BROOKLYN, Mich. — Kasey Kahne’s future has been settled. The present doesn’t look too bad for him, either.
After finally finding out where he’ll be driving next season, Kahne turned in an impressive performance Friday for his current team, with a lap of 187.183 mph to win the pole position for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.
Kahne isn’t sure whether facing an unsettled future affected his driving in recent weeks, but he does know it’s nice to know he’ll be driving for Red Bull Racing next season.
“I don’t know how much that’s been on my mind,” Kahne said. “It’s hard to say. I feel like I’m focused pretty good each week and really trying to do the right thing.”
It is Kahne’s second pole of the season and the 18th of his career. Jimmie Johnson qualified second, followed by Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart.
It has been a big week for Kahne, who drives for Richard Petty Motorsports but has signed a contract with Hendrick Motorsports. Because Hendrick doesn’t have a seat open in 2011, it was announced this week that Kahne will spend next season with Red Bull.
Bowyer’s run was a boost for a team that comes into Sunday’s race 13th in the points and is scrambling to become eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
“It was a well-needed run,” Bowyer said. “Obviously these are important times for us, the situation we are in racing for this Chase spot. Starting upfront at a big racetrack like this, to be in the clean air and having an opportunity to have a good pit stall, goes a long ways toward a good run on Sunday.”
Roush back at the track.
NASCAR team owner Jack Roush was back at the racetrack, having permanently lost vision in his left eye but otherwise feeling lucky to survive yet another plane crash. And yes, he expects to fly again.
Roush, who crashed his jet just over two weeks ago while trying to land at an air show in Wisconsin, said he ruptured his left eyeball in the crash and doesn’t expect to ever be able to see out of it again.
“Everything will come back, except for the eye,” he said at Michigan International Speedway. Roush then joked that he uses his right eye to examine spark plugs anyway.
In addition to his eye injury, Roush said he broke his jaw, suffered a compression fracture in his back and hurt his left cheek.
Roush, an aviation buff who survived a plane crash in 2002, praised the plane’s safety characteristics and acknowledged his remarkable good luck.
“I’ve been extremely lucky to have been able to survive,” Roush said. “I feel in some ways unworthy. I don’t know that I’ve done enough yet for the chances I’ve had.”
And Roush said it was “very likely” that he will be at the controls of a plane again.
“There’s not a reason why you can’t fly with one eye,” Roush said.
Force Hood top qualifier
BRAINERD, Minn. — Ashley Force Hood is in position to earn her fourth No. 1 qualifying position of the season after the first day of the 29th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.
The other provisional No. 1 qualifiers were Brandon Bernstein (top fuel), Allen Johnson (pro stock) and Andrew Hines (pro stock motorcycle).
Qualifying concludes today, when the field will be set for Sunday’s final eliminations.
