ORLANDO, Fla. -- Coming up through the Busch Series, Kasey Kahne continues to prove that he's a new age stock-car driver who loves to race anything.

Kahne, 23, seems to spend each waking moment anticipating his next time in the seat of a racecar. And like the veteran Winston Cup driver Ken Schrader, Kahne's next outing is as apt to be in a car with fenders as it is to be in an open-wheel Sprint Car on dirt.

His latest chapter has contained a lot of media speculation about his future in the seat of one of owner Ray Evernham's factory Dodges in the Nextel Cup Series.

Prior to accepting the accolades for his season at the Busch Series awards ceremony, Kahne sat down with NASCAR.com's Dave Rodman to discuss his first victory in the Busch Series, racing open-wheel cars, and his future in Nextel Cup.

Q: Kasey, did you ever think it would take so long to break through for your first win in the Busch Series?

Kasey Kahne: I really didn't think it would take so long. It did take a while, almost two years, but I did learn a lot in all that time and it actually felt that much better when we finally did win a race.

It was more a relief than anything, I think. We were really excited to end the season that way and I'm looking forward to doing it again, real soon.

Q: You've raced in a lot of different divisions and you've won everywhere. In open-wheel racing, how do the guys look at stock cars? Do they think it would be easier to win or do they think it's tougher to win in open-wheel stuff?

Kasey Kahne: I looked at it as if it would be a really tough series, and that's what it was. It actually was even tougher than I thought it would be. But I looked at it as a tough series.

The guys that I do talk to when I go back and race open-wheel, you know, it's mixed emotions. I think some of them think the same that I did, that it would be tough to race against the best in the biggest and best series in the world, and also the best drivers and competition.

Then, there's others that think driving a stock car is pretty easy. I kind of enjoy the ones that think it's easy. Then they go out and try it themselves and see how hard it really is. They get a different opinion of it, then.

Q: Was there a breakthrough point that you and your crew chief, Wes Ward got to, because you have been competitive all season long?

Kasey Kahne: I think it all started when we went and tested at Lakeland, Fla., before Daytona. We really had a good time together and learned a lot about each other and made some pretty good laps around there (.750-mile speedway). It just progressed from there.

We had some ups and downs, because we were more or less more like a rookie team this year. We had our ups and downs but our highs were really good, and our lows were pretty low. So to get that win at the end of the season, and a pole in the middle of the year and some pretty good finishes and a decent run in the points, that was pretty good for all of us.

Q: You've kept your hand in racing open-wheel cars on both dirt and asphalt, so do you plan on continuing that in 2004; and what do you feel like the biggest benefit to doing that is?

Kasey Kahne: I think it's a little bit of a break to go back to the open-wheel cars and to run dirt or pavement. You know, it's fun and it's where I came from and I enjoy racing those cars.

So, for one, it's fun but at the same time it takes up a little bit of time. But I'd rather do that than be sitting around relaxing or something. I just really enjoy racing and I'll do it as much as I can in 2004 also. It's probably gonna cut back a little if we get to racing more and more in the stock car series.

Q: As your team's performance improved this season, all of a sudden things got a little more complicated, with owners coming to talk to you about rides and manufacturers fighting over you. Has it been a distraction?

Kasey Kahne: It really was something I thought about, but I don't think it distracted me a whole lot. You know, the first half of the season I never really thought about talking to people about Winston Cup, or anything. I just thought I'd race full Busch again next year.

But as we started running better and owners did start talking to me, it was pretty cool. At the same time it didn't really bother me a whole lot. Some of the press and some of the talking going on at times was annoying, but other than that it wasn't that bad.

Q: Ford Motor Company has been involved with your career for a number of years now, and they've said they darned sure don't want to lose you. What's your perspective on your agreement with them and contracts in general? Would you rather have handshake agreements, one-year agreements, or what?

Kasey Kahne: I think there's lots of different ways to look at it. I think all contracts are different and they say different things in them. There's a lot more to it than what a lot of people see from the outside and there's more to it than I even see.

