Stewart Haas to run Kahne for Hendrick?

UPDATE Kasey Kahne, playing out the string in his final season with Richard Petty Motorsports, said Friday at Dover International Speedway that there still has been no decision made on where he will be racing in 2011.

Kahne announced last month that he would leave RPM to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2011. But the popular 30-year-old’s move called for him to drive for team owner Rick Hendrick in 2012 in the organization’s No. 5 Chevrolet currently driven by Mark Martin. That being the case, the question remains of just where Kahne will be driving next season.

With the NASCAR cap of four teams per organization, Kahne won’t be in a Hendrick entry unless someone currently driving for the team vacates a seat. One possibility would be for him to drive for a Hendrick-affiliated team, such as Stewart-Haas Racing if that team expands from two to three teams.

“Still no word on any of the specifics," Kahne said after qualifying second-fastest for Sunday’s Autism Speaks 400. “Nothing has changed since the announcement. There is a lot going on – talking to Mr. Hendrick this week and last week, I think we are about three or four weeks out from finding anything out.

“I know I am getting a little anxious about it. They are working hard and want it to be the right decision. Whatever is decided, they want to do [it] the right way and make sure that they come up with the perfect place for me for next year." Scene Daily

05/17/10 Stewart Haas has not talked to Hendrick about 3rd team: Stewart Haas Racing competition director Bobby Hutchens said on Sunday that he has had no formal discussions with Hendrick Motorsports about adding a third team for next season to accommodate Kasey Kahne. Though such decisions are usually finalized by late summer, he'd prefer to have a decision on a new program including driver and sponsor by June 1 to avoid disrupting the programs of #14-Tony Stewart and #39-Ryan Newman and "not be in a panic" in building cars and purchasing equipment for 2011. Kahne has signed to drive the #5 Chevy at Hendrick, but Mark Martin, the current occupant, is contracted through the end of 2011. Hendrick is working to outsource Kahne to a Chevrolet team under the premise that his current lineup will not change before 2012. "We have not had what I call permanent discussions with Mr. Hendrick or anybody at Hendrick Motorsports to zero in on (Kahne)," Hutchens said. "Kasey Kahne was definitely a possibility back when we started looking at this thing for ourselves in the middle of last year, so we're going to just see how all this shakes out." Hutchens said that in the current sponsor marketplace neither existing Stewart Haas team is fully funded for 2011, and Old Spice announced last week that it would not return after this season a new driver would almost certainly have to bring a sponsor. Charlotte Observer