Highlighting his greatest moments in NASCAR

At 45 years previous, it is unusual to assume that we’ve not seen Kasey Kahne behind the wheel of a NASCAR inventory automotive in practically seven years. A veteran of over 500 Cup races with a powerful 18 wins, Kahne’s NASCAR profession got here to an abrupt finish in the midst of the 2018 season.

Kahne stepped out of the automotive after fighting warmth exhaustion over the course of the three to four-hour races, going through an out-of-control coronary heart price and an lack of ability for his physique to control its inner temperature. The slender and well-trained Kahne was in form, however it doesn’t matter what he did, he couldn’t fight the acute dehydration, and it was solely getting worse. There was a concern of passing out whereas behind the wheel, and even struggling warmth stroke if he continued.

Kahne lamented in September of 2018: “It’s simply higher off for me to remain house.” His remaining NASCAR race could be the grueling Southern 500 at Darlington with Kahne noting: “It was actually arduous to maintain my eyes open. I used to be struggling to try this and I used to be attempting to manage my coronary heart price as a result of it was so excessive. I simply form of laid within the automotive and drove across the corners and tried to do as little as attainable to get my coronary heart price to go down.” 

However seven years later, he’s lastly again … a minimum of for one race. Whereas the Cup Sequence enjoys its solely off-weekend for the remainder of the yr, Kahne will probably be driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet this weekend. Kahne will make this extremely anticipated comeback at a monitor that has additionally been absent from NASCAR for a number of years, and one he is aware of fairly effectively — Rockingham. And whereas he hasn’t been racing inventory vehicles, he has been racing, working dozens of quick dash automotive occasions on grime. However his Saturday return at Rockingham would be the longest race he is accomplished since stepping away.

In celebration of Kahne’s return to inventory automotive racing, we determined to try a few of his greatest moments behind the wheel.

Driving like a veteran from the beginning

Kasey Kahne’s 2004 rookie season was an uncommon one, merely due to how ridiculously shut he stored attending to Victory Lane. He led practically 700 laps and recorded 5 runner-up finishes with out a single win. However nothing in comparison with what went down within the final Cup race ever held at Rockingham. Reigning NASCAR Cup Sequence champion Kenseth entered the ultimate nook excessive and he certainly thought the gullible rookie behind him would observe into the soiled air. It appeared that means at first, just for Kahne to chop down mid-corner and pull alongside Kenseth. In simply his second-ever Cup race, Kahne was the one driving like a veteran they usually drag-raced to the road in entrance of fifty,000 screaming followers. By simply 0.010s, Kenseth barely held on. Kahne by no means led a single lap that day, coming just some inches shy of main the one one which mattered. From that day on, each NASCAR fan knew the title ‘Kasey Kahne.’

Profitable it for the followers 

Race winner Kasey Kahne celebrates

Photograph by: Motorsport.com / ASP Inc.

In 2008, Kahne, now sponsored by Budweiser after the model’s profitable partnership with Dale Earnhardt Jr. got here to an finish, was not locked into the annual All-Star Race. He was unable to race his means into the primary occasion, however he did not want to fret because the followers had his again. Kahne made the All-Star Race by means of the Fan Vote, taking the twenty fourth and remaining spot on the grid. Exhibiting his gratitude to the followers who received him there, Kahne proceeded to march by means of the sphere and win the All-Star Race and amassing the $1 million greenback bonus in a surprising upset. No different fan vote recipient has ever accomplished that. One week later on the similar monitor, Kahne went on to win one in every of NASCAR’s crown jewel occasions when he gained the Coke 600. It was his second of three wins in NASCAR’s longest race, which all got here with three totally different groups.

It would not get a lot nearer than that

Kasey Kahne, JR Motorsports Chevrolet beats Erik Jones, Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota to win

Photograph by: NASCAR Media

Kahne had a knack for being concerned in picture finishes all through his profession. And in 2015, he was concerned within the closest ever recorded end at Charlotte Motor Speedway (on the nationwide stage) and the third-closest in Truck Sequence historical past. In an extra time restart, he pulled alongside Erik Jones in an exhilarating battle. Out of Flip 4, it was all Jones up high, however Kahne refused to let that stand as he swerved in direction of Jones in an try and side-draft off him. Contact was made and Kahne slid sideways, but it surely was in some way simply sufficient to surge forward. Kahne was victorious by a mere 0.005s.

Giving Purple Bull its wings

Race winner Kasey Kahne, Purple Bull Racing Purple Bull Toyota celebrates

Photograph by: Motion Sports activities Images

On mortgage to Purple Bull for one yr earlier than shifting over to Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne joined the Purple Bull Racing staff in its remaining season earlier than shutting down. Regardless of the approaching demise of the group, that did not cease Kahne from giving it his all. He showcased the staff’s true potential earlier than its NASCAR story abruptly ended. Within the penultimate race of the 2011 season, he performed spoiler in the midst of the playoffs and took the battle to the title contenders in his No. 4 Purple Bull Racing Toyota. Holding off giants of the game, he claimed victory in Phoenix. Two weeks later, Purple Bull Racing disappeared from the game and he moved on to HMS, having earned the staff its remaining win.

The (first) return of Rockingham

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Photograph by: NASCAR Media

This yr’s Rockingham revival is not truly the primary. There was an try and carry it again with a Truck Sequence race in 2012, which Kahne gladly entered. Like lots of his Cup triumphs, Kahne did not present up till late within the race, however as soon as he did, there was little the sphere might do to cease him. Kahne blew by Matt Crafton in a short battle for the race lead with 46 laps to go and by no means appeared again, main the rest of the race and profitable the primary Truck race ever held at Rockingham. This weekend, the Xfinity Sequence returns to ‘The Rock’ for the primary time in 21 years and Kahne is nearly the one driver entered who has actual expertise there, so might historical past repeat itself as soon as extra?

Profitable one of many wildest Brickyard 400s

Race winner Kasey Kahne, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Photograph by: Russell LaBounty / NKP / Motorsport Pictures

Not each driver can have a memorable remaining win to place an exclamation level on their Cup profession, however that is precisely what Kahne did in 2017. He and nobody else knew it on the time, however when NASCAR went to Indianapolis Motor Speedway that summer season, it ended up being the ultimate time the favored driver ever gained on the Cup stage. That yr’s Brickyard 400 was chaotic, that includes a mid-race restart the place the 2 drivers who had dominated the complete day took one another out (Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr.). From that time onward, it was pure mayhem. It morphed right into a fuel-mileage race however Kahne couldn’t not stretch it, diving to the pits for a splash-and-go. However that proved to fortuitous as a warning flew moments later and he was capable of cycle to the very entrance of the sphere. It was then warning after warning with Kahne having to fend off the pack by means of a number of restarts.

However the defining second got here with two laps to go when Kahne ended up within the center, three-wide for the race lead. To his exterior was Brad Keselowski and to his inside was his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson — whose automotive was smoking because the engine started to falter. Even nonetheless, Johnson by no means lifted. Actually, none of them did as they raced into Flip 3, three-wide for the win. Johnson crashed and Kahne narrowly averted being collected, holding onto the race lead by means of the chaos. Extra wrecks and restarts adopted however Kahne by no means relinquished the lead once more. His 18th and remaining Cup Sequence win got here in one other NASCAR crown jewel, kissing the long-lasting bricks.