Kasey Kahne

On April 13, 2010, Kahne announced that he would be leaving Richard Petty Motorsports at the end of the 2010 season to race in 2012 with Hendrick Motorsports. On June 9, it was announced that Farmers Insurance Group would sponsor Kahne for 22 races in 2012. It was also announced that his current crew chief Kenny Francis will join in at Hendrick.

The Red Bull Racing Team officially announced that Kahne would drive one of their cars for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season, a tenure that would start in the 2010 season after Kahne was released from Richard Petty Motorsports. Kahne used the number 4 for his Red Bull Toyota, a homage to the number he used in Sprint Cars.

On May 6, 2011, Kahne won his first pole for Red Bull Race and his 21st career pole at Darlington Raceway. He did not make it into the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup, resting at 21st in points following the cut-off race, the Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10.

On November 13th, at the newly configured Phoenix International Raceway, Kahne held off Carl Edwards in the closing laps to take his first victory of the season, his first victory for the Red Bull Racing Team, and Kahne's first victory in over two years. Kahne only led the final 14 laps of the race.

2010:
On September 10, 2009, it was announced that Richard Petty Motorsports would merge with Yates Racing. Kasey Kahne would remain as one of four drivers of RPM alongside his current teammates Sadler, Allmendinger, as well as Yates Racing driver Paul Menard. The team also changed manufacturers from the legendary Dodge Charger to the Ford Fusion, and received Roush-Yates engines and other equipment from Roush Fenway Racing.

2009:
Kahne's new team for 2009, was Richard Petty Motorsports, and was the result of a merger between his previous team, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and merged with Petty Enterprises. Kahne won the Toyota/Save Mart 350 event on June 21, 2009, for his first road course win. Kahne ran the fewest events in other NASCAR series, only seven (four in the Nationwide Series, three in the Whelen Modefied Tour). With less distractions, Kahne's track record improved, taking his second win of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

2008:
With new sponsor Budweiser, at Gillet Everham, Kahne started off the 2008 season strong as he finished in the top 10 in both the Budweiser Shootout and the Gatorade Duel.

As a result of a 4th place finish in his duel, Kahne started 10th in the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on February 17, 2008. Kahne finished 7th behind teammate Elliott Sadler in the 2008 Daytona 500, this was a repeat of the 2007 race where Sadler and Kahne also finished 6th and 7th respectively.

During the qualifying for the 2007 Daytona 500, officials found holes in the wheel-wells of his Dodge Charger. A crew member said it was just tape that had fallen off of a hole in the tire. Officials said that the tape had been cut. He was one of the four drivers among Matt Kenseth and his two teammates, Scott Riggs and Elliott Sadler whose cars had been found with aerodynamic-improving modifications. His team was one of the six teams found with illegal modifications in the Daytona festivities.

2007:
All news was not just about racing in 2007, On November 16, 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Kahne was accused by Archibald Hutchinson, a 62 year old track security guard, of shoving Hutchinson to the ground.
The incident occurred when Kahne was attempting to enter the motorhome lot and Hutchinson refused entry due to Kahne not having the proper credentials. Kahne claimed he had bumped into the security guard as he attempted to walk around the guard to enter the lot.

Hutchinson was taken to the infield medical center following the incident complaining of elevated blood pressure. He was treated for scrapes and bruises and later released. Kahne faced a misdemeanor assault charge over the incident which he pled not guilty to.
Hutchinson also filed a civil suit against Kahne seeking more than $15,000 for medical bills, lost wages, and punitive damage.

In December 2008, the court agreed to dismiss the criminal charges and clear Kahne criminal record upon completion of 50 hours of community service and a donation of $50 to a court charity Hutchinson, through his attorneys, dismissed the civil suit in September 2009 following an undisclosed settlement.

2006:
On Monday, March 20, 2006, Kahne won the rain delayed Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nearly three weeks later, he won the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas. He won four races after that, among them a season sweep at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600 and the Bank of America 500, holding off Jimmie Johnson, who would go on to finish second in both events. He also won at California and Michigan.

2005:
Kahne scored his first career Sprint Cup victory in his sophomore season of 2005, after a dominating performance in the Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was also the first victory for the Dodge Charger, which returned to NASCAR in 2005. In addition, he became the first driver born in the 1980's to win a race in NASCAR's premier series. He also scored two poles in back-to-back weeks at Darlington and Richmond during the same year. He made 22 starts in the Busch Series, splitting time with Akins and Evernham's new #6 team. He won the O'Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, and the United Way 300 at Kansas Speedway.

2004:
Kahne replaced Bill Elliott in the #9 Dodge at the end of 2003 when Elliott announced a part-time schedule starting with the 2004 season. Due to the fact that Kahne was still under contract with Ford, a lawsuit began when Kahne decided to go to Evernham, driving a car that was being sponsored by Dodge.

Ford eventually got money from Kahne, allowing him to go to Dodge. In 2004, Kahne surprised many by nearly winning several races (including five second-place finishes and 13 top-fives), winning four poles and captured the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award. He drove 30 races for Akins in the Busch Series, finishing thirteenth in points.

Kahne made 20 starts in the Nationwide Series driving the #98 Channellock Ford Taurus for Robert Yates Racing. His best finish was a tenth-place finish at Cabela's 250. In 2003, he moved to the #38 Great Clips Ford for Akins Motorsports. He won his first pole at Michigan International Speedway and his first Nationwide race at the Ford 300. In 2004, he also made a pair of starts in the Craftsman Truck Series at Darlington Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway, driving the #2 Team ASE Racing Dodge Ram for Ultra Motorsports, winning both races.

In 2002, as a part-time driver for an outmanned and underfunded No. 98 car at Robert Yates Racing, Kahne managed only one top 10 in 20 starts in the NASCAR Busch Series. The next season he earned full-time status in Akins Motorsports' No. 38, totaling a pole, four top fives, 14 top 10s and a breakthrough victory in the Homestead finale.

Enter Ray Evernham, an ex-champion crew chief who, when Dodge returned to Cup racing in 2001, formed a team of his own. After veteran driver Bill Elliott downgraded to a part-time role at the end of 2003, Evernham Motorsports had a vacancy in the No. 9 and the owner always had his eye on the kid from Enumclaw.

A Northwest Mini-Sprints championship and track title at Hannigan Speedway were nice, but if Kasey Kahne were going to make it in sprint cars he'd have to go to the competition.

At age 17, only three years after he first strapped into one of father Kelly's cars, he left his native Washington state for the Midwest - a region just as famous for sprints and midgets as the Southeast is stock cars. From 1998 to 2002, Kahne sharpened his skills in the winged sprinters of the World of Outlaws, All-Star Circuit of Champions, Gumout Racing Series and Northern Sprint Tour.

Sprint Cup
2011
Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway - November 13, 2011

2010
Gatorade Duel #2 at Daytona International Speedway - February 11, 2010

2009
Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - September 6, 2009
Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway - June 21, 2009

2008
Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway - June 8, 2008
Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 25, 2008
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 17, 2008

2006
Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - October 14, 2006
Sony HD 500 at California Speedway - September 3, 2006
3M Performance 400 Presented by Post-It Picture Paper at Michigan International Speedway - June 18, 2006
Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - May 28, 2006
Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway - April 9, 2006
Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway - March 19, 2006

2005
Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond International Raceway - May 14, 2005