Lawsuit brings sour 2007 season to a close for Kahne

As if a year in which he wrecked five times wasn't bad enough, Kasey Kahne was hit with a lawsuit for battery charges Tuesday. Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

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After the most disappointing season of his four-year career, Kasey Kahne was probably looking forward to a little peace and quiet this offseason. That got a little harder on Tuesday, when he was slapped with a civil lawsuit from 62-year-old Archibald Hutchinson, a security guard seeking $15,000 in damages for an incident that occurred last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Back then, Kahne's arrest for battery after allegedly pushing Hutchinson to the ground was overshadowed by the headlines of Jimmie Johnson's second straight championship. Who knows how much play it'll get now that a lawsuit has been filed, and what effect it'll have on Kahne's 2008 season. With endorsements from new sponsors Budweiser, Allstate and Vitamin Water, the stakes are high; one wrong move in how this is handled could cost the driver his reputation -- and millions in future earnings.

Early on, it looks like the driver will have the full support of his team. Gillette Evernham Motorsports President Rick Russell issued a statement which read, in part, "The alleged action in this case is not consistent with the Kasey Kahne we know. It is unfortunate the issue has progressed to this point; we support our driver, Kasey Kahne, and have complete confidence in the legal process."

Of course, the lawsuit reads far differently, insinuating the confrontation centered around Kahne's quick temper. Kahne's brother, Kale, who was with him during the incident, told police the driver had started to walk toward his motorhome when a guard grabbed him, prompting Kasey to push the guard's hands away whereupon the guard lost his balance and fell down.

So, are we faced with one of those get-rich-quick schemes where a private citizen goes after an athlete, or has the athlete grown a little too big for his britches?

It depends on what you focus on -- and there's a lot to question from both sides.

According to witnesses -- all law enforcement officers -- in the lawsuit, Hutchinson asked Kahne for credentials to pass through his gate leading to the drivers' motorhome lot following the race. Kahne refused to show the documentation, and insisted on continuing onward. The guard then blocked his entry, which led to an argument and the physical contact.

"As we all know in these uncertain times, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to security," wrote Hutchinson's attorney Russell Dohan in a separate statement issued Tuesday. "This is especially true at major sporting events where thousands of people gather."

Dohan's got a point; however, as someone who has a NASCAR hard card, I can testify firsthand that credentials are shown more times during a weekend than if you're trying to enter Fort Knox. There are times when, wandering through the infield, I've been asked for my identification up to three or four times -- even though I've already been let in, and its plain to see the credential hanging around my neck.

On the day of the Kahne incident, extenuating circumstances may have been at play.

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