Kasey Kahne dropped from RPM

[hanronson]

Kasey Kahne has been dropped from RPM effective immediately. Aric Almirola will drive the #9 this Sun. at Martinsville. No word yet if Kasey has found a ride for the rest of the year.

[Uncle Bill]

Kahne released by RPM effective immediately

October 20, 2010 10:10 PM

By JENNA FRYER, The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kasey Kahne was released from Richard Petty Motorsports on Wednesday night, clearing the way for him to join Red Bull Racing for the final five races of the season.

RPM announced Kahne was out of the No. 9 Ford effective immediately, and Aric Almirola would drive the car this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Almirola had been on NASCAR's entry list to drive the No. 83 Toyota for Red Bull.

But the plans apparently were scrapped after Kahne's blowup Saturday night when his brakes failed at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kahne exploded in anger on the radio when his brakes failed for the third time this season, second time in two races.

It led to a wreck with Sam Hornish Jr., and Kahne refused to get back in the car after it was repaired. He cited illness for not going back on the track, and the team used J.J. Yeley to finish the race.

Although Kahne said he did throw up Saturday night, he was well enough to participate in a 5K run for his foundation the next morning.

"I lost it," he said after his run. "I was just mad. I came into the race thinking we had a shot to win, thinking we had a good car in practice, we had a good shot. It went green. We were a little bit tight, but still actually passed cars and really felt good and then boom, my brakes are gone.

"It's not like you have half-brakes, like you can pump them. Your foot goes to the floor. It bottoms out. It's a joke."

The release brings an early end to a rocky final two years in Kahne's tenure with the team. He said this spring he would drive for Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, and he recently decided to drive for Red Bull next season as a one-year stopgap until he can succeed Mark Martin in the No. 5 car.

Kahne has gone through phases of discontent with his race team since initial owner Ray Evernham sold majority interest to George Gillett Jr. The team underwent a myriad of changes, Evernham eventually left the organization, and what was left merged with Petty Enterprises before last season.

Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis spent all of last season working as if they were a single-car team, tuning out the distractions of Gillett's financial issues and RPM's struggles. It worked to some degree as Kahne won two races and made the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Kahne hasn't had the same success this season. He is winless and ranked 21st in the standings. It became clear Saturday night that the relationship with RPM was severed.

"I'm not going to say names, but I was told that I need to start doing my part," he said of an unnamed RPM employee. "I can't control the issues I've had this year. I don't know how many parts I've broke. If I really thought about it, I could come up with all kinds of stuff.

"You can't control that as a driver. I'm doing my part. I just need the car. I work as hard as anybody out there."

[Sifty]

Looks like Kahne knew more was going to happen.

The house of cards is finally falling for George Gillett’s Richard Petty Motorsports.

The assembly line from Roush Fenway Racing and Roush Yates engines, which supply chassis and engines respectively, has stopped running to RPM. Engines have been picked up, cars have been repossessed, and sources on both sides -- RPM and RFR -- say no cars will be delivered beyond this weekend.

Sources tell FOXSports.com that the Talladega cars were returned after 11 a.m. ET Thursday, but they do not have engines or gears yet.

Free agent

Kasey Kahne, Petty team part ways - paving way for driver to prepare for 2011.

On Thursday morning, crewmen at RPM were told they may not have jobs after the race at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.

Neither Petty team CEO Foster Gillett nor team Vice President Robbie Loomis could be reached for comment.A spokesperson for the company said there was nothing to comment on at this time.

The recent developments come just weeks after Roush Fenway Racing co-owner John W. Henry’s New England Sport Ventures acquired the debt-riddled Liverpool Football Club of the Premier League, which is co-owned by Gillett, on Oct. 6 for $477 million. After the sale was complete, however, Gillett and his business partner Tom Hicks threatened to sue NESV for damages of at least $1.6 billion for “an extraordinary swindle" because they felt the team was undervalued in the sale.

Along with being Jack Roush’s partner in the Roush Fenway Racing operation, Henry is the owner of record on the Nos. 6 and 17 Fords of David Ragan and Matt Kenseth.

On Twitter following the sale, Henry wrote, “We have a binding contract. Will fight Mill Hicks Gillett attempt to keep club today. Their last desperate attempt to entrench their regime.”

Ray Evernham founded what is now RPM in 2000. George Gillett became majority owner in August 2007 and renamed the company Gillett Evernham Motorsports. A partnership developed between the organization and Richard Petty toward the end of the 2008 season and beginning in 2009 the organization was re-branded Richard Petty Motorsports with the King serving as the front man.

RPM currently fields four cars in the Sprint Cup Series -- the Nos. 9 (Aric Almirola), 19 (Elliott Sadler), 43 (AJ Allmendinger) and 98 (Paul Menard). Kasey Kahne was released from his contract as of Wednesday night and will drive for Red Bull Racing for the remainder of the year and in 2011. Sadler is expected to drive for Kevin Harvick Inc., which fields Nationwide and Truck teams, next year. Menard signed a multiyear deal to drive for Richard Childress Racing starting next year. His current crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe will continue his duties at RCR.

Allmendinger re-signed a multiyear deal to drive the No. 43 Ford this summer. Allmendinger is currently 20th in the points standings. Marcos Ambrose was signed to drive the No. 19 Ford in August with Stanley Tools as his primary sponsor. Ambrose currently drives for JTG Daugherty Racing and is 26th in the points standings.

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[Double D]

Sad deal, looks like the end of Petty Motorsports is here. I believe Richard Petty was down to only a namesake for the team anyhow.

Too bad soccer had something to do with this haha.

DD