Kasey Kahne returned to NASCAR for the first time since 2018 as he joined the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams for a test session at Rockingham Speedway. Now the second-tier series has provided a behind-the-scenes look at his experience.
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The Xfinity Series posted a video on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that showed Kahne making his return to a track he holds dear. He walked into the facility, helmet bag in hand, and headed to the Richard Childress Racing hauler. Kahne then answered questions about this opportunity to return to stock car racing.
"I'm actually not (nervous)," the former Brickyard 400 winner said in the video. "I'm actually just excited to see kind of the feel of it all. It's been a while."
Welcome back to the #XfinitySeries, @kaseykahne!
April cannot come any sooner! pic.twitter.com/NQfqv5Sxd0
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) January 29, 2025
The testing experience continued with a conversation with teammate Jesse Love and Kahne's first laps in the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro. The video even showed part of his sitdown with the crew as he discussed what he needed from the car.
One of the most interesting parts of the video came when Kahne explained what it is about Rockingham Speedway that he appreciates. This was his opportunity to provide some insight into his racing history.
"The first time I ever tested a stock car, it was here," Kahne told media members. "I'd won a sprint car race at Volusia (Speedway Park) the night before. It was a Sunday night race in 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."
Tuesday's test session at Rockingham Speedway served as a full-circle moment for the Washington native. It also showed that he can still wheel a stock car around the Rockingham County track.
Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie.com and Racing America combined the times from the four, one-hour test sessions at Rockingham Speedway. Kahne had the eighth-fastest time among Xfinity Series drivers with a best time of 23.023 seconds. Teammate Jesse Love was sixth-fastest with a time of 22.987 seconds.
