Kahne Sign's New Contract Through 2018
By Richard Tix
After a season where Kasey Kahne watched teammates win a total of 12 races (Kahne only won once in 2014) he was heading into the unknown for 2015. Many fans anticipated 2015 to be Kahne's final season with Hendrick after a slow 2014 season. However, today Kasey signed a three year extension with HMS.
It was anticipated that Kahne would have to have a strong start to the 2015 season to prove he should stay in the #5 car. The biggest reason fans thought Kahne was the lone man out at Hendrick was because of how well Chase Elliott performed in his first season in Nationwide with Jr Motorsports.
The thought around NASCAR was that Chase would come in and take over for Kahne in 2016. That is, after the previous rumor was Jeff Gordon would retire soon and Chase would take his spot in the 24. Well, Gordon laid those theories to rest with a very strong 2015 campaign.
So, the speculation for Chase will go on and more rumors will start. I expect him to fill in for some smaller teams in the mean time until Hendrick finds room for him. Which brings us back to Kahne's contract extension through 2018. If you remember, Hendrick signed Kahne back in 2010 but they again didn't have room for him so he spent sometime in other rides. Then in 2012 he finally got into the #5.
Kahne, just 34, is entering the prime of his career and is part of a team that will allow him to take full advantage of the talent he has. The question will remain, will Kahne produce enough to stick in the #5?
Kahne has 5 career wins since 2012. He also has 26 top 5's, 44 top 10's, and has made the Chase three straight years (in that same time). So, he hasn't been terrible, but many fans still expect more of him since he is surrounded by Johnson, Earnhardt, and Gordon. Here are Kahne's thoughts after the extension, "I've found a home at Hendrick Motorsports," Kahne said. "We have incredible people and partners supporting us, and I couldn't be more excited about the direction we're headed as a team and a company. It's the right place for me, and I'm looking forward to being here for a long time." (From USA Today)
One thing to keep in mind going forward is Kahne will now always be viewed and remembered by this contract. Not only does he have pressure to perform since he is at Hendrick with three other top drivers in NASCAR, but now he will be remembered for possibly taking Chase Elliott's new ride. Now, this ride wasn't something that was promised to Chase, but it was speculated so much by fans and even some media that it will hung over the contract for awhile. So the pressure is still on Kahne to perform, but at least he knows where he will be in the future.
So, that leaves NASCAR with one potential free agent off the board before the season. Who is next and when will the next announcement come?
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