Former Cup Series champion Kasey Kahne is preparing to return to NASCAR full-time in 2027. The 46-year-old is reportedly close to a deal to drive for Spire Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series. If finalized, the move would put Kahne back in a NASCAR national series for the first time since 2018, when his Cup career ended far too early. The return holds significance because Kahne stopped racing after leaving NASCAR.
Kahne continued competing in sprint cars, and his name has been attached to that discipline since his last Cup start. However, he is ready to begin clawing his way back onto the national stage. Now it seems he’ll have the prime opportunity to capitalize on getting back on the NASCAR schedule. Kahne has already proven with his 2025 run at Rockingham Speedway with Richard Childress Racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series that he can easily dive right into high-stakes competition.
Driving the No. 33 Chevrolet, he qualified fourth and finished 14th. So, it’s clear that getting through an entire race weekend was the kickstart he needed to see what a return could feel like. But it’s his record that gives this recent bombshell even more context. Kahne won 18 races over his Cup career, most notably the 2012 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2017 Brickyard 400. A fourth-place finish in the 2012 championship standings was notable, but winning five Truck Series races in only six starts is what truly set him apart.
Kahne never competed full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series, despite wins at Darlington, Rockingham, New Hampshire, and Pocono, but it’s clear he has what it takes to win. His 2018 Cup season ended abruptly when health issues forced him to miss the final 11 races. This led him to make a difficult decision to leave Leavine Family Racing after starting 25 races, and he left with 529 career starts.
Spire Motorsports would give Kahne a different challenge in 2027. The organization currently fields Truck entries with a rotating group of drivers and has already announced that 16-year-old Tristan McKee will return for an expanded schedule next season. Yet the organization has not announced the complete 2027 Truck lineup. The reported deal would mean preparing for an entire season and competing for points again across NASCAR’s schedule.
Spire and Kahne have not formally announced anything yet, so the agreement remains a developing story. But should the deal come together as reported, the 2027 Truck Series season will mark a return to the NASCAR garage for a driver whose career already includes 18 Cup wins and 31 national-series victories. After years away from NASCAR’s weekly spotlight, Kahne could soon have a full schedule waiting for him again.
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