Kasey’s pain
How bad has it been for Kasey Kahne this year? Last year Kasey Kahne won six races. This year he hasn’t even finished in the top five.
"I’m happy when I don’t hit something," Kasey Kahne told reporters on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "This year, a top-15 would be great. That would be an awesome weekend for us. Last year if we didn’t win the race we were upset."
Evernham Motorsports has been unable to get much of anything out of the 2007 Dodge Charger. So now the team is going back to the 2006 model. And Evernham, who made his reputation in NASCAR as Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, has decided he needs to get back on the competition side instead of concentrating solely on the team’s business operations.
A couple of years ago during the NASCAR pre-season media tour, Evernham made a big show of parading out 20 engineers. So how can a team with so many technical minds not be able to get its cars working right?
"You tell me," Kasey Kahne said. "I have no idea. I have no idea how that happens but it does."
The fall guy at Evernham has been Eric Warren, the former technical director. Evernham said flawed information from simulation software is to blame for much of his team’s problems, and Warren, now on leave, was the head of the engineering operation.
"If you’re a football coach or a college coach and the team is losing, ultimately you have to make changes in the areas of responsibility, Evernham told reporters at IMS.
Evernham also finally admitted his romantic relationship with driver Erin Crocker has hurt her career.
"The proper thing to do, and what I would like to do, is move her to another race team," Evernham said.
As for Kasey Kahne, one of NASCAR’s most popular young drivers, he says he’ll remain with Evernham "at least through 2010." He says Evernham "told me from the start that, if I stick with him he’ll give me the equipment and the people to win a championship. I believe him. I think he will."
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