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Kasey Kahne says Truck Series gives him a NASCAR second chance. Nine years after stepping away from full-time Cup racing, Kahne says shorter races and a lighter schedule make a return possible with Spire Motorsports. By Deb WilliamsPublished: Oct 07, 2026 9:28 PM EDT After a nine-year absence from full-time NASCAR racing, Kasey Kahne is returning in 2027 to compete in the Truck Series on a regular basis for Spire Motorsports because he believes the shorter events and the schedule are more conducive to his health. "The long Cup races throughout a full season, I just couldn't handle that anymore, and that's why I had to get out of the sport when I did," said Kahne, whose last Cup season was 2018 when he competed in 25 of the 36 races. "Where my body went those final couple of years, there'd be no chance to ever do that (Cup racing) full time and I understand that. I knew it when I got out of the sport, and that's why I got out." Kahne said parts of his difficult decision were disappointing, but he has accepted the situation. "You just have to take it and move on and figure out other ways to be happy," Kahne noted. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races are often at night and are shorter, like the UNOH 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. The Cup cars raced for 500 laps to the trucks' 250. "These (truck) races are shorter, a lot of night races, weekends off in between some of them... I think that'll fit me really well. There's more ways to stay cool these days than there was back then as well. I think all that stuff will help throughout the season and will make it possible." Kahne last competed in a NASCAR truck race in May 2015 at Charlotte for JR Motorsports, claiming the pole and the race victory. Overall, he's competed in six truck races and won five of them. However, he knows it's a different series than the one he left. He doesn't know many of the drivers or teams and he faces a "big learning curve." "There's so much that goes on in a race from the time the green flag comes out until the time the checkered flag comes out other than just strictly driving the truck or the car around the track, so a lot of those things will take four or five weeks, three, four weeks to really start making those things clear again in my mind. But once they do, it could be a really strong season," Kahne said. In addition to competing in the truck series, Kahne will continue racing his Sprint Car in High Limit Racing. He plans to race in 26 to 28 of those events. Kasey Kahne racing his Sprint car Kokomo Speedway in May 2025. It was actually after a High Limit Racing owners meeting at the Knoxville Nationals that Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson asked Kahne about driving one of the team's trucks in 2027. Kahne initially was surprised, but then he thought about it for a while and decided it was a good opportunity for someone who hadn't been involved in the sport for quite some time. He had thought about a one-off Cup race but never a full season again in NASCAR until Dickerson triggered the idea. Kahne returned to NASCAR for one race last year in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series at Rockingham. He qualified a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet fourth and finished 14th. Before leaving NASCAR Kahne competed 15 years in the Cup Series, winning 18 events, including three Coca-Cola 600s and a Brickyard 400. He earned 27 pole positions, 93 top-five and 176-top 10 finishes. The 46-year-old Kahne also won eight O'Reilly Auto Parts Series races, claimed 46 top fives, 87 top 10s and nine poles over 17 seasons. Kahne said that since he played basketball in high school he's tried to stay active, but he no longer does the long stuff, such as two-hour bicycle rides. He didn't seek a doctor's clearance before committing to the Spire deal. Contributing Editor A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association's sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication's editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.

