Kahne to leave backmarker Petty team

Rumors persist that #9-Kasey Kahne is exploring options outside of Richard Petty Motorsports even though he has one year left on his contract. It began with rumors that his primary sponsor, Budweiser, was stepping away after this season. The beer company knocked that one down in a hurry.

Kahne did his best to dispel speculation that he is looking last weekend at Phoenix. "I'm definitely not exploring other options," he said. "I have another year with Richard Petty Motorsports. The Gilletts have been good to me since I came here. I made a commitment to them to race through 2010, so I'll do that for sure." Beyond that? "I've told them from the start that if we can get our cars to where they're right and we're competitive with the best teams out here then I don't know why I'd ever want to move from that company," Kahne said. "For me to leave, I wouldn't want to, but at the same time I want to get a chance in some really good equipment too. We're working on that. If we get there, I'll stay with RPM for a long time." ESPN