Spire Motorsports announced that Kasey Kahne will compete with the team full-time in the NASCAR FedEx Freight Truck Series in 2027.

Kahne will be driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST and will make his debut in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway for the Fresh from Florida 250. 

“This is one of the coolest announcements we’ve been able to make,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “Kasey is not only a legendary driver but is someone that Spire shares a long history with. Having him in one of our trucks running for a championship means a lot to our organization and we fully trust that he has the same competitive nature and drive to win that he’s always had.”

Kahne has made just six starts in the Truck series from 2004 to 2015, but has won five of them. He won his most recent start in 2015 at Charlotte. His other wins came at Darlington, and Homestead in 2004, Darlington again in 2011, and Rockingham in 2012.

“When Jeff (Dickerson) first asked me about running trucks for Spire Motorsports, I didn’t think he was serious,” said Kahne. “To be out of the sport for as long as I was and to have the opportunity to race for a strong FedEx Freight Truck Series team, or even full time in NASCAR again, was a bit of a surprise. The thought of a return to pavement racing and involvement in something that I was a part of for so long was exciting. It started sounding pretty good and I’m thankful for the opportunity to come back with a team that knows how to win.”

“I kept up with NASCAR enough to know that Spire wins races,” continued Kahne. “I saw Kyle Busch’s wins this year, I watched Rajah (Caruth) a lot last year and keep up with what he’s doing. I saw some of Corey Day’s races and Carson (Hocevar) when he won at Texas. I just thought that’s actually a really good truck and this could be a fun way to come back into NASCAR and reunite with Chevrolet, a manufacturer I had some really great moments with over the years.”

Kahne returned to NASCAR competition last year when he drove for Richard Childress Racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Rockingham. He finished 14th.

Kahne had stepped away from the sport in 2018 due to health issues. He originally announced in August 2018 that he was looking for a better quality of life and the grueling schedule was taking its toll. 

“Racing in Cup full time for a few more years was just something that I couldn’t commit to. I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I’m at ease with the decision that I have made. The highs didn’t outweigh the lows and the grueling schedule takes a toll on your quality of life. I need to spend more time doing the things I enjoy and love and that’s spending time with Tanner and my sprint car teams.”

https://t.co/0V0keaggcL

— Kasey Kahne (@kaseykahne) August 16, 2018

Following the race at Darlington where he suffered heat exhaustion and dehydration, Kahne was not given medical clearance to return to racing. He shared in a post in October, “To say I’m disappointed after receiving the results that I was not medically cleared for the remainder of the season following a test session at Charlotte Motor Speedway last week is an understatement. It was my hope everything would go well and I would be able to finish out the season strong in the #95 for Leavine Family Racing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

“Out of the race car I am perfectly healthy, I feel great, and the doctors have determined that I have no underlying health problems,” he continued. “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.”

https://t.co/cjQOxCHWnK

— Kasey Kahne (@kaseykahne) October 9, 2018

Kahne won 18 times in the Cup Series across 15 seasons. His wins include three Coca-Cola 600s and the 2017 Brickyard.

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