I've enjoyed racing a Ford the last two years, but at the same time we've got other opportunities and we don't have those opportunities with Ford teams. So you have to look at the best possible thing for myself as well as for everybody else and I hope that's going to happen here, pretty soon.

Q: When you do move toward the Nextel Cup Series, there'll be a lot more pressure there. Is pressure something you crave and deal with real well, or does it just come with the territory and you accept it?

Kasey Kahne: I think I deal with it pretty well. I definitely accept it (because) I've always put more pressure on myself than anybody else has ever put on me.

The Nextel Cup Series will be the most pressure I've ever had from anybody else and I'll still be putting my pressure on myself. So I think it's going to be busy, hectic, a lot more pressure and a lot more people to please, but I definitely can't wait to get a shot to do that.

Q: Do you have any tricks you use to relax yourself under caution on the racetrack?

Kasey Kahne: Once I slide in the seat, pretty much once I get inside the car (I'm fine). I get a little nervous sometimes, depending on the race or just the way the weekend went before the race or before qualifying.

But as soon as I sit down in the seat and grab hold of the steering wheel and fire the car up I really have no more nervousness, then. You pretty much relax and do what you've got to do.

Q: That's in general. At Homestead, you had a great car and you're heading towards winning your first race in the Busch Series. What was the feeling like in the ending stages of that race?

Kasey Kahne: It was a long last 20 laps. It was pretty cool to be able to start the final restart out front. Getting into Turn 1, the car wiggled a little bit, but then it was just wide open after that.

(It was great) To be able to pull away from the 8 car (Martin Truex Jr.) in the open air, which I thought we could because we just needed a little more air on the front of the car, to make the car the best that it was.

To pull away and stay even the rest of the race felt pretty good, but it was a long time.

Q: When you go back and race short tracks with the guys you raced with all those years, how much do you talk about how they can go stock car racing and how much do you talk about that night's racetrack?

Kasey Kahne: It's kinda like the (answer to) the other question. There's some people that talk to you about how they need to get there (stock cars) and there's others that more so just kind of look at the track with you and talk about what's going on that night.

When I go to race I'd rather just look at the track and prepare and try to win that dirt race or pavement race that we're doing that weekend. Those are the ones (people) I enjoy and that I'll talk to a little bit more.

Q: There's not much of an off-season here, but what's some of your favorite things to do away from the racetrack?

Kasey Kahne: For the off-season now I'll mainly just be riding snowmobiles and doing some skiing. I'll be hanging out with the family during Christmas time. But other than that we'll mainly just be getting prepared, working out and getting ready for the season.

awww old-school rocks

I remember that article

I'm lovin all this oldschool stuff!!!!

Speaking of old school, I was looking at the Seattle Times for a new Kasey article and came across this Kasey quiz :) from June 2004.

Quiz
If you click here you'll see the correct answers to the following questions in bold.
How well do you know Kasey Kahne?

1. Which car owner gave Kasey his first big break?
a. Ray Evernham
b. Steve Lewis
c. Paul Newman
d. Robert Redford

2. What Washington state race did Kasey win in both 2002 and 2003?
a. Dirt Cup
b. Northwest 500
c. Coors Light 200
d. Evergreen Sprint Challenge

3. What is Kasey's brother's name?
a. Kelley
b. Cassidy
c. Gus
d. Kale

4. Who is in charge of Kasey's online store and fan club?
a. His mom
b. Paul Allen
c. NASCAR
d. Kasey: he's a real techie

5. How does Kasey's brother travel from race to race?
a. Private plane
b. Motorcycle
c. Motorhome
d. Pogo stick

6. What sport did Kasey's brother play at Enumclaw H.S.?
a. Basketball
b. Football
c. Wrestling
d. Volleyball

7. Which girl gave Kasey his first kiss?
a. Julie
b. Lisa
c. Lucy
d. Paige

8. What was Kasey's favorite subject in school?
a. Shop classes
b. Physical education
c. English
d. Math

9. What is Kasey's favorite meal?
a. Prime rib and lobster
b. Cheeseburger and fries
c. Roast chicken and mashed potatoes
d. Anything vegetarian

LMAO kale travels fomr race to rac eon a pogo stick :lmao