“I feel lucky to have been teammates”: When Dale Earnhardt Jr. supported Kasey Kahne’s ‘smart decision’ on early NASCAR exit 

It was a sad end to an exciting NASCAR Cup Series career for Kasey Kahne as his 15-year journey ended prematurely in 2018 due to health problems. Despite that, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver received praise from Dale Earnhardt Jr., a former teammate of Kahne at HMS.

Kahne had made a stunning announcement on October 9, 2018, via X, formerly known as Twitter. He had written:

“Out of the race car I am perfectly healthy, I feel great, and the doctors have determined that I have no underlying health problems. My body just can’t handle extended periods of time in the race car and we weren’t able to control the sweat ratio to keep me hydrated enough to prevent any permanent damage to my body.”

The announcement saddened many within the NASCAR community, including Earnhardt Jr.. The 26-time Cup Series winner knows firsthand what it's like to not be able to finish a season as he was sidelined for the second half of the 2016 Cup Series season due to concussion-like symptoms. The driver of the #88 HMS Chevrolet retired at the end of the following year.

Following Kahne's announcement, the North Carolina native had taken to X to express his gratitude for him as a teammate and respected his decision to put his health first. Earnhardt had written:

"I know @kaseykahne would love to finish the season. I appreciate that he’s made a smart decision based on his doctors advice to skip the remaining events. I feel lucky to have been teammates. It gave us the opportunity to become great friends."

Kahne won 18 career Cup Series races throughout his 15-year career. He drove for numerous teams, including Evernham Motorsports, Richard Petty Motorsports, Red Bull Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Leavine Family Racing. The Washington-born last drove the #95 car for Leavine Family in 2018. Some of Kahne's most notable wins included the 2008 All-Star Race, the 2012 Coca-Cola 600, and his final career victory, the 2017 Brickyard 400.

Kasey Kahne returning to NASCAR in 2025 with Richard Childress Racing

As shocking as it was that Kasey Kahne's career came to a sudden end after 2017, it was equally shocking to the NASCAR community when Kahne recently revealed that he would return to NASCAR for one Xfinity Series race in 2025. Kahne will pilot the #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at the Rockingham Speedway.

The announcement came via RCR's social media team, who posted to Instagram and penned a caption that read:

"NEWS: @kaseykahne to pilot the No. 33 @hendrickcars Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Rockingham Speedway."

Kahne won the Truck Series event at Rockingham back in 2012. In the Xfinity Series, Kahne registered as many as eight career-defining wins.