It didn’t take long for Red Bull Racing to announce Kasey Kahne would be finishing the year in the No. 83 Toyota.
Kahne had been hired to race in the 2011 season for RBR and then to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Only he had to finish the year with the now troubled Richard Petty Motorsports team.
RPM had released Kahne on Wednesday night following the driver’s refusal to get back into the repaired Ford which had brake problems for the second time in three races.
That left Kahne (who tweeted “Just finished testing sprint car in South Carolina. Went real well. Sounds like I have lots to do tomorrow!”) free to make arrangements with Red Bull.
“With our agreement only being for one year, there is a great sense of urgency to get started on 2011,” said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team’s vice president and general manager.
“With Kasey coming earlier than planned, we are excited to have a five-race head start.” For Kahne, the Martinsville weekend allows him to get acclimated with Red Bull Racing Team cars and personnel. He, crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the No. 83 crew open the weekend with practice Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET.”
Still unknown is the future of Kahne’s former crew chief, Kenny Francis. As of the time of this article there are various reports that Roush Fenway, which prepares cars and engines for RPM, has nothing to deliver to the team for the next race in Talladega.
Other reports say all is well, but, RPM owner, George Gillett and soccer partner Tom Hicks felt that they were forced to sell their Liverpool FC (in the British Premier League) at a below fair market value putting him in a financial hole which affects his NASCAR team.
Developments are coming in by the minute.
Kahne had been hired to race in the 2011 season for RBR and then to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. Only he had to finish the year with the now troubled Richard Petty Motorsports team.
RPM had released Kahne on Wednesday night following the driver’s refusal to get back into the repaired Ford which had brake problems for the second time in three races.
That left Kahne (who tweeted “Just finished testing sprint car in South Carolina. Went real well. Sounds like I have lots to do tomorrow!”) free to make arrangements with Red Bull.
“With our agreement only being for one year, there is a great sense of urgency to get started on 2011,” said Jay Frye, Red Bull Racing Team’s vice president and general manager.
“With Kasey coming earlier than planned, we are excited to have a five-race head start.” For Kahne, the Martinsville weekend allows him to get acclimated with Red Bull Racing Team cars and personnel. He, crew chief Jimmy Elledge and the No. 83 crew open the weekend with practice Friday at 11:30 a.m. ET.”
Still unknown is the future of Kahne’s former crew chief, Kenny Francis. As of the time of this article there are various reports that Roush Fenway, which prepares cars and engines for RPM, has nothing to deliver to the team for the next race in Talladega.
Other reports say all is well, but, RPM owner, George Gillett and soccer partner Tom Hicks felt that they were forced to sell their Liverpool FC (in the British Premier League) at a below fair market value putting him in a financial hole which affects his NASCAR team.
Developments are coming in by the minute.