2011 season will be a season of transition for Red Bull Racing’s Kasey Kahne. Kahne heads over to RBR for a one year contract with the team.
In 2012, Kahne will be driving the No. 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports. Mark Martin currently drives that car and is in the final year of his contract at HMS.
For Kahne, 2011 could be exactly what he is looking for to help jumpstart his career after a season of struggles at Richard Petty Motorsports.
He posted seven top fives, 10 top 10 finishes and a average finish of 18.9 in 2010 which included the final five races of the season with RBR.
Kahne went winless and missed the Chase two things that will change in 2011. Kahne with solid equipment and the right components is a threat to win every week.
The key to his success has always been his crew chief Kenny Francis. The two have a chemistry that works, although they haven’t found the success like Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus, the two when everything clicks can be just as successful.
Kahne needs results in 2011, he can’t just run mid pack and occasionally challenge for wins. To be a serious contender for wins and the Chase, Kahne will need to start off the season strong.
In the seven years he has been running at the Sprint Cup level, he has 11 wins but he has never really been able to put together a complete season. This is something that Kahne hopes to improve on this season.
"I don't feel like I have near enough wins, like I have near enough poles, like I've made the Chase enough," Kahne said. "Everything about what I've done, I don't feel like I've done near enough. I'm a pretty competitive person when it comes to racing and things off the track. I want to do it right. I want to figure out how to win more and contend a lot more often."
While Kahne should make the Chase this season there are still a lot of questions. Chemistry takes time and while they did get a jump start with the new team there are no guarantees.
When Kahne leaves the No. 4 team will still be there. Francis has been with Kahne will he go with him? How will this one year deal affect sponsorship in the future for them?
It’s a long season a there is a lot still to be figured out for the future of this team but RBR struggled in 2010 as a whole. With a myriad of drivers that included Scott Speed, Reed Sorenson, Casey Mears. Brian Vickers ran up until Dover; with medical issues sidelining him.
They lacked the speed in their race cars and that was something they didn’t struggle with in 2009 when Vickers made the Chase.
We have heard drivers say that lack of speed in these new cars make the car more comfortable. Kahne is very good at giving feedback on the car. He knows what he needs to get the most out of the car.
As the season goes on more and more questions should and will be answered for RBR’s future. As for Kahne he should be able to make the most of it and challenge for the Chase.
He can learn a lot this season in preparation for the expectation of success that will come in 2012.
photo: www.kaseykahne.com
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