NASCAR opens mobility pit box to direct fan requests, bringing more fans closer to the action. Reading Time: 7 mins read Revamped web portal gives fans with mobility challenges a new way to. request access to the unique pit-road experience at select NASCAR events. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 7, 2026) - NASCAR is making it easier for fans with mobility challenges to experience one of the most unique vantage points in motorsports by opening applications for the unique Mobility Pit Box experience to all mobility-impaired fans through a new application portal. During Charlotte Motor Speedway's fall race weekend, NASCAR will spotlight a new pathway for fans to learn more about the NASCAR Mobility Pit Box and directly request access to the experience through NASCAR.com/MobilityPitBox, creating a new opportunity for fans to discover and participate in the program. The new NASCAR.com destination provides fans with an access request form that is shared with host-track ticket offices based on event availability. In addition, NASCAR will expand the availability of the Mobility Pit Box schedule to four new race weekends in 2027. The full 2027 mobility pit box schedule will include: * Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 18-21) * Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 20-21) * Darlington Raceway (Apr. 2-4) * Texas Motor Speedway (Apr. 30-May 2) * Kansas Speedway (May 8-9) * Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 28-30) * Nashville Superspeedway (June 4-6) * Michigan International Speedway (June 19-20) * Chicagoland Speedway (June 26-27) * Sonoma Raceway (July 10-11) * EchoPark Speedway (July 17-18)* * Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 24-25) * NASCAR San Diego Weekend (July 31-Aug. 1) * Richmond Raceway (Sept. 10-11) * New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sept. 25-26) * Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Oct. 9-10) * Charlotte Motor Speedway (Oct. 15-17) * Phoenix Raceway (Oct. 22-24) * Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 12-14) *Denotes new location for Mobility Pit Box. All dates subject to change. The Mobility Pit Box launched in February 2024 and was brought to life through Toyota's commitment to "Mobility for All" to deliver a pit-road experience to hundreds of guests across the country. "At NASCAR, we want every fan to have the opportunity to experience the sport in a meaningful way, and the Mobility Pit Box is a great example of what that commitment looks like in action," said Eric Nyquist, Chief Impact Officer, NASCAR. "We've created an experience that helps remove barriers and brings fans with mobility challenges closer to the racing they love." The move to make the experience more directly accessible to fans comes after a successful 2025 season, when the Mobility Pit Box hosted 207 guests with mobility challenges and 546 total guests. Ninety-seven percent of surveyed guests rated their experience five stars, while 64% said they were not aware of the Mobility Pit Box until they were invited. "When I got paralyzed, a lot of things got taken away from me - not only physically, but emotionally and mentally. There was so much I thought I wasn't going to be able to do anymore," said disability advocate and Founder of Wheel With Me Organizations Jesi Stracham following her experience in the NASCAR Mobility Pit Box. "I'm so grateful that this exists - not only for me, but for my community - so that we can all get to experience the love of NASCAR." The NASCAR Mobility Pit Box is designed within NASCAR-regulated 15-by-15-by-15-foot pit-box dimensions and sits on pit road just feet from live pit stops. The experience includes modular seating for guests using wheelchairs and ECVs, an adjustable wheelchair ramp with powered lift, race-broadcast viewing monitors and climate assistance. NASCAR and host tracks also coordinate accessible transportation for participating guests. The expanded fan-access approach follows a Las Vegas experience featuring former IndyCar driver, team owner, and motorsports accessibility advocate Sam Schmidt. Schmidt's firsthand experience provides an inside look at the Mobility Pit Box. "I witnessed a timing stand for 25 years as a team owner, even I was impressed. I was excited, I was happy to put the earpiece on, and I was sad to leave... it's unbelievable," said Schmidt. "I love the attention to detail. It's over the top, so for anyone who has never experienced a race before, they'd be able to say, "Wow... THIS is accessibility." Fans interested in experiencing the NASCAR Mobility Pit Box can learn more and submit a request at NASCAR.com/MobilityPitBox. About the NASCAR mobility pit box: The NASCAR Mobility Pit Box was inspired by Sam Willoughby, a BMX Racing cyclist and NASCAR fan who sustained a career-ending injury in 2016. While attending the Daytona 500 in 2020, Willoughby was asked what could improve his experience at the track. His response was simple: he wanted the opportunity to experience a NASCAR pit box. Toyota subsequently envisioned the Mobility Pit Box and led the concept from design to reality. About NASCAR: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 15 of the nation's major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series(TM), NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series(TM), and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series(TM), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association(TM)(IMSA(R) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship(TM), the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA.

NASCAR returns to KUSI/The CW this Saturday. Posted: Sep 30, 2026 / 10:14 AM PDT Updated: Sep 30, 2026 / 10:14 AM PDT The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series returns to the KUSI-CW San Diego this Saturday. Driver and The CW NASCAR Analyst Parker Kligerman joined "Good Morning San Diego" to help promote the "stretch run" of the NASCAR season. Kligerman recently retired from NASCAR after a two-year run as the marquee driver for Big Machine Racing. After three wins, 39 top five finishes and 105 top ten finishes, he has been serving as an analyst for NASCAR on The CW. The CW is the exclusive broadcast home of the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.