Late gamble gives fan favorite Kahne a victory

CONCORD, N.C. -- Kasey Kahne technically wasn’t eligible to run the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Challenge. He didn’t let that stop him from winning the $1-million prize.

Kahne earned his berth in Saturday night’s race not through accomplishment on the track, but in a popularity contest that permitted one driver voted on by the fans to compete in the main event.

It gave Kahne a chance to run in the 100-lap shootout, which was intermittently dominated by Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

With a gamble on the final pit stop, Kahne became the first driver ever voted in by the fans to win, and just the third driver in All-Star history to advance from the preliminary race and claim the final trophy at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“I thank them so much. I can’t believe it. The car was mediocre in the open and the fans voted me in,” said Kahne, who finished fifth in the earlier Sprint Showdown.

Kahne didn’t take tires to advance his position and restart in second when the final 25-lap segment began.

Biffle, who had led the final 11 laps of the third segment, took two tires and was stuck in traffic on the restart.

Biffle never got a chance to run down Kahne, who passed Jimmie Johnson to lead the final 17 laps.