Kasey Kahne Bio
Kasey Kenneth Kahne (born April 10, 1980) is an American professional dirt track racing and stock car racing driver. A longtime NASCAR Cup Series veteran, he last competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing. He also owns Kasey Kahne Racing, which fields sprint cars in High Limit Racing and the World of Outlaws.
Over a Cup career that began in 2004, Kahne earned 18 victories, including three Coca-Cola 600 wins and a Brickyard 400 triumph, and was crowned the 2004 Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year. In 2023, he was named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list.
Early Life and Background
Kasey Kenneth Kahne was born on April 10, 1980, in Enumclaw, Washington, to parents Steve Kahne and Pamela Kahne. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he developed a love of speed at an early age and gravitated toward open-wheel racing as a teenager.
At seventeen, Kahne began racing open-wheel sprint cars at Deming Speedway in Deming, Washington, before moving up to Skagit Speedway in Alger, Washington. He later expanded his dirt track experience at venues such as Williams Grove Speedway in Pennsylvania, where he won a season opener in 2000. That performance caught the eye of car owner Steve Lewis, who had also employed future NASCAR stars Jeff Gordon, Jason Leffler, Tony Stewart, and Kenny Irwin Jr.
Path to NASCAR
Under Steve Lewis’s guidance, Kahne ran the USAC national midget series, where he was named Rookie of the Year and won the national midget championship. He also competed in the Toyota Atlantic Series and the World of Outlaws while building a reputation as a versatile talent on both dirt and pavement.
Kahne’s NASCAR break came in 2002, when he made 20 starts in the Busch Series driving the No. 98 Channellock Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing. A year later, he moved to the No. 38 Great Clips Ford for Akins Motorsports, earning his first Busch Series pole at Michigan and his first win at the Ford 300, finishing seventh in points. His strong development in the Busch Series paved the way for a full-time Cup ride in 2004.
Kasey Kahne Career
Early Career (2002-2003)
Kahne spent his formative NASCAR seasons in the Busch Series. In 2002, he ran 20 events for Robert Yates Racing, posting a best finish of tenth at the Cabela’s 250 while learning the nuances of stock car racing.
In 2003, Kahne moved to Akins Motorsports and the No. 38 Great Clips Ford, running a full Busch Series schedule. He captured his first career Busch Series pole at Michigan International Speedway and earned his first victory at the Ford 300. He finished the year seventh in the standings, a result that positioned him for a Cup opportunity.
Cup Series Debut and Rookie Season (2004)
Kahne replaced Bill Elliott in the No. 9 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports at the end of 2003. A contract dispute with Ford was resolved in Kahne’s favor, clearing his path to the team. In his rookie Cup season, he scored five runner-up finishes, 13 top-fives, four poles, and the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. He narrowly missed the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup when teammate Jeremy Mayfield claimed the final spot.
The 2004 campaign announced Kahne as a rising star, and the recognition laid the foundation for his first Cup victory the following year.
First Cup Wins and Early Success (2005-2006)
In 2005, Kahne earned his first career Cup victory at the Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond International Raceway, a dominating performance that was also the first win for the re-introduced Dodge Charger. He became the first driver born in the 1980s to win a race in NASCAR’s premier series.
The 2006 season was Kahne’s breakout year. He opened with wins at Atlanta and Texas, then swept the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America 500, added victories at California and Michigan, and clinched the final Chase berth at Richmond. He finished with six wins and capped his campaign with the Bank of America 500 triumph at Charlotte.
Sprint Cup Years and Hendrick Move (2008-2011)
Kahne won the 2008 Sprint All-Star Race XXIV by fan vote and added a second Coca-Cola 600 victory, joining an elite group of drivers to win both events in the same season. In 2009, racing for Richard Petty Motorsports, he picked up his first road course win at Sonoma and advanced into the Chase.
Released from Richard Petty Motorsports late in 2010, Kahne drove the No. 4 Toyota for Team Red Bull in 2011 and announced a 2012 move to Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 5 Farmers Insurance/Quaker State Chevrolet. His first win of 2011 came at Phoenix, his first victory in more than two years.
