“I’ve always really enjoyed it from the very first lap that I made here,” Kasey Kahne said about Rockingham. After an almost seven-year absence from NASCAR owing to health issues, the 45-year-old veteran felt a rush of nostalgia. This isn’t just another race—it’s a homecoming to the track that ignited his passion for stock car racing. The Rock, with its gritty, tire-eating surface and unforgiving bumps, will see Kahne behind the wheel once again.
In 2002, he ran his first Busch Series race in a Channelock Ford on this very track. And those early laps have hooked him even now. The track’s unique challenges—slippery corners, rapid tire wear, and raw horsepower—made it a driver’s track, one that tested skill and nerve. Kahne’s love for it never faded, even after the Cup Series stopped racing here in 2004. His return in 2025 isn’t just a one-off; he’s open to more NASCAR starts if the experience feels right.
Kasey Kahne reveals he’s feeling Rockingham’s vibes the same way as before
Kasey Kahne stands at the edge of Rockingham Speedway, the familiar hum of engines vibrating through his chest. But for Kahne, this comeback is more than just results—it’s about rediscovering the place where it all began. The track’s recent repave of nearly $15 million throws a significant curveball, and the new surface is expected to be faster, with less off-throttle time. Reflecting on the time before the changes took place, Kasey Kahne said, “You know, because those cars had a lot of power then, and the track was so slippery that that was tough, what was going on as the tires would wear out so quickly at that particular race.” So, preparing for it, he leans on his dirt racing background, a surprising but effective training method.
When pressed about what makes Rockingham so special, Kahne’s face lit up. “Yeah, I mean I think that was one race that has kept me very interested in Rockingham,” he told Stephen Stumpf of Frontstretch.com. “So yeah, I’ve always just enjoyed it since then. But my first race was here in 2002. I’m pretty sure it was my first Busch Series race at the time, and I was in a channellock car. And from that point on, I thought this was, and it was also the first place I ever tested in a stock car. And I’m just, yeah, so I’ve always really enjoyed it since that very first lap that I made here.”
Kahne made his Xfinity Series debut at The Rock in 2002 for Robert Yates Racing, and two years later, in just his second Cup Series start, he finished second in a photo finish as Matt Kenseth clipped the young gun at the line for the victory. Kahne is also undefeated in Craftsman Truck Series competition in Richmond County, winning the series’ return race in 2012. Rockingham is sacred ground for Kahne.
He added, “The first time I ever tested a stock car was with ppc Racing, it was here. I had won a Sprint Car race at Volusia the night before, it was a Sunday night race at Volusia County. I drove through the night up here, slept in the parking lot, got in the Busch car that morning, and did a test here. That was the first time I was in a stock car years ago.”
For Kahne, the Volusia win came in a 410ci winged sprint car on the half-mile dirt oval in Barberville, Florida. Competing against top drivers in a 30-lap feature, Kahne’s victory showcased his skill on a high-grip, high-banked track, earning attention from stock car teams. After the race, he drove 500 miles overnight from Florida to North Carolina, a 7-8-hour journey. That moment, years ago, was his first taste of stock car racing, fueled by pure grit.
“I’ve always really enjoyed [Rockingham] since that very first lap I made here.”@kaseykahne reflects on racing at Rockingham at the start of his racing career and who in the #NASCAR Cup Series would race well at Rockingham. pic.twitter.com/vEfvXgnzRo
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) April 18, 2025
Coming back, testing the newly repaved track recently, he was stunned by its familiar feel. The 45-year-old said, “I didn’t even know it was repaved until after I was far into the whole trying to make it happen.” On the repave, he added, “You could feel it, a lot of the same characteristics as far as the bumps and where they were and how the car moved around, it just seemed like the pace was up around the entire racetrack, you know, less off throttle time, a lot more wide open throttle time, but yeah, it still felt, actually it still felt like Rockingham.”
As Kahne looks to the future, he’s not chasing trophies or headlines. He’s chasing the feeling of being back where he belongs. And for now, Kahne is content to settle in, savoring every lap and dreaming of what might come next.
Kasey Kahne reveals RCR’s support in his comeback
At 45, the 18-time Cup Series winner is set to race in the North Carolina Education Lottery 250, driving the No. 33 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. It’s a deeply personal return to the 1.017-mile track where his stock car journey began. And RCR is doing every bit to ensure that it happens in the right way.
Reflecting on the same, he said, “They put bags in the seat and fill it up with the chemical to make it grow around your body. It fills in every little spot to where it’s just material everywhere that you would sit, and that happens pretty quickly. And then you carve it all out, and it’s like your perfect seat,” he added. When Kahne saw Rockingham’s race announced, something clicked.
“I said, man, that’s a track I know and I’ve enjoyed racing at over the years,” he shared. “I started reaching out and trying to find a way to get back into it and do a race.” Richard Childress Racing answered the call, offering him a competitive ride. “It came together really quick[ly]. They’ve given me a great opportunity, and a lot of really good people at RCR.” Kahne’s history at Rockingham runs deep—a runner-up finish in the Cup Series in 2004 and a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win in 2012.
After stepping away from NASCAR in 2018 due to health issues, he dove into dirt racing, leading his Kasey Kahne Racing team to six World of Outlaws championships. In 2023, he was honored as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, a nod to his lasting impact. And with that, fans would be waiting to see him chase that checkered flag. Do you think he can win it?
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