CONCORD, N.C. – This Sunday, Kasey Kahne will take the No. 5 Chevrolet SS for one last ride with Hendrick Motorsports.
In six seasons of racing for the organization, Kahne has compiled plenty of highlights and accomplishments along the way.
This week, we caught up with Kahne as he reflected on his time with Hendrick Motorsports and the No. 5 team.
1) On March 11, 2012, in just his third race behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevy, Kahne scored his first pole position for Hendrick Motorsports at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a qualifying time of 190.456 mph.
Kahne went on to capture three more pole awards in the 2012 season at Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Kansas Speedway.
2) In his time at Hendrick Motorsports, Kahne has led 1,284 laps, scored 35 top-five finishes and 73 top-10s.
He also has six wins, five poles and has made the playoffs four times in the No. 5 Chevy.
3) Kahne’s first win with the organization came at the Charlotte 600 on May 27, 2012. He led 96 laps – including the final 44 – before reaching Victory Lane.
The win was particularly special to Kahne because Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick was there to take in his first win with the organization -- and because of the waiting involved. Kahne was signed by Hendrick Motorsports in April 2010, nearly two years before his February 2012 debut in the No. 5 Chevrolet.
"I think Charlotte really does stand out, because I had been waiting to race here for over a year,” Kahne said. “So, Charlotte, to get that first win was really cool. Mr. H was at the race, and I really liked that.”
He went on to finish a career-best fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings that year.
4) On August 31, 2014, Kahne locked himself into the playoffs with a win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
He started the race in 10th and led 25 laps prior to taking the checkered flag, clinching a postseason berth in dramatic fashion.
“Atlanta was so special because it was late in the season and we made the playoffs because of it,” Kahne explained.
5) Perhaps the most historic win for Kahne in the No. 5 Chevy came earlier this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After several rounds of overtime and a total of 12 laps led, Kahne clinched a Brickyard 400 win on July 23.
“Indy was unexpected,” Kahne said. “The restarts just worked really well at the end, and then the car was great out front.
“To be able to kiss the bricks and be part of that was my biggest win in Cup."