Hendrick Motorsports Era (2012-2017)
Kahne opened his Hendrick tenure with a 2012 win at the Coca-Cola 600 in his 300th Cup start, then added a victory at New Hampshire to make the Chase. He finished a career-best fourth in the final standings. In 2013, he scored wins at Bristol and Pocono and qualified for the Chase, but a hard crash at Loudon ended his title hopes. He later revealed he had suffered a concussion in that incident.
After a winless 2015 and a difficult 2016 in which he did not lead a single lap, Kahne returned to Victory Lane at the 2017 Brickyard 400, his 18th career Cup win and first in 102 races. The dramatic overtime finish, which ended under caution, prompted NASCAR to eliminate the Overtime Line rule. Hendrick Motorsports announced in August 2017 that Kahne would not return to the team in 2018, with William Byron named as his replacement.
Leavine Family Racing and Retirement (2018)
Kahne joined Leavine Family Racing in 2018 to drive the No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. A fourth-place finish in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona marked a season highlight. On August 16, 2018, he announced his intention to step away from full-time racing at year’s end.
On September 6, 2018, Kahne sat out the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis due to heat exhaustion, with Regan Smith filling in. He later extended his absence and, on October 9, 2018, announced on Twitter that he would sit out the remainder of the season, ending his fifteen-year Cup career.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kahne built his reputation on versatility, winning on short tracks, intermediates, road courses, and superspeedways. He was particularly strong on mile-and-a-half ovals, where smooth throttle control and patience on long runs allowed him to conserve equipment. His long-standing partnership with crew chief Kenny Francis produced a level of consistency that made them one of the longest driver/crew chief pairings of the early 21st century.
Notable Races and Milestones
Kahne’s signature moments include three Coca-Cola 600 wins in 2006, 2008, and 2012, the 2017 Brickyard 400 victory, and a 2014 Atlanta win that clinched his Chase berth. He also owns five wins in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, including a 0.005-second victory over Erik Jones at Charlotte in 2015, the second-closest finish in Truck Series history.
Kasey Kahne Career Wins
Kasey Kahne accumulated 18 career victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, highlighted by three Coca-Cola 600 wins and a Brickyard 400 triumph. He added wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and five victories in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
Cup Series Highlights
Kahne’s first Cup win came in 2005 at Richmond, and his most recent came in the 2017 Brickyard 400. He won the Coca-Cola 600 three times, in 2006, 2008, and 2012, the 2008 Sprint All-Star Race, the 2014 Atlanta race, and the 2017 Brickyard 400, among other highlights.
Other Wins and Performances
In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Kahne has five wins in six career starts, including victories at Darlington and Homestead in 2004, Rockingham and Charlotte, and a second-place run at Pocono. In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, he posted multiple wins, including the 2007 Carquest Auto Parts 300, the O’Reilly 300 at Texas, and the United Way 300 at Kansas. He is also a two-time Skagit Speedway winner of the Annual Jim Raper memorial Dirt Cup, in 2002 and 2003.
Kasey Kahne Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Kahne was raised in Enumclaw, Washington, by his parents, Steve Kahne and Pamela Kahne. His early racing development in the Pacific Northwest sprint car scene shaped his path to NASCAR, and his family’s support allowed him to pursue open-wheel racing as a teenager.
Personal Life
Kahne keeps much of his personal life private. He has a son born in 2015, and he later began dating Amy Long, a former sports reporter, in 2020. Kahne and Long had a daughter in early 2023, and the couple is married.
2025 Season Performance
On January 24, 2025, NASCAR announced that Kahne would return to the driver’s seat for the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, driving the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet with HendrickCars.com sponsorship. The appearance marked his first NASCAR national series start since 2018.
At Rockingham, Kahne’s No. 33 sustained damage from contact with William Sawalich and Katherine Legge, but he finished fourteenth. The run, originally fifteenth before Jesse Love was disqualified, was a measured comeback that showcased his enduring skill on intermediate tracks.
Off the NASCAR stage, Kahne continues to compete full-time in High Limit Racing with Kasey Kahne Racing in 2024 and 2025, fielding the No. 9 sprint car for himself and Brad Sweet, with eyes on continued success in dirt track competition.