Kahne wins first race of the season in Busch

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Kasey Kahne raced to his first victory of the season Saturday night, pulling away on a late restart to win the Busch Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Kahne hoped it was a sign that his horrendous season might soon turn around.

A six-time Nextel Cup winner last year, Kahne and his Evernham Motorsports team has struggled mightily this year. He’s 30th in the Cup standings and hasn’t finished in the top 10 since the season-opener.

But a win, even in the Busch Series, can create momentum that Kahne could carry over to Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600.

“Great job, guys, we finally got one,” he radioed his crew as he crossed the finish line.

Casey Mears, another Cup driver in need of a decent finish, was second. Clint Bowyer was third and was followed by Jeff Burton, Regan Smith, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch as Cup drivers took the top eight spots.