Kahne hopes knee issue resolved

Last November the Red Bull Racing driver had arthroscopic surgery on both knees in order to remove tissue that had been causing him discomfort - the driver having been diagnosed with Plica Syndrome. On April 18, he underwent another procedure on his right knee in order to repair a torn meniscus.

"I always had really good knees and then just last year they started really bothering me," said Kahne. "It had been building up for a while. I got them fixed in November. And then my right one, I re-injured it in probably about January or February - probably February - and I've just been waiting until I had time to get it fixed.

"It's been kind of a pain, but at the same time it's part of things that happen. It's part of bones and cartilage and all of that stuff I guess. I've had some struggles with it for a little while, but I think hopefully it's fixed now and I'll be good to go from here on out."

Kahne revealed that he had to limp around following the Bristol NASCAR Sprint Cup race a few weeks ago. He says he has already done some cycling and feels in better shape than before surgery, claiming his most recent injury was caused by him slipping from a bench following a workout in the week after the Daytona 500.

"I finished a workout and I slipped off the bench and just my feet kind of gave out - I don't know how I did it," he added. "I mean, I know exactly how it happened, I don't know exactly why.

"It just happened and I laid there for about five minutes, and then the last two months I've hoped that it would get better and it didn't so I got it checked again and I had blown basically the stitches that held it together that they fixed the first time.

"I had blown those stitches out, so it was just hanging in there again."

Kahne, who will join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, does not expect his recent surgery to cause him any pain or discomfort while driving on Saturday night during the 400-lap event at Richmond. He believes he is already over the issue and hopes this is an end to his visits to the surgeon with knee injuries.

"I think the pressure of going through a corner - your leg like leaning on the side - that might affect it some and just going up and down with your throttle the whole night," said Kahne. "It might gain a little swelling and be tight or something. But, that would be about it. It should be good.

"I don't want any more surgeries. I'm over it. It's not that much fun."

Kahne will start from the second row of the grid in Saturday's Cup event at Richmond.