With Dodge returning to the NASCAR world with its ‘RAM’ brand, the buzz around the 2026 Truck Series season is higher than ever before. While the addition of a fourth OEM is certainly something worth looking forward to, the hype receives a major boost with the rumored return of legendary drivers Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart to NASCAR.

While Kaulig Racing’s CEO is trying his best to downplay the rumors, fans continue to press for details that he isn’t explicitly denying the possibility. Moreover, the news of Kahne’s (& Stewart’s) return is coming at a time when the former Red Bull driver delivered one of the team’s most memorable performances.

Throwback to When Kasey Kahne Racked Up the Final NASCAR Win for Red Bull Racing

Since 2011, Red Bull Racing has been one of the most successful teams in Formula 1, winning five Constructors’ Championships. They’ve produced world championship-winning drivers as well, with the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen taking the sport by storm.

However, before the energy drink brand gained prominence in F1, they competed on the oval tracks of NASCAR, with 2011 marking their final year in the competition. At the time, Kahne was one of their most recognizable drivers, and the now 45-year-old former NASCAR driver took it upon himself to make it a memorable goodbye for his team.

The 2011 Cup Series season’s proceedings were dominated by Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards, who went blow-for-blow on each weekend. While Kevin Harvick stayed close to them on most occasions, the final few weekends saw a resurgent Kahne giving the two drivers a run for their money.

However, he wasn’t quite able to oust the two men battling for the championship until the Phoenix race. When the penultimate race of the season came, Kahne made sure it would be remembered for a long time to come, especially by the Red Bull Racing family.

Stewart had led a race-high 160 of 312 laps, but with 18 laps to go, he had to stop for gas, changing the outcome of the race. As the now NHRA Top Fuel driver made his way back up the pack, Kahne took over the race lead, never to look back.

Remembering the famous win on its 14th anniversary, Kahne’s then-Crew Chief, Keith Rodden, made a heartfelt post on X, where he even revealed that it was one of his favorite wins from his career.

To make the feat even more memorable, the Red Bull driver had snapped an 81-race winless streak, and he ended up as the driver with the 3rd most points earned in the final 10 races of the 2011 season.

Meanwhile, the result sent the title-decider to the next weekend, with Homestead becoming the coronation ground for either Edwards or Stewart. Ultimately, it was the latter who took home the championship, but the penultimate race of the 2011 season became a poignant moment in the history of Red Bull Racing.