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NASCAR Cup Series: Top 5 moments of Kasey Kahne’s career

By William Richard

FONTANA, CA - MARCH 17: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #95 WRL General Contractors Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 17, 2018 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
FONTANA, CA - MARCH 17: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #95 WRL General Contractors Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 17, 2018 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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JOLIET, IL – JULY 8: Kasey Kahne drives the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge (Photo by Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images)
JOLIET, IL – JULY 8: Kasey Kahne drives the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge (Photo by Gavin Lawrence/Getty Images) /

#4: Richmond 2005

Let’s take a trip down victory lane, folks! We’re in 2004, when a baby-faced 24-year-old is named the replacement for NASCAR legend Bill Elliott in the #9 Evernham Motorsports Dodge.

After mild success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kasey Kahne ended up going full-time Cup Series racing in 2004. It wouldn’t take long for the Enumclaw, Washington native to make a name for himself on Sundays.

In the second race of the season at Rockingham Speedway, the youngster finished in second place by just 0.010 seconds to defending champion Matt Kenseth. After coming so close to his first Cup victory in that race, Kahne finished in second and then third in the next two races.

Slowly becoming a well-known name among race fans, Kahne had all eyes shifted to him and the #9 team. Fans wanted to see when the youngster would score his first career win. Unfortunately, it didn’t come his rookie season.

After finishing in second place by inches on multiple occasions, Kahne finished his rookie season with six second place finishes and 13 top five finishes.But because he fell short of reaching victory lane, fans questioned whether or not could the rookie could close the deal on a Cup Series win.

Then came 2005. Entering his second Cup season, Kahne had nothing but high expectations set for him.

Once again, Kahne fell short of winning races until one May night at Richmond International Raceway. He turned his sophomore slump around and led 242 of the race’s 400 laps to earn his first career Cup Series victory.

Still today I remember this win, even though I didn’t see it live. I wanted to see Kahne win so badly, but I fell asleep the night he got it done. But asleep or not, this win is still one that I remember, and it proved that the youngster was worth the gamble.

There’s nothing like earning your first career Cup Series win, and the night on which Kahne did so is one that I’m sure he remembers vividly.

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