Kasey Kahne returned to action after a seven-year hiatus on April 19, 2025, when he competed in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway. After surviving an early crash — bumping into William Sawalich and Katherine Legge on Lap 50 — Kahne rallied back to finish in 14th place.
Kasey Kahne Shares Honest Thoughts on Rocky NASCAR Return at Rockingham
The 45-year-old driver didn’t seem to miss a beat despite the unfortunate crash that caused damage to his No. 33 Chevrolet. Following the race, in which he finished in 14th place, Kahne reflected on how it felt to be back on the track for the first time since 2018.
So, how did it feel to get those pedals pumping again?
“Glad. Glad I did it. Enjoyed every bit of it,” Kahne said, via Motorsport.com. “Wish things would have gone different on whatever lap that was when they spun. Wish that had gone different. But other than that, I’m just really glad I did it. It’s been a long time.”
Rockingham Speedway should have a special place in Kahne’s heart. It’s where he made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in 2002, and Rockingham is where he came agonizingly close (.01 seconds) to winning in his lone Sprint Cup start in 2004. He also won a Craftsman Truck race at Rockingham in 2012.
Kahne kicked off his comeback in style as he rolled off in fourth and quickly turned heads with his pace at practice on April 18. Hopes were high for a top-five finish, or possibly a win at Rockingham. He was running fifth in Stage 1 before a Lap 50 incident with Sawalich and Legge left him with damage.
“I was directly behind the No. 18 (Sawalich), and their bumpers are so big, I could not see anything in front of him at the time until he slowed way up,” Kahne told Front Stretch. “So then I slowed way up and went left, and then the car in front of him (Legge) came left and I hit (her). I couldn’t see any of it happening until I started to go left.”
The final stage turned chaotic, with a flurry of cautions helping Kahne claw his way back into contention. He rejoined the lead lap on Lap 129 as the race saw 14 caution flags, along with several fuel tanks running dry and pile-ups reshuffling the order.
Kahne powered up to 14th place in the late going. Technically, he crossed the line in 15th place but was bumped up a spot post-race following Jesse Love’s disqualification.
“I thought we did a good job of getting back to the lead lap and just avoiding wrecks and kind of salvaging the best we could at that point,” Kahne said. “I was hot on Lap 60, and then I got some ice bags and started drinking more water. Was fine from there, but I haven’t been that hot in a long time — seven years.”