Kahne set for full-season NASCAR return in Trucks with Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports has announced that Kasey Kahne, an 18-time race winner in the NASCAR Cup Series who was named to the list of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers during the sanctioning body’s 75th anniversary season, will return to NASCAR racing with the organization on a full-time basis in 2027. Kahne will drive the team’s No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST beginning with the Feb. 19 FedEx Freight Truck Series (currently known as the Craftsman Truck Series) season opener at Daytona. He’ll be looking to add to a remarkable career record in the Truck Series, having won five of his six starts.

“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 made his NASCAR national series debut in 2002 for Robert Yates Racing and his first Cup Series start in 2004 for Evernham Motorsports following the retirement of hall of famer Bill Elliott. He went on to claim 18 wins across 15 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division, including three Coca-Cola 600 victories (2006, 2008, 2012) and the 2017 Brickyard 400. He opted to step away from the sport in 2018 after dealing with health issues, but continued to compete in dirt track racing and returned to NASCAR for a one-off start in the Xfinity Series at Rockingham with Richard Childress Racing in 2025.

“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. 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.”