Times wires
Saturday, April 2, 2011
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Kasey Kahne doesn't feel he has performed that great at Red Bull Racing.
And that's what has him excited about the rest of the Sprint Cup season.
Kahne is driving one year for Red Bull before joining Hendrick Motorsports. He spent the end of last season in limbo as his Richard Petty Motorsports team was immersed in turmoil.
In 2011, Kahne has three top-10 finishes and hasn't finished worse than 25th in five races. Yet he knows more is possible.
"Pit calls and stuff like that have been good, but we still have a ways to go with the car and to run as well as we are and feel like we're missing it — I think we could have a pretty good season," Kahne said.
At least one big change Kahne has noticed is the change in the working environment.
"To me, everybody's excited. The guys building the chassis, the guys putting the bodies on the cars, preparing the race cars, debriefing them — there's so many things," Kahne said.
"You walk around there and it's a good time. It's back to kind of how it should be. I think racing should be fun."
After his ninth-place finish Sunday at Fontana, Calif., Kahne moved into a three-way tie for ninth, the first time he has been among the top 12 since the final week of the 2009 season.
Next season, Kahne will take over the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet currently driven by Mark Martin. For this year Hendrick helped Kahne land the Red Bull ride.
The 30-year-old, who drove the final five races for Red Bull last season after being released from RPM, is in a Toyota after being in a Ford for most of last season and a Dodge in 2009. So he'll complete the manufacturer grand slam next year.
McMurray on pole for Cup at Martinsville
Jamie McMurray took a step toward jump-starting his season by winning the pole for today's Cup race at Martinsville.
McMurray, who is 28th in points, turned a lap of 96.509 mph Saturday in his Chevrolet for today's Goody's 500.
He said getting the pit stall closest to the exit from pit road at Turn 2 was crucial at the tight, 0.526-mile track. That stall all but guarantees a quick entrance and exit, critical factors at a speedway where track position is of paramount importance.
"If you get the No. 1 pit stall here, it's huge, and I think that can win the race for you," said McMurray, whose 96.509 mph lap speed edged Ryan Newman (96.342) for the top starting spot.
TIRE ISSUES: Several drivers were concerned about tire wear heading into today's race based on practices and Saturday's truck race. Tire wear was a huge issue in the trucks race
"It's a terrible tire," Kevin Harvick said. "There's no rubber on the racetrack. Who knows what it's going to be (today)?"
Asked after the truck race if NASCAR needed to throw competition cautions, Kyle Busch smirked and said, "No, we'll just wreck each other. We'll be the cautions."
