Kahne (heat exhaustion) to miss Brickyard 400

INDIANAPOLIS — Defending Brickyard 400 winner Kasey Kahne will miss the race this weekend as he is suffering lingering effects of heat exhaustion from the race Sunday at Darlington Raceway.

Leavine Family Racing, in a statement late Thursday, said there is no timetable for Kahne’s return. He will be replaced by Regan Smith.

Kahne, who will retire from full-time racing after this season, sits 27th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings and would have had to win the regular-season finale this Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in order to make the playoffs.

After the race at Darlington, Kahne went to the infield medical center for fluids. He was released about an hour after the race.

“Several days later, Kahne opted to consult with several physicians who recommended that he sit out from this weekend’s events at Indianapolis until further testing and evaluations are completed,” the team said in a statement.

Smith, who joined the Fox Sports broadcast team this year, has 213 Cup Series starts but has not raced a Cup car this season. He made two Cup starts last year in a substitute role for Richard Petty Motorsports.