Kasey Kahne’s extremely anticipated NASCAR return is right here, coinciding with the return of Rockingham. It is a observe he is aware of pretty nicely — having earned a win right here earlier than. This weekend, he takes on the traditional observe once more piloting the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with backing from HendrickCars.com.
Talking in a press convention on Friday, the 45-year-old mentioned he is “been actually wanting ahead to this race,” later commenting on how “it’s been a particular observe all through my profession.” He added that relying on how nicely issues go, this is probably not the final time you will see him behind the wheel of a NASCAR inventory automotive.
“This has been as excited I have been this complete 12 months — whether or not it is dash automotive racing or pavement racing — in a short while relating to racing. I have been actually wanting ahead to this race. And I simply actually thought (I am going to) see the way it goes. See if issues click on, if it is sensible. If I really feel like I have been doing it for 15 years,’ then yeah, possibly we may get one other one in later within the 12 months. If it is troublesome … possibly one and carried out. Simply have to concentrate, see the way it goes and go from there.”
Kasey Kahne, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: Icon Sportswire through Getty Photos
An actual shot on the win
Kahne has each purpose to be assured for the race on Saturday, and never simply because he topped the charts within the ten-lap averages. His first-ever laps in a inventory automotive had been at Rockingham, as was his NASCAR Xfinity debut in 2002. Within the last-ever Cup race at Rockingham in 2004, Kahne — who was only a rookie on the time — practically gained the race, dropping in a photograph end to Matt Kenseth. And within the first failed revival of Rockingham in 2012, the winner of that 12 months’s Truck race was none apart from Kahne himself.
“I’ve at all times actually loved it from the very first lap that I made right here,” mentioned Kahne. However regardless of his previous success at Rockingham, the veteran driver is conserving his objectives grounded for the remainder of the weekend.
“I wish to race each lap,” mentioned Kahne of his hopes for the weekend forward. “I wish to be very aggressive. I really feel prefer to be out so long as I’ve and to come back again and simply do every thing excellent and win could be very robust. These guys do it each weekend, they’re superb at it. And so they put a whole lot of time into it 12 months after 12 months. So, I feel that will be very robust to do, however I feel we might be very aggressive, run within the high ten all through the race, and who is aware of what occurs after that. We even have apply immediately to see the place we stack up.”
Kasey Kahne, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Photograph by: James Gilbert / Getty Photos
Well being replace
One query many followers have includes Kahne’s well being, which is what pressured him out of NASCAR within the first place. He needed to give up mid-season in 2018 after affected by excessive dehydration and warmth exhaustion as his physique struggled to control its personal temperature.
“So far as my well being, I am in a superb place proper now as a result of I do not do that on a regular basis,” defined Kahne. “I do not do the lengthy races … it obtained worse as quickly because the summer time months got here, after which each week after that was simply draining me the final couple of years I did it. I feel going into that is good. I noticed 88 levels, and I used to be like, ‘That is good, I am wanting ahead to it, I am tremendous with it.’ Different individuals referred to as and had been like, ‘Are you able to do it?’ Yeah, it is not that huge of a deal, it’s going to be tremendous.”
Qualifying will happen Saturday morning, simply hours earlier than the inexperienced flag flies for 250 laps of racing at Rockingham. It is going to be the primary NASCAR Xfinity Collection race at ‘The Rock’ in 21 years. And sure, Kasey Kahne was in that race too.
Learn Additionally:
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Nick DeGroot
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR XFINITY
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