Kasey Kahne Unable to Defend Brickyard 400 Win This Weekend Due to Elevated Heart Rate

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Kasey Kahne will not defend his Brickyard 400 victory because of dehydration issues that have given him an elevated heart rate while he’s driving.

Regan Smith will drive the No. 95 Chevrolet at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kahne said Friday he’s not sure when he can race again, and he’s scheduled to retire from NASCAR competition at the end of this season.

Kahne said he felt so poorly he should not have been driving the final 100 laps of last week’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

He said he’s suffered from heat exhaustion in a handful of races dating back to last season and including his victory at Indy. Kahne has difficulty staying hydrated, controlling his body temperature and his heart rate.

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9/7/2018 1:33:37 PM (GMT -4:00)