An 18-time race winner within the NASCAR Cup Sequence, Kasey Kahne’s profession abruptly led to 2018 after struggling excessive warmth exhaustion as his physique struggled to correctly hold him cool contained in the race automobile.
Since then, he is been competing in dozens of shorter dash automobile races, however no prolonged inventory automobile racing occasions. That modified earlier this 12 months when NASCAR returned to Rockingham, a monitor Kahne loves. He completed second within the last-ever Cup race at ‘The Rock’ in 2004, and received the final Rockingham revival with the Truck Sequence in 2012.
Becoming a member of forces with Richard Childress Racing, it was just like the 45-year-old by no means left, posting a number of the best speeds of anybody within the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence subject. Beginning fourth, he remained close to the entrance for the early portion of the occasion. Sadly, he couldn’t keep away from the spinning Katherine Legge and broken the right-front of his machine, ending his shot on the win. Undeterred, he soldiered on with the wounded No. 33 Chevrolet, ending a powerful 14th within the high-attrition race.
Austin Inexperienced, Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Pictures
Now, everybody desires to know what’s subsequent for Kahne. He’s at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend, serving because the honorary tempo automobile driver for Sunday’s Cup race. Whereas there, he spoke with the NASCAR on FOX group, giving an replace on if he has any plans to run extra races sooner or later.
Referencing Rockingham, Kahne mentioned “it positively did” make him need to run extra NASCAR races, but it surely does not sound like has has something concrete in the meanwhile.
“I had a blast driving, and people automobiles are nice to drive,” mentioned Kahne. “So Rockingham, they did an superior job on the repave. It was a whole lot of enjoyable. I believe, you already know, would there be an opportunity to suit a race in once more this 12 months, possibly subsequent … who is aware of?”
Kahne additionally gave his picks to win Sunday’s Cup race at Texas, pointing at Christopher Bell and Ryan Blaney as his drivers to observe. And whereas there is not any set date for his subsequent NASCAR look, Kahne is protecting busy along with his dash automobile profession. He revealed that he is put over 100,000 miles on his motorhome in the previous couple of years.
And after spending the weekend at TMS, Kahne admits that he does miss the weekly grind, however what he misses greater than something is the racing itself.
“I believe driving the automobiles [is what I miss the most]. Positively simply driving the automobiles. Like each week, you are simply attempting to determine easy methods to be higher and what you are able to do as a driver with the group .. like the way it all works to be higher. I miss that facet of it to make sure.”
Pictures from Texas – Race
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Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR XFINITY
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