This Bud's for you

So Kasey Kahne said he was planning on drinking a few beers and watching the All-Star race in his motorcoach. That's exactly what he should have been doing. No disrespect to Kahne or his team - which proved they still have some fight left in them after a couple down seasons - but the fan vote makes a mockery of the race.

I know, I know... the fans vote in all the other major all-star events. Well NASCAR isn't like other sports. All-star events are supposed to showcase the brightest athletes. It's hard to argue the Sprint All-Star Challenge accomplishes that when 24 drivers - nearly two-thirds the size of a regular field - are allowed to race. I can't argue with the heat races to allow a couple extra guys to earn their way in, but why permit a third guy to skate through?

A few years ago, a certain cola company launched a campaign for Kyle Petty to get in the race with the understanding that it would benefit the Victory Junction Gang camp. I love the Petty family and the work they've done for children with disabilities, but give me a break. Kyle Petty had no business racing that night. The only fan vote I can agree with is in 2006 when Martin Truex was tapped for the race. As the 2004 and '05 Busch Series champion, it could be argued he was a deserving all-star.

But regardless of the fan vote, Kahne probably should have been in the race anyway. As the 2004 rookie of the year and winner of several races, he proven in the past he is one of NASCAR's elite. Saturday night's race was a gift for him to re-launch a career that appeared to be stalling. And Kasey can thank the fans for that while he's sipping that tall, cool Budweiser.