Kasey Kahne has confidence in himself and his No. 33 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team ahead of Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Kasey Kahne makes his long-awaited return to NASCAR nearly seven years after stepping away — fittingly at Rockingham Speedway, a track experiencing its own long-overdue comeback.
The Enumclaw, Washington, native last climbed out of a stock car at Darlington in the 2018 Southern 500, ending his full-time NASCAR Cup Series career due to health concerns. Now, he’s back — and feeling like he never left.
“It had been six and a half years. It was really nice to be back in a car,” Kahne said in a team press release. “I didn’t know exactly how it would feel and if I would have to refigure out how to drive in a way, but truthfully once I got to Turn 3 coming to the start of practice and the car loaded into the corner, I instantly felt right at home and felt like I had been doing it for a while. From there on, it was a solid practice for the next four or five hours.”
A two-day test session in late January at the 0.94-mile track nestled in the Sandhills Region more than revitalized Kahne’s desire to compete in a stock car. It reminded him that he still has what it takes to be a competitive contender in one of the highest levels of NASCAR.
“There were definitely a little bit of nerves with wondering how I would pick it up and how the car would feel,” Kahne said. “It felt very similar to what it did six years ago. On the XFINITY side, it doesn’t feel like those cars have changed a lot, but I still saw and felt it the same way I did in the past. I was happy with that.”
Kahne can take pride that his trademark strength in strong, long run pace never left him after all these years. No matter if it was a Cup or XFINITY car or even a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series pickup, the versatile racer could always be counted on as a late race contender with pace equaling or bettering the top contenders.
Kasey Kahne showcased solid long run speed ahead of Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 at Rockingham Speedway. (Photo: Declan Wayman | The Podium Finish)
On Friday afternoon, Kahne demonstrated his strength and resolve in the No. 33 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing. Despite posting the 18th fastest overall time in the practice session, he was the fastest overall in a 10-lap consecutive average run.
In other words, Kahne knows the race cannot be won just with raw, sheer pace. Saturday’s North Carolina Education Lottery 250 is typically won by having consistent, strong pace in a long run, a caveat to expect in the 10th round of the 2025 NASCAR XFINITY Series season.
While Kahne has plentiful seat time ahead of the race, there are some aspects to stock car racing that he has to remember that go beyond treating the throttle with an eggshell beneath it.
“There are a few key things that I’ve thought about. Doing live pit stops again. Getting the balance of the car to a point where I can run throughout the entire race without getting too tight or too loose for my driving style,” Kahne shared. “Working with spotters and understanding where other cars are around you. I haven’t had a spotter in so long.
“You just race in sprint cars, but spotters are great. Getting on the same page for that to take advantage of situations instead of getting used up. Restarts will be important. Overall, I just want to make sure that I’m prepared as I can be to put together a solid day.”
Working alongside proven crew chief Andy Street, Kahne hopes to parlay his penchant for Rockingham magic on Saturday afternoon like his oh-so-close runner-up in the 2004 Cup race or his Truck race victory in 2012. Experience and savvy matter even if Kahne has primarily raced in the sprint car circuit for the past six years.
Kasey Kahne looks forward to his stock car return in Rockingham’s comeback race. (Photo: Phil Cavali | The Podium Finish)
It was a good Friday for race fans with the return of Kahne in a competitive stock car at the beloved Rockingham. Now, he can focus on the best part of all for a driver much like a professional basketball player who has done a lot of practices and spoken to the press.
Now, he can focus on the part that matters most — getting back to the battlefield and showing what he does best.
“I’m looking forward to the race the most,” Kahne said. “Driving, racing, competing. Trying to win or run top-five, top-10; be in the hunt and part of the mix. That’s why I’m doing this. To have a good time and get all that we can.”
