An incident involving NASCAR star driver Kasey Kahne and a security guard at Homestead-Miami Speedway is not going away any time soon.
As you may recall, Kasey Kahne was trying to enter the driver’s motor home lot when a track security guard Archibald Hutchison asked for the proper credentials to allow Kahne and his brother Kale into the lot. Of course Kahne did not have his credentials with him and Hutchison stood in the way of the entrance. The frustrated driver allegedly shoved the 62 year old man to the ground, injuring his back.
Kahne was apprehended and four witnesses provided statements consistent with Hutchison’s. Nevertheless, Kahne’s brother Kale had a divergent viewpoint regarding the confrontation.
“Kasey and I left the Busch garage heading to the motorhome lot. We got stopped at the gate and the guards said that we need our credentials so I started to get mine out and Kasey didn't have one because he just got out of the race car. He was still in his drivers' suit," said Kale Kahne.
Hutchison’s attorney Russell Dohan stated that Kahne belligerently shoved Hutchison twice before he fell to the ground.
One of NASCAR’s most popular drivers now faces criminal and civil charges and is scheduled to appear in court on January 8, 2008 in Miami.
Many fans have found it difficult to believe that Kasey Kahne reacted so violently. Since his arrival to NASCAR’s top series in 2004, he has been considered one of the good guys. He is one of the golden boys of NASCAR, kind of like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were when they first entered the sport. Kahne is typically mild mannered and sometimes appears awkwardly shy. He has built a sizeable fan base in short period of time.
However, Kahne is involved in a highly competitive sport, and when you suffer the disappointment and inadequacies that he has throughout the 2007 campaign, it is not surprising the even Kasey Kahne lost his cool at Homestead, the season’s final race. You know what they say about the quiet guys, they can be more dangerous than the loud ones. With that being said, few expected Kahne to shove a 62 year old man to the ground.
If you look back on Kahne’s season, he failed to win a single race, and finished 19th in the final championship standings, this all coming a year after he won a series-high six races and finished 8th in the final standings. Throughout the season, Kahne consistently struggled with ill-handling cars, and you can see the frustration mounting early on. Following the race at Richmond in the spring, Kahne engaged in a verbal war of words with fellow driver David Stremme after an on-track incident. Just by watching Kahne at the track, it was clear that his on-track struggles were getting to him.
So as I mentioned before, it is not surprising that Kahne briefly lost his cool. We all do at times. But he went too far when he made physical contact with a person of authority, and now he will have to pay for his transgression. Hutchison is seeking $15,000 for medical bills and lost wages.
As they should, Gillett Evernham Motorsports expressed their support for their driver. “Gillett Evernham Motorsports is a close family and Kasey Kahne is an integral part of our organization. The alleged action in this case is not consistent with the Kasey Kahne we know. It is unfortunate the issue has progressed to this point. We support our driver, Kasey Kahne, and have complete confidence in the legal process,” said the team’s spokesman Richard Russell.
It will be interesting to see how the fans react to Kasey Kahne in 2008. Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch have not been warmly welcomed by fans following similar incidents. Will the driver lose his ‘nice guy’ image and be considered a spoiled brat as other young drivers have?
