Hendrick Motorsports choice no slam dunk for Kahne

By Jay Hart
July 8, 2010


He was the biggest free agent of the 2010 season – was because Kasey Kahne has signed on to drive the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports, though not until 2012. What was the free-agency process like for him and how close was he to signing with another team?

Yahoo! Sports recently talked with Kahne about his Hendrick deal and whether or not his career has gone the way he’d hoped.

1. Y! Sports: Hendrick Motorsports – seems like a slam dunk. Was it?

Kahne: It was something that I really had to look at, because once I started talking to teams, there was a lot of really neat teams out there that I felt like are going to keep growing and have a lot of … over time be pretty darn good. So, it was interesting going around and learning about that.

But personally it came down to people, and I felt like it was Gibbs and Hendrick, and the Hendrick deal looked just a little … you know, with the 5 car, a car that’s been so strong in the sport, I just felt like that was why I went in that direction. But J.D. and Joe Gibbs were really awesome to work with and talk to, also.

Y! Sports: How would you describe the free-agency process?

Kahne: It was kind of exciting for us, but at the same time definitely difficult. Really exciting, but definitely difficult to know you’re making a five-year decision. It’ll probably be the five biggest years of my racing career, so it was difficult. There was a lot that I was thinking, putting through my mind thinking about.

Y! Sports: How close were you to signing with Gibbs?

Kahne: It was really close between Gibbs and between Hendrick.

2. Y! Sports: You’re in a little bit of limbo right now, not knowing exactly where you’ll be in 2011. Is it an uncomfortable situation?

Kahne: I’m just trying to be patient about it, but at the same time it’s something that’s always on my mind, something that I think a lot about, just trying to figure out where I’ll end up exactly. Just trying to be patient. Sometimes, time just takes care of things.

3. Y! Sports: Is the sport as competitive as it’s ever been in your Cup career?

Kahne: Yeah, since I’ve been in it, it’s definitely the most competitive it’s been I’d say right now. Definitely more than like in ’04 when I first started. The drivers are just way more aggressive and stay after it for the entire race now. Nobody lays back.

I think it has a lot to do with people like Kyle Busch and kind of the younger crowd that are a little more aggressive, a little more afterward. They kind of came in, I would say after Rusty Wallace and Bill Elliott and those guys, and that’s why I would say it is.

4. Y! Sports: You are 154 points out of a spot in the top 12, so is the Chase still within reach?

Kahne: Yeah, I think it definitely is. We’ve made up a lot of points the last couple of weeks, and I think we can keep doing that. If we stay consistent, doing the things we’re doing right now, I feel like our team is definitely capable of being one of those top 10 teams.

5. Y! Sports: You had a run-in with your teammate, AJ Allmendinger, at Pocono. How do you handle the fallout from that?

Kahne: I just think about how I could have kept myself out of that situation. Even when you’re racing certain teammates you have to be prepared for anything, and I just wasn’t prepared. I didn’t think that would have happened, so I just stayed after it. So now I know next time what I would do better so I would have been the one who finished 10th and not him. You just learn. It’s an experience.

6. Y! Sports: Has your career gone the way you had hoped?

Kahne: Yeah, I’m definitely happy with it, like where it’s at. I wish I would have had some more wins and done a few more things in the sport by now, but I’m still pretty happy with it. But I still have a lot to do and a lot that I feel I can do.

7. Y! Sports: What’s the most frivolous thing you spend money on?

Kahne: Definitely my sprint-car teams. To me, that’s something that I enjoy as much as anything is having those teams and being a part of that. We have three teams, so if I spend money, that’s where it’s at.

8. Y! Sports: Are you comfortable in the spotlight?

Kahne: Yeah, I’m actually pretty good with it on the racing side of it. There are other forms that you see – actors and actresses and music awards and that kind of stuff – where I wouldn’t be near as comfortable. But when it has to do with something that I understand, like I do, then yeah, I’m actually pretty comfortable with all of that and everything that comes along with it.

Y! Sports: You don’t mind getting recognized?

Kahne: No, I don’t mind it. It took a while because I’m kind of a mellower, quieter kind of person a lot of times. So it took me awhile to figure that stuff out and be comfortable and be happy with it. But like I said, once I’ve gotten comfortable with it, I’ve actually kind of enjoyed it.

9. You only get a few weekends off each season. You’ve got one coming up in July. What are you going to do?

Kahne: Do a little bit of racing – a couple of sprint-car races – and somehow get back to the Bahamas. I always enjoy going down there. Do something like that. Take a few days. That’s really it.

Y! Sports: When you go to the Bahamas, do you sit on the beach or do you like to be active?

Kahne: Nah, I just kind of relax.

10.The one thing I want fans to know about me is...

Kahne: I’m passionate about whatever it is that I’m doing or whatever is on my mind at that time. More times than not it’s racing, but whatever it is, I’m really passionate about it and make sure it happens and goes the way I want it to.

•  NASCAR News Archive Index:
2010, 2009
•  NASCAR Tickets
•  NASCAR Schedule