You have to appreciate his story. Kahne, the 2004 rookie of the year who won a series-high six races in 2006, did not have a guaranteed spot in last week’s all-star race, because he hasn’t won a points race in the past two seasons. Last year, he ended 19th in the standings, and was considered a talent of the past.
But last Saturday, he was voted into the all-star race by the fans, and then won the thing.
He wasn’t an all-star at the beginning of the day, but ended up MVP, err, MVD (driver). Forget that he rolled the dice with fuel to win the race, because his peers know he’s a terrific talent, and that his team, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, has just fallen behind.
ON THE MOVE: A.J. ALLMENDINGER
All-star win was a stunner
A month ago, the former Thornton resident and Grand Prix of Denver champion appeared to be the latest former open-wheel star to realize that NASCAR racing is a far more challenging series than open wheel. After failing to qualify for the first three races, he was replaced by veteran Mike Skinner. But Allmendinger regained the wheel and rallied to capture last weekend’s all-star showdown race, which made him an all-star.
“I felt like I won the Daytona 500,” he told reporters. “Nobody understands what this means to me, after what we’ve been through.”
