Kasey Kahne to Hendrick

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From ESPN

Kahne to Hendrick? [Stewart-Haas?] UPDATE: #9-Kasey Kahne, the hottest potential free agent in NASCAR entering the season, has signed a multiyear agreement to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2011, multiple sources close to negotiations confirmed to ESPN.com Tuesday. The details of the deal, such as which car Kahne will drive, are still being finalized, sources said. The prevailing thought is Kahne will occupy the #5 car currently driven by Mark Martin, sources said. Martin signed a contract extension last year through the 2011 season. There is room for Martin and Kahne in the Hendrick family. Stewart Haas Racing receives chassis, engines and technical support from HMS. So Kahne could be housed there until Martin's contract was up, if necessary. In 2008 Dale Earnhardt Jr. signed a five-year deal with Hendrick. Jimmie Johnson last year signed an extension through 2015, and Jeff Gordon has a lifetime contract. Kahne is in the final year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports, and plans to finish the season in the #9 Ford, sources said. It is unknown whether Kahne's sponsor, Budweiser, will accompany him to HMS [which sponsored Hendrick's #25 Chevy for years]. Hendrick Motorsports officials had no comment. Calls placed to Kahne, who turned 30 last weekend, and to his agent were not returned.(ESPN)
UPDATE: Richard Petty Motorsports announced that driver Kasey Kahne has informed the team he will not renew his contract at the conclusion of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Kahne, driver the #9 Budweiser Ford Fusion, has been with RPM since entering NASCAR's premier series in 2004. "Kasey is a very talented driver and I have enjoyed watching him race. We all wish him nothing but the best and hope he succeeds in anything he chooses to do," said team owner Richard Petty. "Drivers like Kasey Kahne are the very reason we got into this sport. Kasey has helped us get to where we are today," George Gillett, owner of Richard Petty Motorsports said. "We wish him well in his future however we have the rest of this season to race together and we're looking forward to a successful remainder of the year."(RPM)(4-13-2010)

[General_01]

A good move for Kasey. There is just too much instability at RPM.

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That, my friend, is a wee bit of an understatement!      

[472 R/T SE]

I was sort of paying attention to this cause I was really hoping he'd bump Sam Hornish Jr. to give Penske a formidable 1-2-3.  A person can't blame him, who wouldn't want to drive for Hendrick.

[Ponch ®]

I wonder if there's a thread about this on moparts and what the reaction is. A year or so ago half of that site would have gladly strapped on some knee pads and taken a jaw relaxer for Kasey...

[NHCharger]

Isn't Danica also being conditioned as a future Hendrick's driver? I think by now Rick Hendricks now realizes that Jr. is nothing more than an average driver. Jr's sole job is to sell tons of merchandise to his adoring fans in which Hendricks gets a cut. In two years the Hendricks stable will consist of three top drivers (Jeff, Jimmy and Kasey) fighting for the championship and Danica as the new merchandise whore. Junior will be shuffled off a Henricks satellite operation where he will sink into oblivion.