time to think of him as a title contender but if he's developed that kind of edge on the track, maybe it's also time to quit overlooking the possibility.