Back in 2016, Chase Elliott was the rookie at Hendrick Motorsports, while Kasey Kahne was the veteran who knew the ropes. For two seasons, they shared a garage, with Kahne helping Elliott find his feet in the Cup Series. Elliott went on to become one of the sport’s top stars. A decade later, their roles have taken an unexpected turn.

Kahne will return to NASCAR in 2027, driving the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports in the Truck Series after spending nine years away from the limelight. It was a decision the community wholeheartedly welcomed, but Kahne still had questions of his own, and Elliott was someone who could help answer them.

“He actually called me about this opportunity a few months back and asked me what my opinion was, which I really appreciated,” Elliott said during media availability in Charlotte ahead of the Bank of America 400.

The connection between Elliott and Kahne dates back to 2004, when the latter took over Bill Elliott’s No. 9 car at Evernham Motorsports. Chase was just eight years old, watching the driver who would eventually become his teammate and mentor at Hendrick Motorsports. Now, their careers have come full circle. More than two decades after Kahne stepped into Bill’s car, he is turning to Chase for advice on his own NASCAR return.

“He just asked for my thoughts, and I told him I thought it would be a really cool thing for him to go do if he wants to race competitively. I think it would be a good team to go do that with, and I thought he would be really pleased with the effort, and I think he can do them a really good job,” Elliott further said.

Kahne has been racing since he retired from the sport full-time in 2018, but didn’t commit to being under conditions that forced him to walk away in the first place for too long.

For months, Kahne had been struggling with health issues. He would sweat so excessively during races that his body lost fluids faster than he could replenish them. At the 2017 Brickyard 400, Kahne collapsed from dehydration after winning the six-hour race, raising concerns throughout the garage. Then, in 2018, he reached a breaking point.

During the Southern 400, Kahne became so violently ill that he had to retire 25 laps before the checkered flag and be carried off by medical staff.

Kahne subsequently underwent extensive medical testing. Although healthy in everyday life, his body couldn’t withstand the heat of a 400- or 500-mile race without risking permanent organ damage. After a private test at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October 2018, doctors refused to clear him to race. So, he retired from NASCAR and shifted his focus elsewhere.

Kahne started actively competing in Sprint races like the World of Outlaws and also in High Limit Racing, but it wasn’t really his first love.

That was NASCAR. And when the sport returned to Rockingham in 2025, he jumped at the opportunity to make a quick one-off return in the O’Reilly Series, where he finished 14th after qualifying 4th.

Kahne later admitted it was the “most fun he had ever had in a race car.” Knowing him well, Elliott understood how much he would relish the chance to chase a national series title again, nine years after walking away. With Elliott’s advice, among other factors, Kahne decided to make his return.

Kasey Kahne on why he’s back in NASCAR

When Spire approached Kahne at the Knoxville Nationals about a potential NASCAR return in the Truck Series, he initially thought it was a joke. But the offer soon reignited a fire that had gone out in 2018. Despite building a solid dirt racing career since retiring, Kahne realized he could no longer turn down the chance to return to NASCAR.

“I want to enjoy it, but I wouldn’t be doing it either if I didn’t want to be competitive,” Kahne said via Fox Sports. “I just still love the competition and just trying to win every time you’re on track, just trying to do the best that you can and get the most out of each weekend.”

For the past few years, Kahne has grown accustomed to sprint cars, where races are shorter. Stock car racing is a different beast, and winning one race says little about whether a driver can handle the physical demands of another, even for an 18-time Cup Series race winner like Kahne.

His talent, however, remains intact, as he proved at Rockingham last year. The Truck Series also offers a schedule better suited to his needs.

Races are shorter than those in the Cup Series, with more night races and off weekends. Kahne has said the schedule suits him better, suggesting a driver building his comeback around his physical limits rather than his ego.

Kahne has five wins in six Truck Series starts, with his only non-win being a second-place finish at Pocono in 2010. His most recent start came at Charlotte in May 2015, where he took the checkered flag. Spire Motorsports also gives him competitive equipment.

The team has won Truck Series races with drivers like Kyle Busch, Rajah Caruth and Carson Hocevar, meaning Kahne joins an established program rather than one built around his name. He also plans to continue racing sprint cars, with roughly as many starts in each discipline. With 25 Truck Series races on the schedule, balancing both will be a challenge for a driver who retired because of the physical toll of racing, and that is where Elliott’s perspective matters.

He knows Kahne well and has spoken about how the veteran helped him navigate his own career by offering a different perspective. Elliott also made it clear that Kahne is someone worth listening to. The student is now returning the favor to his former mentor.

The next test comes on February 19, 2027, when Kahne is scheduled to start the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona in the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado. At 46, he will begin his first full-time NASCAR season since 2018. Winning would make for a great story, but the bigger question is whether his body can actually handle the demands of a full season.