If you told a racing fan five years ago that Kasey Kahne would be a rookie again some day, they may have looked at you like you were crazy.
But the former NASCAR Cup Series star confirmed Wednesday that he would embark on the 2022 World of Outlaws Sprint Car tour full-time for the 2022 season behind his own Kasey Kahne Racing No. 9 car.
The car will see sponsorship from longtime partner Karavan Trailers as well as FuelMe, a new partner to the team.
“I started KKR 16 years ago to keep a connection to my racing roots. I’m incredibly proud of our two successful teams made up of the most dedicated guys in the pit area and have enjoyed being hands-on, and even getting behind the wheel for some races,” Kahne said in a release. “The World of Outlaws puts the top competitors in the sport, with the most grueling schedule; traveling to tracks nationwide, night-in and night-out. I’ve realized through my commitments as a team owner that I still want to race and challenge myself at this level. I am grateful to have propelled into the NASCAR ranks as quickly as I did, but sprint car racing has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and this is the first chance I’ve had to dedicate myself to it full-time.”
Kahne rounded out the 2021 World of Outlaws season by starting the final 25 percent of the tour’s races as the fill-in driver for Roth Motorsports and the No. 83 team.
With James McFadden joining Roth for 2022, the No. 9 car was left open and Kahne obliged to jump back in.
Kahne will be competing for Rookie of the Year with the series starting with the season opener on February 10 in Volusia.
