KANSAS CITY, Kan. ― The official margin of victory was 0.031 seconds, but the distance between drivers Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle on the last lap of Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway seemed much closer than that.
The cars of the two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup stars touched at least twice in the final minutes of the United Way 300 presented by Yellow and Sprint. Biffle wasn't happy about the blocking tactics Kahne used to hold the lead and win, but he admitted he would have drove similarly in that position.
"He did what he had to do, and I would have done the same thing," said Biffle, who finished second.
Kahne scored his third victory in the series, and the first for car owner Ray Evernham. Johnny Sauter finished third.
The 0.031-second finish was the closest of the season for the NASCAR Busch Series and bested last season's 0.041-second finish at Kansas Speedway last year.
Kahne, who learned only days prior that he would be driving Evernham's car, held the lead when the race resumed after a caution for a three-lap shootout. Biffle appeared to have the advantage with fresher tires, but he couldn't complete two inside-lane passing attempts. Kahne contributed to that by turning down on Biffle, interrupting his momentum.
Biffle wished his second attempt had been on the outside. He also vowed to nudge Kahne out of the way if he pulled such a defensive tactic in Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race, the Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods.
"I would have used my finesse and moved him up the race track one lane," Biffle said. "I was trying to race him as a gentleman.
"If it's the Cup race and it's the last lap and the same stuff is going on, trust me, it's going to be a different outcome."
Kahne called his bluff.
"I doubt he'll sacrifice his Cup car tomorrow; he's got a lot more on the line," said Kahne, referring to Biffle's fifth-place standing in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. "If he wants to nudge (me out of the way), that's fine. We can nudge, too."
The battle for the Busch Series championship remained relatively unchanged Saturday as points leader Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth, seven positions ahead of Emporia, Kan., native Clint Bowyer, his nearest challenger. They are separated by 49 points with five races remaining.
The sold-out Banquet 400 begins at 1:10 p.m. Parking lots open Sunday at 6 a.m.; grandstand gates open at 8 a.m.
