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RPM doesn’t have enough finished engines for Kahne to use it weekly, so Pocono and Michigan were a flip-flop of engines with only average results. Then came the road course, which Kahne freely admits is not his strong suit. He again had the old version of the Dodge motor, but his confidence was soaring based on the improvement he’d seen in his race cars.

“We need to figure out how to make the Chase and just be consistent,” he said. “We’ve run strong for the last six races … top-five, top-10 material. Haven’t finished there, but we’ve been there, and [Sunday] we did. I know we have a great opportunity if we keep showing up and working as hard as we have been to make the Chase.”

He’ll still be handcuffed, however, by RPM’s uncertain future. The team has to negotiate either a split from Dodge or a secure support package, or figure out if it can partner with Toyota. AJ Allmendinger’s car is still unsponsored for the final 10 races of the year, so the potential to contract to three cars is always hanging above the organization.

Crew chief Kenny Francis said the business issues have been unsettling.

“It’s definitely tough times right now economically, everybody is feeling the pinch,” Francis said. “What we’ve tried to do is not let it distract us. It’s been difficult, really, to not let that distract you.”

But they’ve managed of late, and if the No. 9 team can stay focused, Kahne may just find his way into the top 12.