NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne stops in Roanoke

After he drove his stock car through downtown Roanoke on Wednesday and parked at Market Square, NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne climbed onto a podium and took a few prepared, not-so-difficult questions from fans.

Did his pet dog get along with other drivers? (Yes.) What’s his favorite NFL team? (Seattle Seahawks.) What does he typically eat before a race? (A turkey sandwich.) It was lighthearted and fun, all part of a promotional appearance for Martinsville Speedway’s Oct. 27 Sprint Cup race and a nationwide celebration of the Chase opening this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Kahne got to meet Roanoke Mayor David Bowers, who gave him a gold star as a souvenir.

Before answering questions, Kahne also received a brown paper bag containing at least one hot dog from Roanoke Weiner Stand (“Thanks!” he said.) But the question he’s been pondering the past few days has a little more gravity than what his favorite movie is: What would he have done last Saturday in Richmond if he were Clint Bowyer or Brian Vickers?

“I feel a lot more prepared now, because I’ve thought about it and thought it through,” Kahne said. “But I think in the heat of the battle, something’s thrown at you, I don’t know if you’re prepared or not.”

That’s why Kahne said he hasn’t lost any respect for Bowyer and Vickers, because he understands how they could have gotten caught up in the controversy that’s consumed the racing world this week.

On Monday, NASCAR levied the biggest penalty in its history, booting Martin Truex Jr. from the Chase and replacing him with Ryan Newman after ruling that Michael Waltrip Racing had manipulated the outcome of Saturday’s race.

MWR general manager Ty Norris was suspended indefinitely after acknowledging he orchestrated the drama, which included Bowyer spinning out and Vickers pitting under green in the final laps to help Truex get into the Chase.

“It’s not what you do for the fans,” Kahne said. “And for NASCAR in general, you’re putting them in a really bad spot. You’re creating something that really doesn’t need to be part of our sport. It’s tough, but on MWR’s side, making the Chase means so much to them, so much to their sponsors. They did everything they could. They just went all-out to do it, and it bit ’em.”

But the chicanery also sunk its teeth into Kahne’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon, who had raced his way into position to make the Chase before the actions of Bowyer and Vickers. Unlike with Newman, NASCAR’s penalties weren’t enough to bump Gordon back into the final 12.

Kahne hasn’t contacted Gordon yet — he figures the guy has had enough on his mind, and they’ll speak today in Chicago — but he sympathizes.

“He was basically the only guy that kind of got screwed in the whole deal,” Kahne said. “Jeff had raced his way in and did not make the Chase because of MWR’s doing.”

Still, he didn’t place the blame on Bowyer or Vickers.

“Whatever happened with Clint, whatever happened with Vickers, they’re just heeding orders from their team,” Kahne said. “We work for them as drivers. So if someone’s telling us something to do, we’re probably like, ‘Man, I don’t know. I guess.’ How do you approach that? I’ve never been in that position, so I don’t know how I’d approach it.”

He’s thought about it plenty in the few days since the race, though. And he’d be a lot less inclined to heed any orders like that in the future, given the message NASCAR sent with its penalties.

“They needed to do something, and they did,” Kahne said. “I applaud NASCAR for that. They really stepped up and showed: Don’t mess with our races.”

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