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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.
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