Kahne Records 200th Win for Chevrolet in NASCAR Trucks (Update)

Kasey Kahne – Did he cheat to win?

UPDATE Kahne's No. 00 Chevrolet, however, failed post-race inspection. NASCAR deemed the front of the truck too low on both sides and too high in the right rear. The sanctioning body will take the truck to its nearby research-and-development center for further evaluation.

If penalties are forthcoming, they will be announced next week. (Remember in NASCAR if you cheat to win you still get to keep your win, it costs you money, but you are still the winner. Cheaters do proper in NASCAR).

Kahne's margin of victory was a mere 0.005 seconds, tied for second closest in series history behind the .002-second margin of Kyle Busch over Aric Almirola at Talladega in October 2010.

05/16/15 With his win of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne in his No. 00 Haas Automation Chevrolet Silverado captured the 200th all-time victory for Chevrolet in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. This unprecedented win secures yet another historical landmark for Chevrolet as the most successful manufacturer in NASCAR history. In addition to reaching this unequaled 200th triumph for the brand, Kahne brought the Silverado to Victory Lane for the 200th time in the nameplate’s history. This win was Kahne's fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career victory out of the six Truck Series events in which he has entered.

"We are very proud of Kasey Kahne and his win tonight at Charlotte Motor Speedway," said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “On behalf of everyone at Chevrolet, we congratulate the entire No. 00 Haas Automation JR Motorsports Silverado team on this milestone victory. The dedication and tireless effort of all our Team Chevy members have made this important achievement possible. We salute all the drivers, team owners, and crews for their performance and contribution in securing each and every one of the 200 wins for Chevrolet from 1995 – 2015 in the NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series."

Chevrolet’s rich heritage in NASCAR Truck Series competition began when Mike Skinner took the checkered in the inaugural Truck Series event at Phoenix International Raceway on February 5, 1995 in his Chevy Silverado. Nineteen years later the ‘Bowtie Brand’ has continued to set the mark.

1st WIN: 2/05/95 – Mike Skinner – Phoenix, AZ
100th WIN: 4/12/03 – Dennis Setzer – Martinsville, VA
200th WIN: 5/15/15 – Kasey Kahne – Concord, NC

The 200th win did not come easy. Kahne led the field twice for a total of 21 of the 139-lap contest. The race came down to a green-white-checkered finish where Kahne narrowly edged out Truck Series championship contender Erik Jones for the win by a mere 0.005 seconds. A margin which ties the record for the second closet finish in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history.

“We were able to get away there, but (Erik) Jones was really fast," said Kahne in Victory Lane. “He was kind of in a league of his own when he could get to clean air. I knew if we could kind of stay back and stay with him, as long as he didn’t get the clean air I thought it would be alright. So I slowed up a little off of (Turn) 2 and tried to get a run and I got really loose and spun the wheel getting into (Turn) 3 trying to get to the bottom. I just got excited and was able to side draft. It worked out perfect to get back to the line. I have to thank everybody at Haas Automation, JR Motorsports and Chevrolet – it’s their 200th win tonight it’s a big win for them and for us. Wow that was a very close finish."

Chevrolet’s accolades in NASCAR racing are vast. To date, the manufacturer has earned 12 Driver’s titles and eight (8) Manufacturer’s championships as a result of its 200 victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. No manufacturer has powered more drivers and teams to victory lane or championships in NASCAR’s Truck Series than Chevrolet.