Kasey Kahne, two weeks after surgical repairs on his right knee, faces a tough short track race

  Kasey Kahne. At least it's not his braking foot (Photo: Toyota Motorsports)
  

    By Mike Mulhern
    mikemulhern.net

   

    "I always had really good knees…and then last year they started really bothering me," Kahne says. 
    "It had been building up for a while.  I got them fixed in November. 
    "Then my right one, I reinjured it probably about January or February. So they had to fix my meniscus again. I've just been waiting until I had time to get it fixed.
    "I thought doing it Monday (April 18th) right after the Talladega race would be good.  I'd have plenty of time to recover.
     "It actually feels pretty good.
    "It's been a pain. I've had some struggles with it for a little while, but I think hopefully it's fixed now."
    Kahne says he doesn't remember quite just how he reinjured the knee.
    "I'd finished a workout and slipped off the bench, and my feet kind of gave out. I don't know how I did it. I know exactly how it happened, I just don't know exactly why. 
    "It just happened, and I laid there for about five minutes.
    "The last two months I've hoped it would get better, and it didn't.
    "So I got it checked again. I had blown basically the stitches that held it together from where they fixed the first time.
     "It was definitely because I slipped."
     Rehab now. "I biked on Wednesday for 20 minutes. That's the first time I've been able to do that in 2-1/2 months. 
     "On a bike it's pretty good.
    "It's kind of discouraging because I enjoy running around and doing a lot of stuff, and when I have to move at a slow pace it's upsetting. 
     "But it should be healing and be in good shape here soon."