Have a FaceBook, Twitter, or other social networking account?

Link them to your fanatic account!

Add An Account

TAKE ME TO...
NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Kahne Takes Second In Shootout
Kasey Kahne’s first race of 2010 resulted in a runner-up finish...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted February 06, 2010   Daytona Beach, FL
Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Ford stops in the pits during the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Kasey Kahne may have had some misgivings last season when he learned that Richard Petty Motorsports was moving from Dodge to Ford for 2010, but you’d never know it Saturday night, as Kahne scored an impressive runner-up finish in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

Results: Daytona Budweiser Shootout

It was an extremely positive way to kick off the NASCAR Sprint Cup season for both Kahne and the team.

Kahne had a messy split with Ford back at the end of 2003, when he left to join what was then known as Evernham Motorsports. The automaker sued Kahne for breach of contract after he departed Ford, and although Kahne prevailed in court, relations were obviously strained between the parties.

But the two sides have made peace with RPM’s switch to the Ford camp for 2010. And all it took was one race with a Roush-Yates Ford engine under the hood for Kahne to feel confident with his new manufacturer.

Although he never led any of the 75 laps in the event, it was clear from the get-go that Kahne’s No. 9 RPM Ford Fusion was one of the strongest cars in the field. When the checkered flag flew at the fabled 2.5-mile tri-oval, Kahne trailed only race winner Kevin Harvick’s Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Impala SS. Jamie McMurray finished third in an Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Chevy, with the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camrys of Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin completing the top five.

The final race to the checkers was set up with six laps to go, when Ryan Newman and Michael Waltrip tangled on the backstretch, as the No. 51 MWR Toyota Camry went nose first into the outside retaining wall, bringing out the fourth caution of the day.

That sent most of the leaders down pit road for right-side rubber, with only Greg Biffle and Kahne opting to stay out.

The green came out with two laps to go, Biffle leading Kahne, McMurray, Harvick, Busch and Jeff Gordon.

On the restart, Harvick went low to try and take the lead, but Biffle, who was getting a push from Gordon, spun out in the entrance to Turn 3, triggering a multi-car pileup and bringing out the caution flag that ended the race. That left Kahne in second place, a solid finish in his first drive back with Ford.

“It actually worked out great for us. We had a great Budweiser Ford the entire race, and I was having a blast out there,” said Kahne, the only one of RPM’s four drivers to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year. “The racing was good. Side-by-side, there was a lot going on, and we were right there.”

That said, Harvick’s fresh right-side tires were probably the difference at the very end.

“On the restart there, Harvick got in front of me and I was pushing him,” said Kahne. “I was right on the white line, and I was like, ‘Man the tires aren’t too bad.’”

But what Kahne noticed most was what he felt coming from under the hood. “The Roush-Yates Ford (engine) is definitely an improvement,” said Kahne. “It’s nice to have.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

Watch Live & Exclusive Coverage of Daytona Speedweeks on SPEED™!
tom_jensen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2012

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.