Once loved for his audacious style and boyish charm, Kasey Kahne was a name that reverberated through the NASCAR circuit in the 2000s and early 2010s. However, the headlines receded, and laps turned to memories after his abrupt retirement from racing in 2018 because of health problems. Nevertheless, Kahne didn’t take off his racing helmet for good as he continued to compete in sprint races. But after a seven-year hiatus, the driver is looking to repeat the heroics of 2012, when he won the Truck Series race at Rockingham Speedway.

This race is indeed special for the former Hendrick Motorsports driver as he feels it might be his last dance. “If I feel like I’ve been doing it for 15 years, then yeah, maybe we could get another one in later in the year. If it’s difficult … maybe one and done. Just have to pay attention, see how it goes and go from there.”

But, unlike the race in 2012, the return to the Rock is going to be different for all the drivers. With a $9 million repave on the 0.94-mile oval, no one knows how the new racing surface will react to the Goodyear rubber. Whether tire wear will be a major factor heading into the race or not. Luckily, Kasey Kahne and the rest of the garage had a practice session, and he had the fastest 10-lap average during that run. His response to the practice hints that the new rapave has added a layer of complexity for the entire Xfinity Series garage.

Kahne did not sugarcoat it when he returned behind the wheel of #33 RCR Chevy at Rockingham. “We learned it’s a bit slipperier than at the test,” he confessed during a recent session. “I feel like it’s kind of like a greasier feel out there…slide around a little more, center off than the test, and a little bit on entry, especially into three.”

Although the new repave has seen a less tire falloff and fewer opportunities with multiple grooves, in theory, the art of racing at the Rock is still the same. “I mean, you could move around, but I’m not sure. You know, I felt pretty similar, top end, bottom with the bottom just faster because it’s the shorter distance, you can use less throttle. But I think the greasier it gets, the hotter it gets, they will equal out.”

Kahne, when asked whether it felt like “riding a bicycle”, grinned and replied honestly, “Parts of it is and parts of it is not. So, yeah, just put it all together for the race. It’ll be a lot of fun tomorrow to try to do that.” Well, Richard Petty and Kyle Petty, who have reigned supreme at this racetrack, talked about the art of racing at Rockingham Speedway. Hopefully, the young drivers and rookies paid close attention when they revealed the trade secret. 

“The sooner you let off and the more you let the car do the work, the easier it is. If you just floated it off in the corner and let the car do the work, as long as you were headed in the other direction at the right time.” Kyle Petty explained, to which the King replied, “It was one of the places where the car did all the work, you just rode around in it. Just make sure you turn it at the right time.” So the key to success at the Rock won’t be purely based on speed, but precision and throttle control.

Well, Kahne has started off the weekend on a positive note, and the qualifying attempt has also gone the way he and his team would’ve wanted.

Kasey Kahne starts in the second row for the Xfinity Series race at Rockingham

Given how the Truck Series race played out, it was evident that all the Xfinity teams were on a hunt for good track position to start the race. With a strong pace in practice, Kahne also delivered the good in the qualifying rounds and secured a 4th place finish on the starting lineup. This strong qualifying run now puts Kahne into one of the favorite drivers who can go on and claim the win.

But the big story was about Connor Zilisch, who claimed the pole position but is going to start the race from the rear. He earned the pole by a margin of 0.001 seconds over Parker Retzlaff, but as he came off turn 4, his tire began to smoke and ultimately went flat. But because the #88 crew will have to change the tire on Zilisch’s race ca,r he will concede his pole position to Retzlaff.

Notable drivers who finished the qualifying inside the top 10 positions are Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier, William Sawalich, Brandon Jones, and Austin Hill.