Kasey Kahne Wins at Infineon Raceway
Posted by GEORGE June 23, 2009 6:35:11 PM
Kasey Kahne drove like a champion and won the Toyota-Save Mart 350 in Sonoma. It was an important win in several ways: It was Kahne's first road course win of his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, his first win of the 2009 season, the first win Richard Petty has been involved with since 1999, AND a timely win which put Kasey just 3 points out of The Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship.
Many drivers were in a position to win at one point or another during the race. But pit strategy, a solid car, and being in the right place at the right time brought the trophy home for Kasey Kahne. Kasey has shown promise all year, and it was great to see him put it all together.
I enjoyed seeing Richard Petty in the winner's circle. Realistically, Petty has very little, if anything, to do with Richard Petty Motorsports, and he will be the first to tell you that. The "Petty" name is still synonymous with NASCAR, and Richard was among the first to congratulate Kasey.
I continue to keep a close eye on Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya is driving like he is on a mission, trying to finish well and staying out of trouble. Juan jumped up 2 spots in the standings, and is now in the 12th position. I had Montoya tabbed as the next "NASCAR Bad Boy," after Tony Stewart gave up the title, but Kyle Busch has it now.
Marcos Ambrose's third-place finish was a boost to him, as well as our NASCAR friends down under. Marcos is another driver who has learned the ropes of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, and is slowly climbing in the standings. It may be tough for the Australian driver to make The Chase this year, being 213 points out of the 12th-place, but it's still possible. Ambrose is a class act, and he is good for NASCAR racing.
The next race may give us a view of how The Chase will start. NASCAR is headed for Loudon, New Hampshire for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. New Hampshire is also where the first race of The Chase will take place. The driver who does well this weekend may have a leg-up on the competition when the "second season" starts.
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