AVONDALE, Ariz.—NASCAR put a new tool in the hands of Sprint Cup Series drivers this year — the capability to adjust the track bar from the cockpit.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. used the newfound ability to change the handling characteristics of his No. 88 Chevrolet to his advantage in salvaging a fourth-place finish last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
On the other hand, Kasey Kahne, Earnhardt’s teammate at Hendrick Motorsports, felt he might have gone too far with his track bar adjustments in Friday’s qualifying session at Phoenix International Raceway.
“Every week so far this year we’ve been right there in the Top 10, maybe a little better,” Kahne said. “So I’m really happy. The guys are doing an awesome job. Right there (on his qualifying lap), I just screwed-up the third round there.
“I think I put too much front brake in it or dropped the track bar. I did something to tighten it up a little too much. So, I missed it on the lap.”
In race trim, Kahne was fifth fastest in Saturday morning’s first practice session as he prepares to make his 400th start in NASCAR’s premier series on Sunday.
“I was surprised when they told me that this week,” Kahne said. “It’s kind of crazy how many starts I’ve had. I’ve enjoyed it. We’ve won some races and enjoyed all the racing and traveling and all those things. It’s a lot more than I thought.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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