Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
After an 18-month wait, Kasey Kahne finally got his chance to drive a Hendrick Motorsports car on a sunny Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Kahne, one of a dozen drivers who participated in a NASCAR electronic fuel injection test, climbed into Hendrick's No. 5 car with both current 5 team crew chief Lance McGrew and the team's future crew chief, Kenny Francis, on hand.
The Hendrick/Kahne pairing got off to a fast start (Kahne was the third-fastest car at the test) and the driver called it "a good day."
Kahne was surprised by how many differences there were between the Hendrick car and his current Red Bull ride.
"It's all little things, but they keep adding up and it takes time to figure out that feel and where your hands and feet are," he said. "(It was) mainly handling stuff. The bump stops, the splitter, the rear of the car is so critical these days that just a little bit here, a little bit there, you feel a lot as a driver. The cars was just really smooth and everything was really nice as far as anything I got to touch."
In addition to learning the feel of his new ride, Kahne has much to learn about his new crew.
"I know Lance's name and Kenny's name," he said with a slight grin. "I know a few of them, but not many. There's a lot of guys I get to figure out their names over the next three months."
Related: Kasey Kahne endures tough times, upheaval with a positive attitude
0 comments
