Driver Stats: Kasey Kahne

Finally, Jeff Gordon won again. I'm glad--I'm tired of hearing about how possibly the best active driver in the modern era has lost the ability to drive into victory lane. Yes, his marriage to a supermodel and his very adorable little daughter and his aching back are distractions, but Jeff Gordon is a huge talent and he hasn't decided he's done yet. Of course he realizes he's human now, and thinks about the consequences more--like the wreck last year when he hit the wall where there was no SAFER barrier. He has a family to consider, as opposed to when he was just starting all of his winning as a cocky young guy who thought he was indestructible. But he may be more of a threat to win now because he has matured and is very crafty in his race planning. Don't be surprised to see him win more since the pressure of the "losing streak" is off his back, and he can glimpse another championship title from his perch atop the points standings. 

Kasey Kahne, on the other hand, didn't come close to winning at Texas. But he still does sit tenth in points, which earns him the driver profile this week. (Everyone else above him has been glowingly or grudgingly covered in earlier posts.) Kasey drives the #9 Budweiser Dodge for the recently-formed Richard Petty Motorsports, which was Gillette-Evernham last year. He was an open-wheel racer for most of his career, until he spent two years in the then-Busch series. He started in Cup racing in 2004, and has 9 wins, 16 poles, 36 top 5's, 65 top 10's, and has been in the top-ten final standings once, in 2006 when he made the Chase. Although his performance didn't qualify him for last year's All-Star Race, the fans voted him in and as a thank-you he went out and won it--and used the momentum to carry him to a win at the Coca-Cola 600 the next week as well.

Kasey's been a little inconsistent this season, and the stability of the RPM teams, of which he is the highest-performing, seems to be in doubt. Although some of the commercials he appears in for his sponsors are hysterical, Kasey himself is a quiet, unassuming kid who is nonetheless a female fan favorite. His first career win came at Richmond, which I will be attending for the first time this year. If Kasey can focus on doing his best with what RPM gives him, maybe we'll see him win again in the coming weeks. I of course would be happiest if Tony found his way to victory lane first, but I'll consider it a good trip if I see Kasey in the Richmond winner's circle again too.