Kasey Kahne through the years
By Zack Albert | Monday, August 7, 2017
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Kasey Kahne, 38, announced Aug. 16 that 2018 would step away from full-time NASCAR driving following the 2018 season. From his early Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series days with Ray Evernham to a run with Hendrick Motorsports to his current ride at Leavine Family Racing, Kahne has had quite the NASCAR journey. Scroll through to see Kahne's career highlights in photos.
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Kahne's racing career took off with a prolific tenure driving sprint cars in his home state of Washington. Even after he made the move to NASCAR, Kahne remained active in the sprint car community as a team owner and occasional competitor.
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After a season and a half of competition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kahne made the transition to NASCAR's top division in 2004. Kahne scored one Xfinity win -- the 2003 season finale -- before making the jump.
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Kahne broke into NASCAR's major leagues with car owner Ray Evernham, a master crew chief and mechanic who helped orchestrate Dodge's return to the sport in 2001.
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Kahne impressed early, qualifying for two pole positions in his first five races. He nearly broke through to Victory Lane, finishing second five times in his first season. Kahne was presented the Rookie of the Year Award at season's end.
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Kahne captured his first checkered flag the following season, rolling from the pole to prevail at Richmond Raceway. Kahne led 242 of 400 laps. His season overall was an uneven one with nine DNFs, six related to crashes.
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Kahne bounced back in 2006 for one of his most prolific campaigns, finding a sweet spot on the circuit's intermediate-sized tracks. After wins at Atlanta and Texas early in the season, Kahne nabbed his first victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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Kahne also enjoyed his first trip to Victory Lane at Michigan International Speedway in 2006. He shared the stage with crew chief Kenny Francis, a key component to his early success. The Kahne and Francis pairing lasted from 2005-2014. Their '06 partnership remained among their strongest works -- a six-win season and an eighth-place rank in the final standings.
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Kahne's high-water level in the win column contrasted sharply with a winless 2007 season marked by six DNFs. A rebound came in 2008, when top-flight sponsorship from Budweiser arrived for the team, which then became Gillett Evernham Motorsports during a time of ownership transition. In 2008, Kahne registered another Coca-Cola 600 win, a first-time victory at Pocono, and this, his champagne-soaked celebration of his first win in the NASCAR All-Star Race.
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The ownership shuffle continued for Kahne in 2009, when his No. 9 Dodge came under the newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports umbrella. That relationship netted Kahne's first road-course win, a triumph that had him clinking wine glasses with Petty in Sonoma Raceway's Victory Lane.
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Kahne teetered through a final season with the Petty camp in 2010, but by midyear he was already earmarked to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Before taking over Hendrick's No. 5 team, Kahne drove for the former Red Bull Racing operation during an interim season in 2011. They scored their only win together at Phoenix Raceway.
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For the 2012 campaign, Kahne took over the reins of the No. 5 Chevrolet, joining (from left) Jeff Gordon, team owner Rick Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Hendrick Motorsports. Kenny Francis also shifted to HMS, keeping their long-running partnership intact.
Jeff Zelevansky | Getty Images
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Kahne's first year at Hendrick Motorsports bore fruit. After tacking on his third Coca-Cola 600 win, Kahne surged to his first triumph at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The season also produced Kahne's highest finish -- fourth -- in the championship standings to date.
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Kahne kept things moving in 2013 with another two-win season, including this victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Though he qualified for the playoff field, inconsistency hampered Kahne, who placed 12th in the final points.
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Kahne went winless for the early portion of the 2014 effort, but he came through at crunch time. He prevailed in the next-to-last race of the regular season, sealing a playoff spot at Atlanta Motor Speedway and earning congratulations from his Hendrick teammates.
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The next two seasons represented a struggle for Kahne and the No. 5 team. Kahne endured a vexing winless streak, missing the postseason in both 2015 and '16.
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Kahne's 102-race dry spell finally ended in the evening hours of July 23, 2017, with a stunning victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His first Brickyard win virtually clinched a playoff berth and helped soothe nearly three seasons of frustration.
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Kahne and team owner Rick Hendrick were all smiles in their Indianapolis celebration, but both acknowledged the uncertainty of their future together. After six seasons, the two sides parted at the end of the 2017 season, forging new paths for the 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season.
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For the 2018 season, Kahne was driving for Leavine Family Racing in the No. 95 Chevrolet until dehydration issues forced him out of the car following the Darlington race. He is seen here with former Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott.
