Hendrick signs Kahne to drive in 2012

[TheOldProgrammer]

Lots of speculation where he'll be next season since his deal with Richard Petty Motorsports ends this season... I think he'll be in a third Stewart-Haas car...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-nascar-hendrick-kahne

Personally, I think Hendricks should dump Jr. and send him back to the Nationwide Series for re-training... Of course there's no guarantee that this would help it at all... :smoke

[wolfcub]

I agree. It makes the most sense to put him in a third SH car for 2011 so he can get used to the equipment. No way he is going to sit out for a year. It will be a good R&D car for SH for a year.

[TheOldProgrammer]

This could have been what they've been referring to when saying that SH would/could be running a third car next season... Wonder if "Bud" will come along with him? :smoke

[wolfcub]

Scuttle butt is yes, Buds following Casey to Hendrick so I'd assume they would go to SH for a year. Pretty sweet deal for SH, good driver, R&D, sponser all in one neat little package.

[Rick]

What was the reason Bud didn't follow Jr to Hendricks? I forget exactly why, but I thought there were some moral issues.

[wolfcub]

No moral issues, I think Jr. got more $$$ sponser out of AMP and Guard but they certainlly have not gotten their $$ worth with him.

[gnatsum]

Bud sponsored the #25 back when Ricky Craven drove it. If I recall correctly, Hendrick picked up the Bud sponsorship from Junior Johnson's team.
One poster on scenedaily.com claims that Bud will NEVER go back to Hendrick, but Anheuser-Busch's ownership has changed since then, so who really knows.

[TheOldProgrammer]

Here's an interesting scenario...

Kasey jumps in the third car at S-H, sponsored by Bud for 2011 then goes to the #5 at Hendricks in 2012 (which is a given) sponsored by Bud and Mark Martin (whose deal with Hendricks expires after the 2011 season), along with GoDaddy run a partial schedule in the third S-H car in 2012...

:smoke

This is from Jayski's:
Stewart talks about Kahne, third team: #14-Tony Stewart met with media and discussed Kasey Kahne joining Hendrick Motorsports and other topics, the Chevy Racing transcript in part:
WHAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN FOR KASEY KAHNE TO JOIN STEWART-HAAS RACING FOR 2011?: "I think you guys need to talk to Kasey (Kahne) because we don't know anything about it. I found out on Tuesday or Wednesday I guess, just like you guys all did. You guys know as much if not more than I do right now. The hard part is that I don't have the answers to everybody's questions because nobody has talked to me about it. It's all a lot of speculation right now, but there's no way I can comment on speculation and make it even make sense. I think the best thing to do is ask Kasey. Obviously, he's got his deal done so I'm sure he kind of has a better idea of what's going on than we do at this point."
WOULD YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ADDING A THIRD TEAM?: "We would definitely, with the right opportunity, the focus is obviously to keep Ryan's (Newman) car and our car going well right now, but if the right opportunity, the right team and the right sponsor, right driver came along then we would definitely be interested in a third team. We have said that all along."
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KASEY KAHNE?: "I think it's a great opportunity for him. Only Kasey (Kahne) knows what he wants. That's why you guys really need to talk to him to find out what he's really thinking about. I think it's a great opportunity for him. I know what I've learned in just a short amount of time being in the Hendrick system and getting to work with Hendrick Motorsports. I've always liked him, I was the one that sat with him with Ray Evernham and talked to Ray in the infield at Bristol about him years ago. I think it's a huge opportunity for him."(Chevy Racing)(4-16-2010)

[TheOldProgrammer]

So, if Mark Martin doesn't retire could he, and GoDaddy move to SH? Since Kahne is going to jump in the #5, supposedly with "BUD" sponsorship this is viable...

http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Mark-Martin-isn-t-going-anywhere-Ain-t-no-reti;_ylt=AlxTQPg2gb44AzkPUEn3bNfov7YF?urn=nascar, 234765
:smoke