“I needed to get away”: Kasey Kahne shares strong emotions on his shocking NASCAR exit

Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne didn't shy away from addressing the physical demands of the sport and how it affected his health during his full-time schedule in the premier division. After an impressive 15-year NASCAR career, the 18-time Cup race winner announced an early exit in 2018, citing health problems.

In a recent conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kahne discussed his health struggles and inability to withstand long racing hours in the premier stock-car racing division. When asked about the reason for taking a break from NASCAR and watching the series from the sidelines, Kahne replied (via Dirty Mo Media's X handle):

"Actually, pretty hard for a little while [watching the series keep going] and it made me not pay attention to NASCAR for a little while. I felt that I should still be part of that."

"I needed to get away because of personal health. My body is what it was struggling with those long races... Just went down that path and I couldn't fix it. The longer the seasons went, the harder it got to recover. I mean, by the end, like I was done in practice. First practice at Darlington, I was sopping wet. If I stood in one area, it was a puddle underneath me," he added.

Kasey Kahne, the three-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 race, concluded by highlighting the uncontrollable "directions" in which such health problems proceed and how, in his case, the heat affected him the most in what could have been a more successful NASCAR career.

Nevertheless, the 44-year-old Washinton native is set to make a comeback in a one-off NASCAR Xfinity race, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.

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"Very appreciative of the opportunity": Kasey Kahne on his NASCAR return

Kasey Kahne will compete in a singular NASCAR Xfinity event at Rockingham Speedway. The veteran driver is no stranger to the historic North Carolina track, having once tamed the 1.017-mile asphalt in 2012.

Following his announcement with the Richard Childress-owned organization, Kahne expressed his thoughts on bagging this opportunity. He said:

"I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a stock car, especially at a place like Rockingham Speedway. Rockingham has been a special track throughout my career. I remember winning the Truck Series race in 2012 when the sport went back there last, so to be a part of the current return is cool. Very appreciative of the opportunity that Mr. Hendrick, Richard (Childress), and everyone at RCR have given me, along with the support of HendrickCars.com, Chevrolet, Curb Records, and Karavan Trailers."

After completing a few laps at the Rockingham Speedway for the Xfinity practice session, Kasey Kahne will return to the high-octane racing on April 19 at 4 p.m. ET.