Kasey Kahne doesn’t see Hendrick Motorsports‘ hiring of William Byron to drive in the XFINITY Series as a threat to his current Sprint Cup ride in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
But Kahne hasn’t won since August 2014 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and he does recognize that if he doesn’t perform by 2018 — the final year of his current contract — a change is needed.
“I didn’t really think about the rest,” Kahne told FOXSports.com. “If I haven’t performed by 2018, I need to leave. It’s pretty simple. That has nothing to do with William Byron or anyone else.
“If I haven’t performed by then, it’s time to go do something different. That’s just the way racing and life is.”
The 36-year-old driver also told FOXSports.com that he received a call from team owner Rick Hendrick prior to the Byron announcement giving him a heads-up on the hiring.
Kahne joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, winning twice in his first year with the organization. He’s won five Sprint Cup events all together under the Hendrick umbrella, but two winless seasons have caused him to miss the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for two straight years. He currently is ranked 17th in the driver standings heading into Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 (2 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR radio).