Kasey Kahne has signed a contract extension with car owner Rick Hendrick in a deal that goes on through the end of the 2018 Sprint Cup season. Kahne took over the #5 Chevrolet at Hendrick from Mark Martin in 2012. He is coming off his third season with Hendrick and has won five Cup races with the team. It has also been announced that Keith Rodden will be Kahne's new crew chief in 2015. Kahne's previous crew chief Kenny Francis is on probation for his involvement in the altercation between Kahne's teammate Jeff Gordon and Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski following the Cup race in Fort Worth, Texas on November 2. Francis has since been reassigned to a vehicle technical director position at Hendrick, thus ending his nine-year partnership with Kahne.
Recent speculation by fans had reigning Nationwide/Xfinity Series champion Chase Elliott going to the #5 Cup car at Hendrick around 2016 or 2017. Elliott, who signed with Hendrick in 2011, drives for JR Motorsports, a joint venture between Hendrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. since Earnhardt's move to Hendrick in Cup in 2008. Now that the #5 won't be vacant until at least the beginning of the 2019 season, it looks like the rumors will be back to Elliott replacing Jeff Gordon upon Gordon's retirement, and the #24 car possibly being renumbered to #94. But that's all speculation. Earnhardt and Gordon are both signed with Hendrick through 2017, and Jimmie Johnson through 2016. That creates yet another rumor that Elliott could replace Johnson in the #48. The only thing that's certain is that Elliott could race in a part-time fifth Cup car at Hendrick in 2015. But with Kahne signing an extension, he's not going to the #5 car.
No comments:
Post a Comment