 |
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.
[1] 2 3 |
|
|
FaceBook
Twitter