Kahne began racing open wheel sprint cars at Deming Speedway at 17 in Deming, Washington, before moving up to Skagit speedway in Alger, Washington, and then he moved to USAC.
Kahne memulai karier balapnya dalam seri mobil sprint di Deming Speedway pada usia 17 tahun di Deming, Washington, sebelum pindah ke Skagit Speedway di Alger, Washington dan kemudian ia pindah ke USAC.