NASCAR Cup Series: Kasey Kahne to miss Dover race
By Asher Fair
Kasey Kahne is set to miss yet another NASCAR Cup Series race, this one the Gander Outdoors 400 at Dover International Speedway.
Since the 25th race of the 36-race 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, the Bojangles’ Southern 500, at Darlington Raceway, Leavine Family Racing’s Kasey Kahne has not competed in a Cup Series race.
This is the case because of the fact that the 38-year-old Enumclaw, Washington native suffered a case of extreme heat exhaustion following this 500-mile race in the Darlington, South Carolina heat, and physicians have been monitoring and evaluating his health ever since.
Kahne missed the regular season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as the three races of the first round of the playoffs, the round of 16. These three races were the races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and the Charlotte Motor Speedway oval.
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This Sunday’s race is the Gander Outdoors 400 at Dover International Speedway, and it is set to open up the second round of the playoffs, the round of 12. Kahne is set to miss this race as well.
This was officially determined after Kahne participated in a private medical test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Tuesday afternoon with his physicians.
Prior to missing these four (and now five) races, Kahne had never missed a single race in his Cup Series career. Since the 2004 season opener, the Daytona 500, he had competed in every single race contested by the Cup Series. Before he missed these four races, he had made 529 consecutive starts.
Cup Series veteran Regan Smith has replaced Kahne in each of the four races that Kahne has missed so far this season, and he is set to do so again this weekend behind the wheel of the #95 Chevrolet.
Kahne, who is set to retire from Cup Series competition once the 2018 season reaches its conclusion, sits in 29th place out of 30 full-time drivers in the championship standings having recorded nine top 20 finishes. His lone top 14 finish was his season-high fourth place finish in the July race at Daytona International Speedway. His average finishing position is a career-low 22.8.
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Our thoughts and prayers are with Kasey Kahne as he continues to recover from his health issues and as he continues to try to make his way back to the NASCAR Cup Series to compete before the 2018 season comes to a close.