CUP: Kahne Second Driver To Finish Last In Budweiser Shootout, All-Star Race In The Same Year
Coming off his track record-setting pole and fourth-place finish at Darlington two weeks ago, Kahne was eligible to run the All-Star Race by virtue of his 2008 victory in the event. In qualifying, Kahne’s team put up the 7th-fastest time without receiving any penalties. Though his team did not claim the Pit Crew Challenge on Thursday, Kahne claimed a victory of his own in the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge the afternoon of the main event.
In the race itself, Kahne was able to stay in touch with the leaders at various moments, running up to 4th on Lap 26 after he took a two-tire stop. A second two-tire stop at the end of Segment 1 on Lap 50 moved him up to 2nd behind Carl Edwards, and he held onto the Top 5 after the restart. However, on Lap 59, the run came to an end when Greg Biffle got him loose entering turn one, causing his Toyota to slap the outside wall hard enough to strip off most of the paint on the passenger side.
The wreck put Kahne behind the wall that same lap, making him the first retiree. Brad Keselowski, at the time six laps down due to his own brush with the wall, was then moved up from last. Thanks to being the only car laps down in the closing stages, Keselowski received enough Lucky Dogs to come home one lap behind in 18th.
Carl Edwards, who finished last in the 2010 All-Star Race, went on to win.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*With the finish, Kahne became the second driver to finish last in both the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in the same season. The other driver to do it was John Andretti, driving Richard Petty’s #43, in 2000. Andretti was credited with a last-place finish in the 2000 Budweiser Shootout as the #43 team rendered itself ineligible for the Bud Pole Award pursuant to a family agreement.
*This is the first time Kahne, the #4, and Team Red Bull have ever finished last in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.
*This is Toyota’s second last-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, joining Kyle Busch’s last-place showing in 2008. That night, Busch led 38 laps, the most of any All-Star last-placer.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
21) #4-Kasey Kahne / 59 laps / crash
20) #78-Regan Smith / 90 laps / fuel pump
19) #25-Mark Martin / 93 laps / crash
18) #2-Brad Keselowski / 99 laps / running
17) #1-Jamie McMurray / 100 laps / running
