Here is a piece of racing news that genuinely makes you stop and stare: Kasey Kahne is coming back for a full-time NASCAR campaign. Spire Motorsports announced Wednesday that the veteran racer will pilot a full schedule in the 2027 NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series, marking his first full-time season in the sport since health complications forced him to step away from his full-time duties back in 2018.
Now 46, Kahne brings a legendary resume back to the national stage. Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, his career boasts 18 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series alongside crown-jewel triumphs in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2006, 2008, and 2012, plus the 2017 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His previous NASCAR résumé also includes eight victories in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and an astonishing five wins in the Truck Series. That Truck record becomes even more wild when you realize he achieved it across a mere six starts, with his only non-win in the category being a second-place finish at Pocono Raceway in 2010.
Since stepping away from a full Cup schedule in 2018—where he competed in 25 of 36 races—the Enumclaw, Washington, native spent his time back on his dirt-racing roots in sprint cars. That included a full-season campaign in the Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing series last year and celebrating his first career World of Outlaws sprint car win as a team owner in May 2026 at Williams Grove Speedway, building on his six World of Outlaws team owner titles.
Fans got a brief, brilliant tease of his NASCAR return in 2025 when he wheeled the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham Speedway in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. He was running a gorgeous fifth before an early crash collected him, yet he still fought back to claim a 14th-place finish. Ahead of that appearance, Kahne noted that his health was in a good place because he avoided the grueling length and heat of long races, and while Truck events are longer than sprint cars, they remain shorter than Cup or O'Reilly contests.
Asked after his Rockingham outing if more NASCAR racing was in his future, he admitted he did not know, saying he was simply really glad he did it. Now, that uncertainty has turned into a full-blown comeback. The machine will hit the track when the 2027 season opens at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 19.
