Q:
This is Kasey's 15th
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win, your first here at Bristol. Congratulations on winning here at Bristol Motor Speedway with Hendrick Motorsports.
You jumped seven spots in the points standings today. You're up to seventh. Quite a day. Certainly coming off last week's performance, you could have won out there at Las Vegas, too.
Kasey Kahne:
Feels really good to win at this place. Such a tough track over the years. My first time here in 2002 was just something I couldn't believe the way that you drove, as hard as you drove here, the way things happen so quickly. To win a Sprint Cup race here feels really good.
We had an awesome Great Clips Chevy SS throughout the race. The pit calls were perfect. The pit crew did a really good job with pit stops. Was able to race hard the whole race. It worked out for us.
Feels really good to get in Victory Lane and get our first Sprint Cup win early in the season.
Q:
Kasey, four races so far [in 2013]. 36th, 19th, 2nd and 1st. After the first two, were you concerned you were having a similar start to last season?
Kasey Kahne:
Yeah, it actually seemed really similar to the start of last year, those first two. Had two great cars at
Daytona and Phoenix. Phoenix we kind of fell off a little bit. Definitely had a good car at
Daytona and we lost some points the first two.
Since Las Vegas, the test day went really well. I thought we learned some things there, were able to put a really good weekend together, and again this weekend.
We've gained a lot of spots here in the last two weeks and feel really good about where we're at, where our team's at. There was a lot that went on during the off-season to get a little bit better. I felt like each one of us needed to get a touch better. So far it's all paying off. The guys are doing an awesome job.
Q:
Do you think the last two weeks is more representative of the team?
Kasey Kahne:
I would say so. Just from each practice session, the preparation of the car prior to getting to the track, then qualifying. We've been qualifying up front each week. I think it's all definitely going in the right direction.