Mired in a yearlong slump, winless and with his playoff prospects teetering towards extinction, Kasey Kahne understood the magnitude of what needed to happen at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
NASCAR Atlanta 2014 recap: Kasey Kahne overcomes pressure, punches Chase ticket
With his playoff hopes on the brink, Kasey Kahne came through in a big way at Atlanta.
Jeff Curry
“You just know that you have to win,” Kahne said. “... I just kept saying, ‘I have to win. I have to win Sunday night.’”
From broken parts at inopportune moments to mistakes on pit road, 2014 had evolved into a maddening season for Kahne, all compounded by the fact his Hendrick Motorsports teammates were making a steady pilgrimage to Victory Lane.
"I think tonight was max pressure and next week would have even been more, if we didn't get the win tonight."-Kasey Kahne
Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. had won a combined nine races, securing themselves a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. In the meantime, Kahne had become the Hendrick outlier, even as focus within the organization centered on improving the No. 5 team and getting Kahne in the playoffs.
That first win of the year finally came Sunday, with a determined drive that first saw Kahne fend-off Kevin Harvick, who had the dominant car, and then, Matt Kenseth in a lively tussle over the closing laps. When Kahne exited his car in Victory Lane it wasn’t so much a celebration, but alleviation.
“When I came off Turn 4 and I could see the checkered (flag), right there is the first time I knew I was in the Chase,” Kahne said. “It’s such a relief.”
He is in the Chase, where he would join his Hendrick teammates for a third consecutive season, all of whom all came to the winner’s circle to congratulate Kahne.
“That really was special to see them, all three of them come to Victory Lane to celebrate and congratulate Kasey,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “I think that shows the kind of chemistry we have with our drivers, and they know they got to race each other, and they want to beat each other, but they were pulling for Kasey to get in.
“I looked up and saw them all standing there, and I was really proud of the organization when I saw that.”
In the aftermath of his 17th career win, Kahne admitted his season was filled with such frustration it had shaken his confidence. The disappointment had also cast a cloud of uncertainty over his future with Hendrick. While Gordon, Johnson and Earnhardt enjoy the security of long-term contracts, Kahne is a free agent after next season.
Although the 5 car had sponsorship in place for the 2016, Hendrick is noncommittal about Kahne’s status. And with Chase Elliott’s rapid ascension (he currently owns three wins and leads the Nationwide Series standings as a rookie), it’s almost a given the 18-year-old will be in Sprint Cup full time by 2016.
Meaning, Kahne is likely the odd man out, barring some monumental, unforeseen shakeup within the team.
“As a team, we put it together tonight,” Kahne said. “They never gave up, and we ended up getting the win and feel good about that. We can just build off of it. Hopefully, we can build some confidence, some momentum.”
What Kahne’s future holds with Hendrick is still to be determined. But in the immediate, now that he’s qualified, the focus is on the Chase. The anxiety that squeezed him in recent weeks was eradicated Sunday at Atlanta.
“Just to make it, I mean, that’s just such ... (the regular season) was winding down, we were, I don’t know,” said Kahne, struggling to put into words his emotions. “... I think tonight was max pressure and next week would have even been more, if we didn’t get the win tonight.”
And win Kahne did. His playoff ticket is punched.
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