Kasey Kahne won a Cup race! Need I say that it's about time? We all know that it was bound to happen. When you have a sophomore driver with six second place finishes in 44 races, you know that there is more too it than just plain luck. Kahne got five of those second place finishes in his rookie year, and won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title for 2004. He finished last season with 13 top five finishes, 14 top ten finishes, and four Bud poles.
This season's stats are starting up to look even better, with one win, four top five/ten finishes and two Bud poles in just 11 events. Kahne won the bonus for winning from the pole, bringing his winnings total at Richmond to well over $250k. That's not a bad salary for a just one night's work! Kahne, driver of the #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge, has already won over $1.6 million this season.
The sweet justice behind the win is that he had just one more chance with the Richmond race to get into nest week's all-star event at Charlotte, and lady luck was with him. In order to race in the all-star event, you have to be a winner in the previous season of a winner in the races leading up to the even in the present season.
Following Kahne across the finish line in the top ten were Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, rookie Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, and Jamie McMurray.
The top ten in points are Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, and Mark Martin.
The top five finishers this season:
| Track | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
| Daytona - | J. Gordon | Kt. Busch | Earnhardt | Riggs | Johnson |
| California - | Biffle | Johnson | Kt. Busch | McMurray | Edwards |
| Las Vegas - | Johnson | Ky. Busch | Kt. Busch | J. Gordon | Harvick |
| Atlanta - | |||||
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