PETERSEN MEDIA- Getting the call from Roth Motorsports to run the iconic No. 83 during the Knoxville Nationals, Kasey Kahne put together a very strong week that saw him pocket a fifth-place finish at the Front Row Challenge, charge from 23rd to finish sixth during his qualifying night, and ultimately finish eighth during Saturday’s Knoxville Nationals finale.
“It was an exciting week to the drive the No. 83 car, and I really have to thank Dennis and Teresa Roth for the opportunity,” Kasey Kahne said. “A lot of work went into this by the team to be ready and prepared for a big week of racing.”
Kahne and Roth Motorsports kicked their week off on Monday night at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, IA where they took part in the Front Row Challenge as a shakedown for the Nationals.
Kahne and interim Crew Chief Paul Baines got things off to a very strong start as the Enumclaw, WA driver timed the Roth Enterprises/Jason, Tara, and Cole Roth Cattle Co./HR Livestock Transportation backed entry in seventh fastest amongst the 25 drivers checked in.
Running third in his heat race, Kahne would advance to the King of the Hill event where he would transfer into the final round and ultimately finish second to Brian Brown.
Lining up on the front row of the 30-lap feature event, Kahne would test his grit against some of the best in the world as he went toe-to-toe with the lieks of Kyle Larson, Brian Brown, and Carson Macedo.
Battling hard around the ½ mile located in Oskaloosa, IA, Kahne capped off a very strong first night of action with a fifth-place finish as the attention quickly turned to Thursday night’s qualifying run at the Nationals.
Adorning a throwback scheme dating back to Roth Motorsports’ 1998 Nationals win with Danny Lasoski, Kahne would keep the old school colors up front as he topped the speed charts in qualifications and earned quick time honors aboard the Roth Motorsports machine.
Lining up eighth in his heat race based on the grueling Knoxville Nationals heat race inversion, passing would prove to be tough in early heat races after rains as created a lightning-fast surface that remained narrow early in the evening.
Working his way up to a sixth-place finish, Kahne would be forced into the ‘B’, where he would line up on the pole. Finishing third, he would keep his night going as he moved into the 25-lap feature event where he would take the green flag from the 23rd starting position.
A wild night would see several incidents plague the start of the race, but Kahne would be able to keep his nose clean despite starting at the rear of the field. When the race was finally able to get underway, Kahne would make a couple of nice moves to quickly find himself inside the Top-10 where he looked to add to his point total and set himself up for Saturday night.
Continuing to work his way forward, Kahne would get into the sixth position when the checkered flag was displayed which would be good enough to lock him into Saturday night’s Championship finale where he would take the green flag from the seventh starting position.
After playing spectator on Friday night and most of the night on Saturday, Kahne would get off to a nice start when the long awaited 50-lap feature came to life.
During the first 25-lap segment of the race, Kahne battled the likes of his Kasey Kahne Racing driver, Brad Sweet, as well as Brent Marks for position inside the Top-5. Though he would be on the outside looking in at the competition red flag, Kahne had a great run going as he ran in the seventh position.
When the second half of the race came to fruition, Kahne continue to chase after Marks and Sweet, but would soon find himself battling his other Kasey Kahne Racing driver, James McFadden.
As he battled McFadden around the famed ½ mile, McFadden would get the position from him late as Kahne was still able to garner a Top-10 at the biggest race in the world as he would cap the Nationals off with an eighth-place finish.
“I really enjoyed being a part of the Knoxville Nationals as a driver and competing in the ‘A’ Main after so many years,” Kahne added. “It felt great driving such a good car with a great team behind it. Again, big thanks to Dennis and Teresa Roth, Todd Ventura, and everyone associated with Roth Motorsports.”
The Roth Motorsports team would like to thank Roth Enterprises, Jason, Tara, and Cole Roth Cattle Co., HR Livestock Transportation, Roth Investments, Southern Pacific Farms, All Star Performance, FK Rod Ends, Vahlco Wheels, Triple X Race Co., AL Drive Lines, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Wings Unlimited, Kent Performance, Kaeding Performance, Smith Titanium, and Team Simpson for their support in 2021.
ON TAP: Roth Motorsports will be back in action when the World of Outlaws resume their schedule on Friday night at River Cities Speedway
BY THE NUMBERS: Starts-67, Wins-5, Top-5’s-20, Top-10’s-44
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected with Roth Motorsports by checking out their website, www.rothmotorsports83.com, following along on Twitter and Instagram @RothMotorsports.
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