ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Kasey Kahne drove to the infield tunnel at Rockingham Speedway, and positive sufficient, his NASCAR 75 Biggest Drivers credential nonetheless labored. “Tremendous easy,” the 44-year-old veteran mentioned, his entry for preseason testing granted.
Kahne made the rounds, taking a tour across the infield Tuesday morning whereas the 1.017-mile monitor was being prepped. He’ll be making his first NASCAR national-series begin since 2018 when the Xfinity Sequence returns to Rockingham within the spring, however being again in a stock-car storage didn’t look like a very long time gone.
“A variety of acquainted faces. It didn’t really feel like I hadn’t been right here in six years, I do know that,” Kahne mentioned from Rockingham’s media middle. “Even simply hanging out within the trailer, behind the trailer for the primary half-hour, hour this morning ready to get going, it simply felt fairly regular. It didn’t really feel too totally different. So I suppose once you put principally your complete life into simply racing and NASCAR for that a few years main as much as it, after which 16 years within the sport, to take just a little little bit of day off and are available again, it nonetheless feels fairly acquainted.”
Kahne and the remainder of the Xfinity Sequence roster shall be again for the N.C. Schooling Lottery 250 on April 19 (4 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), marking NASCAR’s first national-tour occasion since 2013. Xfinity groups will share the weekend with the Craftsman Truck Sequence, which is able to run the Black’s Tire 200 on April 18 (5 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The 2 sequence alternated 45-minute apply classes throughout Tuesday’s organizational check, which is able to spill into Wednesday due to monitor drying wants that scrubbed testing time within the morning.
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Kahne was a winner throughout Rockingham’s temporary, two-year revival practically a decade in the past, prevailing within the Truck Sequence’ return race right here in 2012. He’s stored his hand in racing since his most up-to-date NASCAR begin, operating a profitable dash automotive group and growing his participation on the driving facet. He mentioned he’s stored in contact with a few of his contacts from the NASCAR world, and the Rockingham date on the 2025 schedule piqued his curiosity to find a experience.
That chance got here by with that Kahne will drive the No. 33 Chevrolet, a 3rd Richard Childress Racing entry, within the 250-lap occasion.
“I noticed this Rockingham race pop up, and I used to be like, ‘Man, that’s a monitor I do know, and I’ve loved racing at over time,’ so I began reaching out and attempting to determine a option to get again into it and do a race,” Kahne mentioned. “It felt like 4 or 5 years perhaps since I’d raced, and it’s extra like six and a half is what they’d mentioned, so it’s been some time.”
His departure from the Cup Sequence roster felt abrupt, coming midstream with 11 races left within the 2018 marketing campaign. However Kahne mentioned the calls for of racing on the big-league degree of NASCAR every week had taken a gradual, bodily toll that mounted as his ultimate season crept alongside.
“The explanation it was time was my physique was simply telling me it was time,” mentioned Kahne, who received 18 instances in a Cup Sequence profession that started in 2004. “My dehydration was so dangerous by the point I acquired to the middle a part of the yr. I imply, the previous few Cup races I ran, yeah, it was as dangerous as I’ve ever felt in my life. After the races for the following two or three days, even into the following race, we simply couldn’t determine it out, couldn’t get it mounted. It was a large number. It wasn’t an excellent option to finish. It wasn’t what I used to be wanting or anticipating, nevertheless it was the way in which it went. Simply sort of had a brief, fast ending to my Cup run. I’ve watched quite a bit since, and I’m simply glad to get a chance to do that race in April.”
What’s but to be seen is that if Kahne’s Rockingham go is a one-off. Requested if one other alternative on the Cup Sequence or one other NASCAR degree may be within the playing cards, Kahne hedged, holding the concentrate on the reborn 1-mile monitor in entrance of him.
“I don’t know. I simply wish to do that one race, work with this group,” Kahne mentioned. “It’s been really actually cool, and went collectively actually fast, however they’ve given me a terrific alternative and a number of actually good folks at RCR. So I’ve actually loved it thus far, end off this check and see the place that’s, do the race and see how issues are going at that cut-off date.”
