Kahne Carries Momentum From Charlotte Into Dover Race Weekend

Momentum is one of those intangibles that plays a pivotal role in the ebb and flow of sports. One stellar performance or one set of circumstances can suddenly turn the tide in favor of the athlete and his outlook on the rest of the season. If any driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is carrying momentum into this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway, it’s Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge.

Fresh off back-to-back wins at Lowe’s Motor Speedway — first the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 17, when he was voted into the competition by the fans, and then the Coca-Cola 600 last Sunday evening — Kahne and his race team have suddenly reasserted themselves as a force to reckon with. Now 12th in the point standings, could it be that this team has returned to the form that saw Kahne win a series-high six races in 2006? Only time will tell, but performances from the past two weekends appear to have provided this team with a wave of momentum.

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“You know, it really feels good to win on this weekend,” Kahne said last Sunday, after claiming his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, and his first points win since October, 2006. “Confidence is huge. I feel like I gave better input this week … I’ve stepped up and given Kenny (Francis) more to work with as a crew chief and I’ve given our engineers more to work with. And, I wasn’t doing that at the start of the year. I think that’s a big part of the confidence, and it shows on the racetrack.”

CREDIT: NASCAR PR 

Wilmington, Del. (May 29, 2008) – Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports andDuPont will continue as the longest active driver/owner/sponsor combination in theNASCAR Sprint Cup Series through 2010.

The two-year contract extension announcement came today at DuPont’s globalheadquarters where Gordon spent the day with employees during their annual employeeappreciation day.

“We come out here before the spring Dover race each year and spend time withthe people who lend their support and make our success possible,” said Gordon. “And itwas special to be able to announce to the many loyal DuPont employees that we’re allgoing to remain a part of the same team for several more years.“I started my career with DuPont and I hope to end my career with them as myprimary sponsor.”

DuPont teamed up with Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon for the final raceof the 1992 season with the newly formed No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports race team andhave since competed in every NASCAR Cup Series race. Together they have amassedfour championships, 81 wins and 65 career poles.

“This sponsorship is a perfect match for a company as large and diverse asDuPont,” said DuPont Vice President David Bills. “NASCAR’s overall communicationsreach is impressive, but the DuPont brand enjoys even higher visibility because Jeff andthe No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet figure so prominently in so many races.”

CREDIT: TEAM RELEASE