QUICKFACTS
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports - Driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger
Birthdate: April 10, 1980 (Age 29)
Hometown: Enumclaw, WA
Residence: Mooresville, NC
Ht./Wt.: 5’9” 145 lbs
Marital Status: Single

CAREERHIGHLIGHTS
9-time winner in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
16-time pole sitter in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
2008 Sprint All-Star Race Champioin
2006 contender in the Chase for the Nextel Cup
2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Rookie of the Year
7-time winner in NASCAR Busch Series
2-time winner in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

BIO
Tenacity and perseverance have earned Kasey Kahne recognition as one of NASCAR’s brightest stars. In five seasons at NASCAR’s elite level, Kahne has shown flashes of brilliance and earned the admiration of the fans. Kahne and the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports team enjoyed a solid first season with new primary sponsorship in 2008, narrowly missing a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

In his first year behind the wheel of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, Kahne swept the spring events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May, claiming his first ever All-Star Race win after being voted into the field by the fans. Kahne’s hot streak continued two weeks later with a pole award and trip to victory lane at Pocono Raceway. With three wins, two poles, four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes, Kahne returned to the form that earned him NASCAR’s Rookie of the Year honors in 2004.

Contending for championships is something with which Kahne has become well acquainted. Before making a name for himself in NASCAR, Kahne was a sprint car star in his own right. With support from his father, Kelly, Kahne started racing at the age of 14, competing in a limited number of micro-midget car events near his hometown of Enumclaw, Wash. Two years later, in 1996, Kahne got his first taste of success by capturing the Hannigan (Wash.) Speedway Mini-Sprints championship and the Northwest Mini Sprints championship.

Kahne honed his skills from 1998 to 2002 as a competitor in the World of Outlaws, All-Star Circuit of Champions, Gumout Racing Series and Northern Sprint Tour winged sprint car series. In 2000 he enjoyed a breakout season, winning the USAC Midget Series championship and earning the title of National Midget Driver of the Year. Kahne built on those accomplishments the following season by scoring four wins and 10 top-five finishes in just 11 USAC Midget Series starts. He also won his second consecutive “Night before the 500” Classic at O’Reilly Raceway Park, a feat previously achieved by only one other driver (Jeff Gordon).

By 2001, Kahne’s successes in sprint cars had started to capture the attention of the NASCAR community. As a result, he landed a part-time NASCAR Busch Series ride for the 2002 season. Without an abundance of resources behind him, Kahne made the most of the year, highlighted by a top-10 finish at Michigan International Speedway in August. One year later, Kahne earned his first Busch Series win and scored four top-five and 14 top-10 finishes en route to a seventh-place finish in the series point standings.

With less than two years of stock car racing experience under his belt, Kahne’s talent and track record attracted the attention of team owner and former crew chief Ray Evernham who saw great potential in the young driver.

Kahne burst onto the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series scene in 2004 by contending for wins on a weekly basis. The 2004 Rookie of the Year recorded 13 top-five finishes and completed the season 13th in the point standings, missing the Chase for the Cup by a mere 28 points. In 2005, Kahne scored his first career Cup Series win at Richmond International Raceway and ran a close second to Tony Stewart in the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

During the 2006 NASCAR season Kahne established himself as a contender. He won a series-high six races and started from the pole position six times. He finished the year with 12 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes and earned an eighth-place finish in the driver point standings after qualifying for the Chase for the Cup.

Kahne’s 2008 season was a step forward after a tumultuous 2007 campaign in which Kahne was shut out of victory lane and finished a disappointing 19th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. 

Embarking on his sixth season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Kahne, crew chief Kenny Francis and the rest of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge team look to build on the successes of 2008 and contend for the Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2009.

When he’s not racing, fulfilling appearance requests or sponsor obligations, Kahne enjoys spending time at home with his family and friends. You can generally find him playing basketball, grilling in his backyard or working on his sprint cars at Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR). Kahne formed KKR in 2005, running a limited schedule during the team’s inaugural season. He now fields full time entries in the USAC Midget and Sprint Car divisions and two entries in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series. His USAC driver is Brad Sweet, while Joey Saldana and Craig Dollansky pilot his World of Outlaw cars.

Kahne is also passionate about his philanthropic activities which include working with his charity, the Kasey Kahne Foundation (KKF). Kahne created the foundation as a way to give back to chronically ill children and their families as well as disadvantaged youth. Every year the KKF raises funds for these deserving causes through several events including sprint car races and benefit concerts.