Kahne's Life Has Changed Dramatically

By ESPN

Kasey Kahne's life changed dramatically Sunday afternoon in winning the Brickyard 400.

I'm not referring to the monetary impact, the social impact. I'm referring to the frame of mind Kasey inherited when he woke Monday morning (assuming he slept).

It's always fascinating how winning a race re-energizes a driver.

Kasey entered the weekend an old 37 -- then exited the weekend a much younger 37 as it relates to his driving career.

I lived it and I experienced it, and I can tell you is there is absolutely no substitute for building confidence through success.

I've never asked Kasey, but I'm certain he has listened to so many opinions from so many people in the last few years of what he's doing wrong or how he needs to correct his deficiencies that he has suffered mightily from advice fatigue.

It's poison -- poison because it's exhausting, poison because it's distracting. And your confidence always suffers because of it.

Winning also serves as truth serum. In the next few weeks we will hear from Kasey about issues, things we didn't hear prior to the Indy win.

It correlates to the positive frame of mind. When you're trudging through a long winless streak you become guarded and choose your words carefully -- and not just with the media. You actually choose your words more carefully around your team because you don't want to give any more cause for concern, you do not want to contribute in any way, shape or form to the perceived underachieving.

Poor performing athletes are typically among the most insecure people walking the planet. It's particularly uncomfortable if you're performing poorly while playing for the New England Patriots, or driving the same or similar car as is Jimmie Johnson.

My worst days in racing followed my injuries in 1997. One of my greatest supporters through all of that was my teammate, Jeff Gordon.

Six days of the week he was an ally, a confidant, and every seventh day he became an aggravation and perhaps an envy.

It's because he won, and won often. But what made it worse, Jeff made it look easy.

Johnson plays that role today, sincerely wanting to help Kasey, but support from a peer can shift quickly from helping to hurting.

Because the last stage of evaluation for a driver comes in the race-day performance. To that end, nobody will measure up to Jimmie Johnson.

In spite of all this, Kahne, an 18-time winner at NASCAR's highest level, found the strength, the courage and the resolve to put up one of them on one of the biggest stages on the schedule.

What I appreciate most about Kasey's win and what he'll benefit most from going forward is the fact it was not a cheap victory.

He emptied the tank, drove the wheels off the race car and refused to lift in Turn 3 on a late restart, being in the most compromising position, in the middle between Johnson and Brad Keselowski.

He gave up the lead on a subsequent restart only to redeem himself with a perfectly executed final restart that ultimately led to the biggest win of his career.

I've never deviated from my confidence in this driver and while I don't see him continuing with Hendrick Motorsports following the season, I do see him contributing significantly in the next three to five years.

There are more wins available to this young man, and those wins will come as a byproduct, or residual, of having outdriven most of the same guys who at one time or another offered him advice.

That's how this business works. When you're at your very lowest, the whole world wants to give you their opinion of what's wrong with you, and when you are at your very best, the whole world comes to you asking your opinion.

One has a crippling effect, and the other contributes to your authority on the racetrack.

Kasey Kahne will roll into Pocono fast right off the trailer, his communication to his team will be more clear and precise then it has been in months.

He will be relaxed and composed inside the car and he will have more incentive during the race. It's the value of winning. It has enormous effect on the driver's frame of mind, and the success can become perpetual.

A week ago Kasey may have felt he was late in his career.

Today he feels 37 is not that old.