Fans Help Raise Kahne In All-Star Race

Kasey Kahne looked like he was ready to take his place among the elite drivers in NASCAR in 2006, winning six races and finishing in the top ten in the points.  He took a step back last season, going without a race win.  He has struggled some this season so far, but might have gotten a big boost.  Kasey Kahne won the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.  It was his first win in the sport's All-Star event.

 

Kasey Kahne competed in the Sprint Showdown, the race for the drivers to try and race their way in the big show.  It was a roller coaster kind of race for A.J. Allmendinger.  He made contact with Elliott Sadler early in the race, sending him into the wall.  Allmendinger was able to come back from that and take the win.  Along with Allmendinger, second place finisher Sam Hornish Jr. advanced into the All-Star race.  The fans then made their decision, voting Kahne as the last driver into the All-Star race.

 

Another new format for the All-Star event this season.  The race, 100 laps long, was divided into four 25 lap segments.  There was really no big trouble in the All-Star race, which is rather unusual for this night.  Pole sitter Kyle Busch won the first segment, but his night was cut short after the second segment because of engine failure.  Denny Hamlin left the race after 84 laps, also due to engine failure.  Carl Edwards won the second segment with Greg Biffle winning the third.

 

Pit strategy after the third segment would be a major factor in the night's result.  After leading the final eleven laps of the third segment, Biffle decided to take two tires, while Kahne's team decided to gamble and take no tires.  That gamble paid off, as Kahne led the final 17 laps to win the All-Star race.  He became only the third driver to win the event after running in the preliminary race.  He's the first to do so since Ryan Newman in 2002.  It netted Kahne almost $1.1 million in prize money.

 

Greg Biffle tried after the pit strategy, but was not able to catch Kahne.  Biffle finished up in second.  Matt Kenseth finished third, Jimmie Johnson fourth and Tony Stewart fifth.  Ryan Newman finished sixth with Sam Hornish, who was also in the Showdown, coming in seventh.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 14 laps on his way to an eighth place run with Mark Martin and Carl Edwards rounding out the top ten.  In his final race as a driver, Dale Jarrett finished in 21st place.

 

Memorial Day weekend is coming up next, which is a major time for the sport.  The Truck Series will be in Mansfield, Ohio on Saturday, with the Nationwide Series on the same day at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.  On Sunday, it will be one of the biggest events on the NASCAR schedule:  The Coca-Cola 600.

Fans Help Raise Kahne In All-Star Race

By:  CrimsonCowboy

 

Sometimes in NASCAR, you need a bit of help to win a race.  Sometimes, that help can come from a drafting partner, a great pit stop, or late race strategy.  On All-Star night, that help can come from people not even at the track.  That was the case for Kasey Kahne.  The fans voted him into the All-Star race.  Kahne said "thank you" by winning the event at the Lowe's Motor Speedway Saturday night.

 

Kasey Kahne looked like he was ready to take his place among the elite drivers in NASCAR in 2006, winning six races and finishing in the top ten in the points.  He took a step back last season, going without a race win.  He has struggled some this season so far, but might have gotten a big boost.  Kasey Kahne won the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.  It was his first win in the sport's All-Star event.

 

Kasey Kahne competed in the Sprint Showdown, the race for the drivers to try and race their way in the big show.  It was a roller coaster kind of race for A.J. Allmendinger.  He made contact with Elliott Sadler early in the race, sending him into the wall.  Allmendinger was able to come back from that and take the win.  Along with Allmendinger, second place finisher Sam Hornish Jr. advanced into the All-Star race.  The fans then made their decision, voting Kahne as the last driver into the All-Star race.

 

Another new format for the All-Star event this season.  The race, 100 laps long, was divided into four 25 lap segments.  There was really no big trouble in the All-Star race, which is rather unusual for this night.  Pole sitter Kyle Busch won the first segment, but his night was cut short after the second segment because of engine failure.  Denny Hamlin left the race after 84 laps, also due to engine failure.  Carl Edwards won the second segment with Greg Biffle winning the third.

 

Pit strategy after the third segment would be a major factor in the night's result.  After leading the final eleven laps of the third segment, Biffle decided to take two tires, while Kahne's team decided to gamble and take no tires.  That gamble paid off, as Kahne led the final 17 laps to win the All-Star race.  He became only the third driver to win the event after running in the preliminary race.  He's the first to do so since Ryan Newman in 2002.  It netted Kahne almost $1.1 million in prize money.

 

Greg Biffle tried after the pit strategy, but was not able to catch Kahne.  Biffle finished up in second.  Matt Kenseth finished third, Jimmie Johnson fourth and Tony Stewart fifth.  Ryan Newman finished sixth with Sam Hornish, who was also in the Showdown, coming in seventh.  Dale Earnhardt Jr. led 14 laps on his way to an eighth place run with Mark Martin and Carl Edwards rounding out the top ten.  In his final race as a driver, Dale Jarrett finished in 21st place.

 

Memorial Day weekend is coming up next, which is a major time for the sport.  The Truck Series will be in Mansfield, Ohio on Saturday, with the Nationwide Series on the same day at the Lowe's Motor Speedway.  On Sunday, it will be one of the biggest events on the NASCAR schedule:  The Coca-Cola 600.

By: Crimson Cowboy