ArticleCENTER LINE, Mich. -- Mopar is pleased to announce that Kasey Kahne Racing has been selected as the brand’s factory race team in the USAC National Midget and Sprint Series, as well as the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, for the 2007 racing season. Kasey Kahne Racing will field two USAC National Midget Car Series teams, two USAC National Sprint Car Series teams, and a World of Outlaws Sprint Series team for the upcoming racing season.
“I can't tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to partner with Mopar as the team owner and, of course, occasional driver for the Mopar factory-backed USAC and WoO teams, as the company continues its extensive and historical commitment to grassroots racing,” Kahne said. “Expanding my relationship with DaimlerChrysler [Dodge/Mopar] by having the opportunity to own Mopar’s short track teams is clearly one of the highlights of my career. On behalf of Kasey Kahne Racing, together with Mopar, we look forward to winning many USAC and World of Outlaw Series Championships.”
The Mopar brand, which has a long-standing tradition of success in the open-wheel racing arena, is pleased to welcome Kahne and his teams into the Mopar family.
“Mopar is pleased to present Kasey Kahne Racing as our factory effort for the 2007 racing season,” Miller said. “Kasey’s dedication to open-wheel racing has not gone unnoticed, and we’re looking forward to growing our relationship with him and his race teams. It’s going to be an exciting new chapter in Mopar’s open-wheel racing history.”
Mopar has powered drivers to six USAC National Series titles (USAC National Sprint Series 2003, 2004 & 2006; USAC National Midget Series 2005 & 2006; USAC Silver Crown Series 1996) and one World of Outlaws Sprint Series title (1999) since 1996. It’s a tradition that Miller looks to continue with Kasey Kahne Racing in 2007.
“The race drivers and teams that compete under the Mopar banner are among the best in the business. We’ve enjoyed several championship winning years, and we feel that Kasey Kahne Racing will continue to build upon our tradition and position of leadership in the sport of auto racing.”
Kasey Kahne Racing Drivers Named
Kahne announced that the team’s driver lineup for the 2007 racing season would include Kevin Swindell and Brady Bacon in the USAC National Midget and Sprint Car Series. Joey Saldana will return to the World of Outlaws Sprint Series for the team. Ganassi Racing Development driver Bryan Clauson will also compete in select USAC National Midget and Sprint Car Series events for the team.
“Our three USAC drivers are what we think are the best emerging talent in the United States,” Kahne said. “Kevin Swindell, Brady Bacon and Bryan Clauson should have long, successful careers after they develop their skills in USAC. Each is under contract with the elite Dodge teams in NASCAR, and I am proud that my team can play a role in developing the next generation of superstar drivers for Mopar and Dodge Motorsports. “
“In our first season fielding a car in the World of Outlaw Series, Joey won the prestigious Kings Royal and finished second at the Knoxville Nationals after leading the first sixteen laps. Joey did an awesome job for Kasey Kahne Racing finishing third in the final World of Outlaw Series points standings. As we begin our second year in the World of Outlaw Series and as Mopar continues to increase its support of KKR, we are confident Joey can win a championship for us.”
Swindell, who is part of the Evernham Motorsports Driver Development program, will carry the No. 79 on both his midget and sprint car entries. The 17-year-old driver made headlines in 2006 by becoming the youngest driver to win a World of Outlaws Sprint Series A-main event, earning a victory on May 24 at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Following up that impressive stat, Swindell also earned his first USAC National Midget Car Series victory at Toledo Speedway on July 8. Swindell also made several starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series throughout 2006.
Bacon comes to Kasey Kahne Racing as the 2006 Southern Midget Racing Series Champion. A pair of runner-up finishes at the legendary Knoxville Raceway in June led to a driver development contract with Chip Ganassi Racing. Bacon also earned his first USAC National Midget Car Series victory in 2006, winning the feature event at Kokomo Speedway on August 20. Bacon will drive the No. 99 USAC National Midget and Sprint Car Series entries for Kasey Kahne Racing.
Saldana returns to Kasey Kahne Racing for the team’s sophomore season on the World of Outlaws Sprint Series trail. The No. 9 team earned a third place finish in the 2006 World of Outlaws Sprint Series Championship, having won seven A-main events during the season. Saldana also picked up his second victory in the prestigious King’s Royal event, as well as a runner-up finish in the Knoxville Nationals.
Clauson, the youngest driver in history with USAC National Sprint Car and Midget Car Series victories to his credit, will compete for the team when his Ganassi Racing schedule allows. Kahne also intends to compete in some events throughout the season.
2007 Engine Builder and Schedule Information
The engines for Kasey Kahne Racing’s USAC National Sprint Series and World of Outlaws Series teams will be built by Speedway Engine Development of Speedway, Indiana. The powerplants for the USAC National Midget Car Series efforts will be built by Gary Stanton and Stanton Racing.
Swindell and Bacon will kick off the 2007 racing season with a USAC triple header at Manzanita Speedway on February 9 & 10. The event will feature the USAC National and Western States Midget Series, the USAC/CRA Sprint Series, and the USAC National Silver Crown Series.
For more information regarding Swindell, Bacon, Clauson or USAC Racing, log on to www.swindellmotorsports.citymaker.com, www.bradybaconracing.com, www.bryanclauson.com or www.usacracing.com.
Saldana and the World of Outlaws Sprint Series will head to Florida for the 2007 season opener. The DIRTcar Nationals are scheduled to take place at Volusia Speedway Park on February 9–11.
For more information regarding Saldana or the World of Outlaws Sprint Seires, log on to www.joeysaldana.com or www.theworldofoutlaws.com.
For more information regarding Kasey Kahne Racing, log on to www.kaseykahne.com.
About DaimlerChrysler’s Mopar Brand
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated parts supplier led to the formation of the Chrysler Motor Parts Division. In 1937, Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was created for the business of distributing parts through a depot system and car divisional wholesalers.
Mopar made its mark in the 1960s—the muscle car era. Beginning in 1962, Mopar carried a line of “Special Parts” for super stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use.
Today, the Chrysler Group’s Global Service & Parts division is responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of nearly 250,000 authentic Mopar replacement parts, components and accessories for Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicles sold around the world. To assure quality, reliability and durability, all Mopar parts and accessories are designed in strict adherence to DaimlerChrysler engineering standards.