Kasey Kahne Once Hinted at His Chances of Returning to a NASCAR Track
It’s been a couple of years since Kasey Kahne retired from NASCAR due to persistent health issues. Since then, Kahne has remained around the sport in a significant capacity. All that has led to him addressing the possibility of making a return to the sport he loves.
Kasey Kahne’s NASCAR career
Kasey Kahne became a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver in 2004, which saw him string together a productive career.
Kahne won 18 Cup Series races, recorded 176 top-ten finishes, and finished fourth in the Points standings in 2012. He also added eight wins and 87 top-ten finishes in the Xfinity Series in 16 years.
Although he sparsely competed in the Camping World Truck Series, he won five out of the six races, with the only non-victory being a second-place finish. Kahne had to cut his NASCAR career short in 2018 as lingering health issues forced him to retire.
He began experiencing difficulty with an increased heart rate and nausea, and vomiting during races in 2017. These issues bled over into the next year that forced him to have to step away. According to Yahoo Sports. All of the problems came to a head after the Darlington Raceway event in September 2018 as he nearly lost vision mid-race.
Since his retirement, Kahne has remained around the sport, which last year, he discussed the chances of a return.
Kasey Kahne hinted at his chance of returning to NASCAR
It’s been a little more than two years since Kasey Kahne had to retire from NASCAR due to health reasons.
In his first couple of years away from the sport, the time away has only fueled his passion for racing. During an interview on Fox’s Off-Track with Jamie Little last May, Kahne admitted that he would have to heavily consider a return if he was offered the opportunity to race again.
“I would have to really think about it,’ Kahne said. “It’s been a little while, but I definitely enjoy that stuff. I miss it. I watch every race on TV. I go to a lot of Sprint car races with Brad Sweet and James McFadden and their team. I stay pretty close to it, but I haven’t done it myself. Like I said, the longer I’m away, the more I want to get back in a car.
The most significant factor in the entire equation is Kahne’s health. His comments do lend well to the possibility that the scenario could play out down if everything is in line off the track.
Could a comeback happen?
There may not be any active conversations around a possible comeback, but Kahne’s comments do put that possibility on the table.
The 40-year-old still has an unwavering passion for the sport that created for him a 15-year career as a full-time Cup Series driver. His continued involvement with NASCAR leaves the scenario well in the picture.
The biggest questions concerns how his health is at this point in his life. In that same interview with Jamie Little last May, he voiced that he felt much better physically since stepping away.
A potential return to the track may not be in a full-time capacity, but more than likely what Dale Earnhardt Jr. has done in the last few years. Earnhardt Jr. has picked up the tradition of competing in one Xfinity Series race a year since retiring after the 2017 season.
There isn’t a timetable for Kahne to decide when he could return, if at all, but it’s quite apparent that he’s open to racing again. His health permitting, that opportunity make come at some point down the line.
