This is the Statt Mann Baby. Time to Scatt a little bit.

Word of Kasey Kahne’s desire to end his full-time NASCAR career took me back a few years. Kahne was an unknown talent when he was a guest at a SpeedFreaks party at Irwindale Speedway one Saturday night maybe 15 years ago.

Kasey KahneHe was a shy kid then. You almost had to put your hand in his back to force an answer to questions.

Obviously he grew to the sport and was a star at one point. He’s had more than 500 starts until now and won 18 of them.

He does have some options. He has family and owns a sprint car team, Kasey Kahne Racing. He’ll probably be back behind a wheel either in his sprint car or in a NASCAR race vehicle sooner than later.

I’m on record wishing that retired drivers stay retired. And after watching the events at Pocono today, you can see and understand why. What they do is dangerous and so very few in world history have been able to do it safely.

I’d hope retirement is a welcome sight for drivers once they’ve earned the right to get there.

Peace.