CUP: Kahne Might Move To Red Bull

Sprint Cup

CUP: Kahne Might Move To Red Bull

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne will drive for team owner Rick Hendrick in 2012...

Bob Pockrass | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted August 09, 2010 Charlotte, NC

The 2011 plans of Kasey Kahne are still up in the air. (Photo: Getty Images)

Team owner Rick Hendrick would like to put Kasey Kahne in one of the two Red Bull Racing Toyotas in 2011, sources have confirmed, but Hendrick does not yet have a deal in place with the team.

While both sides have talked, the deal – which would need to be OK’d by Chevrolet, Toyota and Red Bull officials – is not completed and could still fall through. Hendrick officials declined comment Monday on the possible deal.

Kahne, Scott Speed, Marcos Ambrose, Sam Hornish Jr., Casey Mears, Max Papis and Paul Menard are all drivers who are either looking for new rides for 2011 or could be.

Kahne obviously is the biggest name on the market with 11 career Sprint Cup victories and a contract to drive the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports car beginning in 2012.

Hendrick signed Kahne in April to replace Mark Martin in the No. 5 car in 2012. But with Martin wanting to fulfill his contract as the driver of the No. 5 in 2011, Hendrick must find Kahne another team to drive for next year.

Red Bull currently has two drivers, neither of whom are guaranteed to drive for the team in 2011. Team general manager Jay Frye has said a decision should be announced on Speed’s status by the end of August. Speed is in his second full year with the team and is 27th in the Cup standings.

Vickers, who has been out since May for treatment of blood clots, won’t know until November if the treatments worked well enough for him to return next season, although the team is optimistic.

Most drivers looking for jobs won’t want to wait until November to find out if Red Bull has an opening to replace Vickers.

Among those looking is Ambrose, who announced last month that he was parting ways with JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the year. RPM officials have had talks with Ambrose, who has strong ties with Ford. But if RPM cannot find sponsorship, Ambrose could end up back home in Australia with the backing of Ford to race in his homeland.

Penske Racing might have a ride open as it continues to look for sponsorship for Sam Hornish Jr., whose sponsor Mobil will leave the team (likely for Stewart-Haas Racing’s Tony Stewart) as Pennzoil comes in to sponsor Kurt Busch. Hornish said a couple of weeks ago that he wasn’t sure if he would be back with Penske in 2011.

Kasey Kahne (Left) will compete for team owner Rick Hendrick's (Right) organization beginning in 2012. (Photo: Getty Images)

“We’re going to do whatever we can do to make that [sponsorship] happen and get back in Sprint Cup,” Hornish said. “If that doesn’t work, we’re going to take a look around at something else. I think that we have some great opportunities to make that happen.”

RPM also is waiting on word from Paul Menard about 2011. Menard’s deal is up with RPM after this year and he has had talks with Richard Childress Racing. Menard has talked to RCR officials about a ride in the past but no deal has ever been completed. Team owner Richard Childress would neither confirm nor deny that he was close to signing Menard.

As for Mears, a source close to his situation said that he likely will replace Papis in the Germain Racing car no later than the Atlanta race at the end of the month. He will drive for the team, which has a half-season sponsorship from GEICO, in 2011 as well. The team, which has gone to every race this year but not run the full event at venues where it is unsponsored, needs sponsorship for 18 races in 2011.

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