NASCAR Cup Series: Kasey Kahne to miss next three races

After missing the Brickyard 400, Kasey Kahne is set to miss each of the next three NASCAR Cup Series races due to health concerns.

Leavine Family Racing’s Kasey Kahne drove in each of the first 25 races of the 36-race 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season. However, after he got out of his #95 Chevrolet following his 24th place finish in the 25th race, the Bojangles’ Southern 500, at Darlington, Raceway, he paid a visit to the infield care center, as he was suffering from extreme heat exhaustion and dehydration issues.

Kahne did not drive in this past Monday’s Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard, more commonly known as the Brickyard 400, at the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana as a result of the fact that he was still suffering the lingering effects of extreme heat exhaustion.

Since his full-time Cup Series career began back in the 2004 season, he had not missed a race until this past Monday. Him missing this race brought his streak of 529 consecutive starts to an end.

Now it has been confirmed that the 38-year-old Enumclaw, Washington native will not race in any of the next three Cup Series races either as he continues to work with physicians on his health.

Here is what the 18-time Cup Series race winner had to say about the matter, according to NBC Sports Network.

"“I just can’t control the temperature in my body and my heart rate. Once it gets to that point, there’s nothing I can do until I get out of the car. We’re still trying to figure that out. That’s why I’m not racing (at Indianapolis), I don’t want to create any more damage to myself or my body.”"

The three races that Kahne is set to miss are this Sunday’s South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada, next Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia and the Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in Concord, North Carolina three Sundays from now.

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Kahne admitted that the fact that temperatures are expected to be roughly 100 degrees at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend worried him.

Kahne also recently revealed that he will be retiring from full-time Cup Series competition following the conclusion of the 2018 season, which is his 15th season as a full-time driver in the sport, and he admitted that this health issue played a role in his decision to retire and even turn down a potential ride at Stewart-Haas Racing before doing so.

The three races that Kahne is set to miss are the three races that make up the first round, the round of 16, of this season’s Cup Series playoffs. Unlike last season, Kahne failed to qualify for this year’s playoffs, as he finished the regular season in a 27th place tie in the championship standings. He won last year’s Brickyard 400 in his sixth and final season driving for Hendrick Motorsports to secure a playoff berth.

Kahne recorded just one top 14 finish in the 2018 regular season. This top 14 finish was his fourth place finish in the July race at Daytona International Speedway, a race that he looked like he had a good chance to win as the laps clicked down toward the end. His average finishing position in the 25 races in which he competed in the regular season was 22.8.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kasey Kahne as he continues to work with physicians on his health so that he will hopefully return to the seat of the #95 Leavine Family Racing Chevrolet before the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season comes to an end.