NASCAR Cup

Chicagoland: Kahne - Dodge Friday interview

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger) LAST YEAR A LOT OF GUYS WERE RUNNING HIGH. DID YOU CHANGE THAT MUCH IN YOUR LINE? "It's changed a lot. It takes rubber a lot quicker now. It seems like it's wide. The track is definitely worn ...

Edited: Jul 14, 2007, 12:21 AM

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KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger)

LAST YEAR A LOT OF GUYS WERE RUNNING HIGH. DID YOU CHANGE THAT MUCH IN YOUR LINE? "It's changed a lot. It takes rubber a lot quicker now. It seems like it's wide. The track is definitely worn out more so, you're gonna have a better race, side-by-side. More groove."

IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON AS YOU KNOW AND YOUR NAME IS MENTIONED IN A COUPLE OF PRINT AND INTERNET REPORTS ABOUT MOVING ON, LEAVING RAY AND IS THERE ANY TRUTH ABOUT THIS? "Yeah. It's got it's own little deal. It's pretty neat to be talked about and have some different options with partners and teams whatever. As myself, I'm with Ray Evernham through 2010 and whatever he decides to do that's his deal and whatever he decides to do, I'm behind him. You know the different sponsors, we talk to them all the time. It's neat to have people to talk to and what happens, I have no idea, but Dodge and all of the Dodge Dealers do a great job on our car and we thank them for everything they do."

WOULD BUD TAKE YOU AS A SPONSOR AND YOUR PERSONALITY? "I think there's lots of sponsors that would fit me. I mean, I can do whatever anybody wants. They just have to put a good deal together and right now we're doing an awesome job with Dodge and the Dodge Dealers. Its like we sell as just as much apparel as most of the guys. You know, if things go really well at the souvenir trailers. Yeah, I could go with Bud. I could be with anything they want me to be if they really want to, we could do it. I don't really know what happened or what will happen, but we have a lot of different things going on."

HAVE YOU HAD ANY LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE BUDWEISER PEOPLE? "I never talked to anyone or at any other place other than Dodge Dealers and what we having going on with them."

ARE YOU RUNNING THE BUSCH RACE (AT MONTREAL) DO YOU HAVE THE WEEK OFF? "I have a week off. I'm excited. I'm doing some travel as a sprint car owner with The World of Outlaws week and then go to Mexico next week and have some fun and just take sometime to myself. And be all ready for Indy in two weeks. I'm excited for Indy and the Allstate 400. It's probably the funnest race for me all season long and hopefully we get everything turned around and we're really strong at the Allstate 400."

WHAT MAKES THAT SO SPECIAL, GIVEN YOUR HISTORY WITH OPEN WHEEL? IS THIS THE PLACE YOU ALWAYS DREAMED ABOUT? "As a kid, you dream about it and watch it. Whether it's the Brickyard 400 or the Indy 500. It doesn't matter you watch that place and when I was growing up the Indy 500 came on early. I always remember my dad waking me up and make breakfast and watch Indy all day. It's one of the biggest races that we would watch every year, between that and the Daytona 500. I'm excited because it's a big part of racing."

IS THERE ANOTHER SIDE TO YOU? YOU SAID YOU COULD BE ANYBODY THAT A SPONSOR WANTS. A LOT OF FANS ARE WONDERING, IS THERE ANOTHER SIDE TO YOU? "It's whatever fits. They put Big Red on Montoya's car. If they think that's a good fit, then maybe it will."

IS IT FLATTERING TO YOU THAT SOMEBODY LIKE BUDWEISER WOULD WANT YOU TO REPRSENT THEM? APPARENTLY, THERE'S ONLY FOUR DRIVERS THEY ARE INTERESTED IN AND YOU'RE ONE OF THEM. "It's very flattering. They're one of the greatest sponsors in sports and in racing. It's very flattering that I'm on their list and that Ray Evernham is on their list. It's a big deal. It feels good when you're on that type of a list."

-credit: dodge motorsports

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