Kasey Kahne's inconsistencies have kept him from being considered as an elite driver in NASCAR.
When Kasey Kahne first took over for the semi-retired Bill Elliott at Evernham Motorsports three years ago, he immediately turned heads after finishing just inches shy of victory at Rockingham in only his second career NASCAR Nextel Cup start. But throughout his first full season, ‘close but no cigar’ finishes became the trend for the Enumclaw, Washington native.
Despite finishing the season with thirteen top fives, and fourteen top tens, Kasey Kahne failed to win his first career race. Heading into the fall race at Richmond, the final race of the so-called regular season, and the race that determines the ten drivers that will compete in the Chase for the Championship, Kahne was in the driver’s seat. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe he was ninth in the Nextel Cup standings heading in to the all-important Chevy Rock & Roll 400.
Well, Evernham Motorsports celebrated victory, and placed a driver in the Chase for the Championship, however it was not Evernham’s golden boy. Jeremy Mayfield came through with a clutch win; hence he was the driver representing Evernham Motorsports in the Championship chase.
In 2005, Kasey Kahne finally broke into the winner’s circle at, ironic as it sounds, Richmond. However, the win did not translate into a championship run. In fact, it wasn’t even close! Kahne finished 23rd in the final championship standings.
In 2006, Kahne won a series-high six races, and qualified for the Chase for the Championship, and appeared to have finally emerged as the NASCAR star everyone expected him to be. In 2007, most NASCAR analysts projected another championship run for Kahne, but instead, it has turned out to be a nightmarish season for the youngster.
Other than the All-State commercials, you know, with the ridiculous middle-aged women pining over the 27-year old, Kasey Kahne has been practically non-existent. It is almost as if he really has traveled to Tibet to recover spiritually as portrayed in his Vitamin Water commercial instead of participating in the Nextel Cup Series.
Kahne only has two top tens in 2007, both at Daytona. He currently sits 24th in the Nextel Cup standings. It is safe to say that this is not the season Kahne was hoping for nor expecting. In 2007, the Dodge Charger was given a much-needed alteration to the nose, which was popular with Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing. Since the alteration, all three of the Evernham Motorsports teams have visibly struggled, while Penske Racing has two drivers fighting for a spot in the Chase.
Enter the Car of Tomorrow. None of the three Evernham Motorsports drivers have appeared to have caught on to the new car that will be fully implemented in 2008. Kahne and his Evernham Motorsports team appear lost, and frustration is mounting.
What ails this young NASCAR driver is anyone’s guess. Is it because he is just not as talented as some of the other young drivers that been promoted to the Nextel Cup ranks in recent years?
Even with Kahne’s six victories in 2006, they were all at tracks that were considered intermediate, or 1.5-miles to 2-miles in length. Handling and aerodynamics play a huge role on those types of venues. In all six of Kahne’s wins, his car handled to near perfection, which is a testament to the team more so than the driver. Kahne’s performance on NASCAR’s tougher tracks such as Bristol, Martinsville, Darlington, and the two road courses, were average at best.
Now Kahne can be flat-out dominant when his car is handling well, but when the balance is off, the performance just seems to plummet. There is no middle-ground. Either Kahne is leading or is in the top five, or he is buried back in the sub-twenties. You rarely see Kahne running in fourteenth position, unless he started near the front and is on his way to the back.
Kahne is talented, and may someday prove me wrong, but as of now, if I were to build a new team from scratch, and needed a young driver, I much would rather hire Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, or Carl Edwards.
At least he is marketable, so losing sponsorship, or gaining sponsorship will unlikely become a problem.
