by KaseyKahne.com

Kahne is in his second season with Evernham Motorsports. He was named by Evernham in December, 2003 to replace Bill Elliott in the No. 9 Dodge when the 16-time NMPA Most Popular Driver Award winner announced he would scale back his schedule to selected events.

"I'm excited to announce the contract extension with Kasey," said Evernham. It's a multi-year agreement that will have Kasey in an Evernham Motorsports car well into the future. Kasey is an extremely talented driver and we're looking forward to much success in the future.

In his first season, Kahne claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors and posted 13 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. He missed making the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup field by only 28 points. He claimed the Bud Pole four times.

Kahne posted his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series victory at Richmond in May. In addition to the win, he has collected two poles and has four top-five finishes.

"Ray and the Evernham Motorsports organization are committed to building a championship team," said Kahne. "The personnel and resources are in place to achieve that objective. This long-term agreement reflects the confidence we have in our commitment to succeed, to win races and compete for championships.

"I'm really looking forward to the future with Evernham Motorsports and the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger. I think great things are in store for us in the near future."

Evernham Motorsports is a leading team in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Founded by president and CEO Ray Evernham in 1999, the team is in its fifth season of competition at the highest level of NASCAR racing; with drivers Jeremy Mayfield in the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, Kasey Kahne in the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge and Bill Elliott in the No. 91 Dodge. A third full-time team – the No. 10 Valvoline Dodge Charger -- will be added in 2006. For more information on Evernham Motorsports, visit www.evernhammotorsports.com.