Hendrick confirms Kahne exit at year's end

Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne will part ways at the end of the season.

After much speculation about the future of the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick announced Monday morning Kahne will not return next year. Kahne has driven for the organization since 2012 with six wins to date.

"Kasey has worked extremely hard," said team owner Rick Hendrick in a team release. "He's a tremendous teammate and person, and he has been totally dedicated to our program since day one. I've always believed that he's a special talent, and I know he will thrive in the right situation. We will do everything we can to finish the season as strong as we can."

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Earlier this year, both Farmers Insurance and Great Clips announced they would not be renewing sponsorship of the No. 5 car. Both have been primary sponsors of Kahne since he joined Hendrick Motorsports.

The 37-year-old was signed with Hendrick through the 2018 season but will now begin looking for a new home. Over the last few weeks when asked about his future, Kahne has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue racing and ability to win races at the sport's highest level.

On July 23, Kahne broke a nearly three-year winless drought with a victory in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (pictured above). He sits 19th in points and is locked into the playoffs.

"I'd like to thank Rick and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports for their hard work and dedication, along with providing me a great opportunity and success over the last six years," said Kahne. "We won six races together and I'm coming off of one of the biggest wins of my career at the Brickyard, which has given the (No.) 5 team a lot of momentum heading into the playoffs.

"We still have a lot of racing left in 2017 and finishing strong is our top priority. I look forward to what the next chapter in my career holds."