Kasey Kahne left his home of Enumclaw, Wash. at the age of 17 to pursue his passion for sprint car racing in the mid west. He never dreamed that would lead to a thriving career in NASCAR’s elite division. In just six short seasons, Kahne has earned recognition as one of NASCAR’s brightest stars.
Contending for championships is something with which Kahne has become well acquainted. Before making a name for himself in NASCAR, Kahne was a sprint car star in his own right. With support from his father, Kelly, Kahne started racing at the age of 14, competing in a limited number of micro-midget car events near his hometown of Enumclaw, Wash. Two years later, in 1996, Kahne got his first taste of success by capturing the Hannigan (Wash.) Speedway Mini-Sprints championship and the Northwest Mini Sprints championship.
Kahne honed his skills from 1998 to 2002 as a competitor in the World of Outlaws, All-Star Circuit of Champions, Gumout Racing Series and Northern Sprint Tour winged sprint car series. In 2000 he enjoyed a breakout season, winning the USAC Midget Series championship and earning the title of National Midget Driver of the Year. Kahne built on those accomplishments the following season by scoring four wins and 10 top-five finishes in just 11 USAC Midget Series starts. He also won his second consecutive “Night before the 500” Classic at O’Reilly Raceway Park, a feat previously achieved by only one other driver (Jeff Gordon).
By 2001, Kahne’s successes in sprint cars had started to capture the attention of the NASCAR community. As a result, he landed a part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series ride for the 2002 season. Without an abundance of resources behind him, Kahne made the most of the year, highlighted by a top-10 finish at Michigan International Speedway in August. One year later, Kahne earned his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win and scored four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes en route to a seventh-place finish in the series point standings.
With less than two years of stock car racing experience under his belt, Kahne’s talent and track record attracted the attention of owner and former crew chief Ray Evernham who saw great potential in the young driver.
Kahne burst onto the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series scene in 2004 by contending for wins on a weekly basis. The 2004 Rookie of the Year recorded 13 top-five finishes and completed the season 13th in the point standings, missing the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup by a mere 28 points. In 2005, Kahne scored his first career Cup Series win at Richmond International Raceway and ran a close second to Tony Stewart in the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
During the 2006 NASCAR season Kahne established himself as a contender. He won a series-high six races and started from the pole position six times. He finished the year with 12 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes and earned an eighth-place finish in the driver point standings after qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Kahne’s 2008 season was a step forward after a tumultuous 2007 campaign in which Kahne was shut out of victory lane and finished 19th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings.
Prior to the 2009 season, Gillette Evernham Motorsports merged with Petty Enterprises to become Richard Petty Motorsports. The change allowed Kahne to work alongside his longtime mentor, Richard Petty. The 2009 season proved to
be Kahne’s most successful season since his breakout season in 2006. Kahne scored two wins, including his first career road course win at Infineon Raceway in June. Coincidentally, that win also returned Petty to victory lane for the first time since 1999. The early success of the 2009 season earned Kahne his second trip to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Kahne’s two wins, seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes earned him a 10th place finish in the Championship standings in 2009.
With one of the longest standing driver-crew chief combinations in the garage, Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis enter their fifth season together in 2010. The Francis-Kahne duo have garnered 10 wins, 24 top-fives and 55 top-10 finishes and proven that consistency, coupled with determination, equals championship contention.
When he’s not racing, fulfilling appearance requests or sponsor obligations, Kahne enjoys spending time at home with his family and friends. He can be found playing basketball, grilling in his backyard or working on his sprint cars at Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR). Kahne formed KKR in 2005, running a limited schedule during the team’s inaugural season. He now fields full time entries in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. Brad Sweet, Joey Saldana and Cody Darrah pilot his World of Outlaw cars. In 2009, Saldana scored a series high 20 wins and finished third in the point standings. Kahne is also passionate about his philanthropic activities which include working with his charity, the Kasey Kahne Foundation (KKF). Kahne created the foundation as a way to give back to chronically ill children and their families as well as disadvantaged youth. Every year the KKF raises funds for these deserving causes through several events including sprint car races and benefit concerts.