Kasey Kahne recently returned to NASCAR through the Xfinity Series at Rockingham Raceway, where he secured a P14 finish despite being out of the driver’s seat for seven years. Between 2004 and 2018, Kahne had been one of the best in the NASCAR Cup Series, but his final four seasons saw a sharp decline in performance, yielding just one win. That career arc now draws striking parallels to Chase Elliott’s current trajectory.
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Comparisons between Kahne and Elliott have long been drawn, not just for their similar career paths but also due to their shared connection with the number nine. Kahne drove the No. 9 car for Ray Evernham Motorsports, Gillett Evernham Motorsports, and Richard Petty Motorsports until 2010. Elliott, carrying the same number for Hendrick Motorsports, climbed to the top of the sport with a Cup Series championship in 2020.
However, just as Kahne’s performance waned in his later years, Elliott appears to be following a similar path. A recent statistic from within the Hendrick Motorsports camp shows that Elliott has led the fewest laps among his teammates in the 2025 season. Through 11 races, Kyle Larson has paced the field for 503 laps, William Byron has led 354, Alex Bowman 107, while Elliott has managed just 44 laps at the front.
This might be the most damning stat I’ve seen all year pic.twitter.com/0fqgUXPOpi
— Nick (@NickBaumann9_16) May 3, 2025
Fans have grown increasingly vocal about Chase Elliott’s lap-leading struggles, with many questioning his current level of engagement. Some believe the talent is still there, but the fire might be fading.
One fan took a swipe at the #9 driver, writing, “Chase doesn’t even seem interested half the time lol can’t blame him honestly after watching the last few races.”
Another drew a direct line to Kasey Kahne’s career arc, remarking, “Can’t believe he went from one of the best to damn is he Kasey Kahne.” Sarcasm wasn’t in short supply either, with one fan posting, “Burger King is hiring,” and another pointing out rather emphatically, “Larson has led more in one race then chase has all season.”
Still, despite the underwhelming stat sheet in terms of laps led, Elliott currently sits fourth in the driver standings, trailing William Byron by 83 points. He has bagged three top-five finishes and six top-10s this season. However, to consistently work his way through the field like his teammates, he may need more raw speed under the hood.
