Thursday, June 24, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 a.m.
 

 

	RUSTY JARRETT / GETTY IMAGES

Seattletimes.com's Spike Matau managed to snag a few minutes on the phone with Kasey Kahne on June 8. Here's a transcript of the conversation:

Q: You were leading the MBNA 400 (June 6, 2004) when your car hit oil and you spun out, losing the lead and a chance for your first Nextel Cup win. Talk about that.
A: We had a great race car and everything went right all day long. We did everything right to have the best car at the end of the race — that’s what you try to do, then we hit the oil. It was really disappointing. We had no idea the oil was there. I just went down into turn 3 and there was no grip.
 
Q: What are your thoughts on open-wheel versus stock car racing and the future of both sports?
A: I think open-wheel is great. I think stock car is awesome and (it is) just going to keep growing. NASCAR and what they do with their sport — they just keep making it better and better. I really look forward to being part of it for a long time. I’d also really enjoy getting back into an open-wheel car some day. They have a great series (IRL) — a couple great series and I’d like to be part of that some day too.
 
Q: Talk about the rumor that Ford gave you a 24-hour time frame to choose between an open-wheel racing career or signing on with NASCAR.
A: That’s never really how it (happened). I tested in open-wheel cars. I tested in stock cars — there’s just more openings in stock cars. Jeff Gordon started (the move from open-wheel to stock) and then Tony Stewart (made the switch) and to have two drivers that are that great to come out of open-wheel and then go into the stock cars really opened a lot of doors.
 
Q: How did you meet car owner Steve Lewis?
A: I met Steve Lewis through Jason Leffler, who drove for Steve Lewis. Tony Stewart drove for him and Jason Leffler got in there and I was friends with Jason. I ended up hanging out with those guys and meeting Steve Lewis and when Jason left and went to drive stock cars I got into the 9 cars and got to start racing for Steve Lewis and Bobby Easton in the midgets.
 
Q: Who are a few of your favorite drivers you’ve met so far?
A: I’ve always really liked Dave Blaney (Bill Davis Racing). He’s always been one of my favorites. When he was racing World of Outlaws sprint cars and then he moved into NASCAR — and the same with Jeff Gordon, when he was racing midgets and sprint cars and moved into NASCAR — he was always one of my favorites too. Tony Stewart — I’ve hung out with all those guys and I know them now. It’s pretty weird to grow up as a kid watching them and thinking how great they were and now being able to race with them is really neat.
 
Q: What is your favorite part of a race?
A: I think it all starts with qualifying a great time on the weekend and then once the race starts, it’s just the entire race — to come into every pit stop and to be able to make adjustments and work on your car and try to make it better and better for the next stop. When you make that final stop, you need your car to be the best car on the track and that’s what you work for all day, is to make the right decisions on the final stop and have the car to beat.
 
Q: How has the communication on your team helped you?
A: Communication has been great. Our Dodge dealers team is a really good race team. Tommy Baldwin Jr. is the crew chief. He does an awesome job. All the guys on the team — we all hang out and have a good time together and communicate well. Everyone works really hard on the team. It pays off when you have that many good people that you can work with. And to learn from Tommy every week — it’s really nice to have someone that smart to be my crew chief.
 
Q: Where in the Northwest would you like to see a NASCAR track built?
A: I think it would be great to build (a track) in the Northwest, maybe a little north of Seattle. It would be an awesome place to bring fans from Canada, Idaho, Montana, California, Oregon, Washington, I mean there would be so many people there — I think it would just be a great spot to put a NASCAR track. To go out there and race in front of a hometown crowd when you’re in NASCAR would be pretty cool for me.
 
Q: What is your favorite track in the Northwest and why?
A: My favorite track is Skagit Speedway. That’s where I started racing and I won a lot of races there. It’s just always been one of my favorite tracks. It’s a smaller dirt track that puts up a lot of exciting races so it’s a lot of fun to go there — not just (race). I grew up watching races there every weekend and learned a lot watching and won a lot of races once I started racing there so it’s definitely my favorite track in Washington.
 
Q: What types of things were you involved with before you started racing competitively at the age of 14?
A: I played a lot of sports: baseball, basketball and football. I raced four wheelers and three wheeler and I always rode motorcycles and four wheelers and went to races growing up and just watched. Finally when I was 14 I started (racing competitively).
 
Q: Describe your first racing car.
A: My first car I raced was a micro mini sprint. It was a 250 CC with a super cross type of engine on it. It was a pretty small car and really a lot of fun on dirt.
 
Q: What kind of car are you driving right now and what is your dream car?
A: I really don’t have a dream car. I really like Mercedes and nice luxury cars but right now I drive a Dodge Durango and I love it. It’s a great SUV to drive.
 
Q: Growing up in Enumclaw, you were very close to Crystal Mountain ski resort. Did you ski or board?
A: I skied. I went to Crystal and a lot of different mountains (in the Northwest) but Crystal was the main one.
 
Q: So you came home to take a break from your busy schedule and do some fishing?
A: Yeah … a couple weeks ago when I went home we went fishing on the Cowlitz River. It was a great time. We caught some salmon and had a great day out there. It was fun. We were fishing out on a boat. We had some guides and did the full river deal — went up and down the river looking for the spots where the fish were biting. We had a great time — hooked about five and got three in the boat.
 
Q: Who came away with the big fish that day?
A: Well, it’s tough to say. My brother actually hooked it and somehow I got the pole as he was reeling it in so I ended up bringing it in the boat but my brother’s the one that hooked it.
 
Q: Do you have a girlfriend right now?
A: No, I don’t have a girlfriend. I wouldn’t mind having a girlfriend but I don’t have one right now.
 
Q: Are you getting a lot of fan mail?
A: Yeah, I mean, I get a lot of fan mail and different stuff. It’s pretty fun to see some of that and you get pictures and gifts and things in the mail sometimes too. I enjoy it. It’s pretty cool.
 
Q: How is life in Mooresville (North Carolina)?
A: I really like it here, you know. I live a little bit north of Charlotte and it’s a great state. It’s pretty green. We have a big lake here that we go out on when we have time.
 
Q: Describe a typical day in the life of your rookie season so far.
A: It depends what day it is. Every day is different, we have so much going on. A typical race week we practice, go back and forth from the Cup and Busch car all day long, practicing, qualifying, final practice and then on Saturday we practice the Cup car in the morning and race the Busch race. Then Sunday we just do the Cup race. And throw in all the media and appearances and things you do for sponsors and teams and you get pretty hectic schedules — pretty hectic days.
 
Q: Who have you met that has left you star struck?
A: President Bush was the biggest one. Ben Affleck; the Rock - met him at Texas; Leanne Rimes — that was pretty cool to meet her — got to listen to her sing right up in person too. It was real cool.
 
Q: How is it having your brother, Kale, around?
A: It’s real good having my brother around. It makes it easier on me. It makes it more fun, we get to hang out a lot more.
 
Q: Which do you prefer — Sneakers or boots?
A: Sneakers.
 
Q: Coke or Pepsi?
A: Pepsi.
 
Q: Hat or no hat?
A: No hat.
 
Q: Chicken or beef?
A: Chicken.
 
Q: Blonde or brunette?
A: Blonde.
 
Q: Porsche or Jeep?
A: Porsche.
 
Q: What are your favorite sports to watch?
A: College basketball, college football. I pretty much like all sports and watch sports whenever I can but definitely (those) are the two best ones, I think.
 
Q: What teams do you like the best?
A: Well, I still definitely like the Washington Huskies or the Cougars, Seattle Mariners, Seahawks — we just need those teams to start winning some more.