Kasey Kahne

ramfan9 said:
Kasey's Twitter page is interesting this week. Tweet from Kelly Earnhardt talking about how she got to know more about the Kahne family and also a Tweet from Kasey about meeting with Valvoline......Maybe I am reading too much into this but it makes me wonder if Chase is headed to the 5 in 2016 and they are exploring the idea of Kasey running a full time Nationwide car for a year or two if Jeff has not decided to retire. I have said all along that I believe Kasey is in HMS's future plans regardless of Chase and if he were to lose his ride I don't feel it's based on performance but more due to pressure that Chase's sponsor would want him in Cup. I would personally rather see Kasey run Nationwide for a year for a champiionship and be ready for the 24 when Jeff hangs it up then see him go spend the remainder of his career running for a back marker team. There are no other good seats that will be open unless Penske adds a third car but it seems Ryan Blaney could be tabbed for that.

I guess this is just me thinking out loud. I could picture Rick going to Kasey and laying it out for him and saying "I want to keep you, but may not have a ride for a year or so...how about Nationwide for a year?" and giving Kasey the option.

I do however work with a guy from North Carolina that used to be heavily involved with racing when he lived there and he knows people that work for difefrent NASCAR teams and the rumor he is hearing from them now is Chase to 5 in 2016 and Kasey to the 10. If that were true I'd be thrilled with that since it's essentially still HMS.....I just can't picture them letting Danica go...too much of a cash cow.
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I definitely could see Kasey going to SHR down the road but there's no way in hell he goes down to Xfinity series next year. This isint Regan Smith or Elliot Sadler we're talking about here. Kahne is a bonafide Cup driver and an upper echelon one at that, a guy with 17 career wins and a bunch of Chase berths doesn't need to step down just to stay on with HMS. He's be in very high demand if they decide not to renew his contract.

If Rick wants to keep him but doesn't have a ride, he'll find another Cup ride for him just like he did in 2011 with Red Bull. My own take on it is this, if Hendrick is willing to push him out of a ride for Chase then he wasn't really in the long term plans anyways.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
I definitely could see Kasey going to SHR down the road but there's no way in hell he goes down to Xfinity series next year. This isint Regan Smith or Elliot Sadler we're talking about here. Kahne is a bonafide Cup driver and an upper echelon one at that, a guy with 17 career wins and a bunch of Chase berths doesn't need to step down just to stay on with HMS. He's be in very high demand if they decide not to renew his contract.

If Rick wants to keep him but doesn't have a ride, he'll find another Cup ride for him just like he did in 2011 with Red Bull. My own take on it is this, if Hendrick is willing to push him out of a ride for Chase then he wasn't really in the long term plans anyways.
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I agree with much of what you are saying and I hope you're right BUT regardless of how in demand he will be where else is there to go? All I am saying is this...Kasey is 35 which is NOT old at all for NASCAR but if he is faced with the choice of taking a full time Nationwide ride for a year or two to come back to a cup ride on the level of HMS capable of winning week in and week out OR spending his prime driving years on a back marker team I am not sure what he would pick.
 
ramfan9 said:
I agree with much of what you are saying and I hope you're right BUT regardless of how in demand he will be where else is there to go? All I am saying is this...Kasey is 35 which is NOT old at all for NASCAR but if he is faced with the choice of taking a full time Nationwide ride for a year or two to come back to a cup ride on the level of HMS capable of winning week in and week out OR spending his prime driving years on a back marker team I am not sure what he would pick.
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I think when you're as talented as Kasey is and have a résumé like his, those opportunities will present themselves. Look at Kurt Busch, a lot of people were saying there wasn't really anywhere to go but the 41 car appeared overnight out of thin air.

He's good enough that some owners might be willing to pick up the tab for him to drive for them. The thing is that once you're at HMS, almost EVERYTHING else is a step down. RCR or Roush sure could use a guy like him.

Another thing to consider is that when Smith and Sadler both went down to Nationwide, the thought was they were doing that to rebuild their careers and return to Cup. How has that worked for them? Sure they've both won races, but neither has been able to secure a full time Cup ride since. It did work for Hornish but IMO the best bet would be stay in the best Cup car you can find. If it's a mid pack car so be it, but you can still showcase your talent against Cup drivers. It's much harder to do that when your sitting in your motor home on Sunday.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
I think when you're as talented as Kasey is and have a résumé like his, those opportunities will present themselves. Look at Kurt Busch, a lot of people were saying there wasn't really anywhere to go but the 41 car appeared overnight out of thin air.

He's good enough that some owners might be willing to pick up the tab for him to drive for them. The thing is that once you're at HMS, almost EVERYTHING else is a step down. RCR or Roush sure could use a guy like him.

Another thing to consider is that when Smith and Sadler both went down to Nationwide, the thought was they were doing that to rebuild their careers and return to Cup. How has that worked for them? Sure they've both won races, but neither has been able to secure a full time Cup ride since. It did work for Hornish but IMO the best bet would be stay in the best Cup car you can find. If it's a mid pack car so be it, but you can still showcase your talent against Cup drivers. It's much harder to do that when your sitting in your motor home on Sunday.
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True.....But I don't believe Sadler or Smith were ever or will ever be oo the same level as Kasey. I am also not suggesting that Kasey would WANT to go to Nationwide. All I am saying is I belive he MIGHT be open to it as long as he is promised a cup ride when Jeff retires DEPENDING on his other options. I would personally rather see him add a Nationwide title to his resume than ride around mid pack in a lousy car.

I get carried away though as all this is speculation anyway. As always it all depends on Jeff Gordon. If he hangs it up after this year all is resolved and Chase will be in the 24 next season. That is why his plans have not been officially announced as far as Cup goes for next year. I am sure if that happens the next piece of news will be a contract extension for Kasey.
 
ramfan9 said:
True.....But I don't believe Sadler or Smith were ever or will ever be oo the same level as Kasey. I am also not suggesting that Kasey would WANT to go to Nationwide. All I am saying is I belive he MIGHT be open to it as long as he is promised a cup ride when Jeff retires DEPENDING on his other options. I would personally rather see him add a Nationwide title to his resume than ride around mid pack in a lousy car.

I get carried away though as all this is speculation anyway. As always it all depends on Jeff Gordon. If he hangs it up after this year all is resolved and Chase will be in the 24 next season. That is why his plans have not been officially announced as far as Cup goes for next year. I am sure if that happens the next piece of news will be a contract extension for Kasey.
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Here's another angle on it...JR Motorsports to Cup in 2016 with Kasey as driver and Valvoline as sponsor. Operate it as a satellite team like the 78 team and RCR.
 
3wideinturn1 said:
Here's another angle on it...JR Motorsports to Cup in 2016 with Kasey as driver and Valvoline as sponsor. Operate it as a satellite team like the 78 team and RCR.
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Possible but JR has always insitsed that JR Motorsports will not go cup. He even recently said he plans to go back to Nationwide on the back end of his career and run those cars for Jr Motorsports. Anything is possible though...money talks.
 
I think Rick H just confirmed it. When asked about Chase's plans for next year and if he is going to cup he said I think we have one more year here. I take that as if Jeff retires you may see him in cup next year. I would still love to see Chase in the 24 and Kasey in the 5 but if Kasey were to go to SHR it would only be losing his ride on paper since he will likely retain his team and it's all the same equipment. I have to also say that Nationwide must be thrilled to pay all the money they pay to sponsor the series and during the championship moment Rick H refers to it as the Busch series on national TV. LMAO!!!
 
I need to give a shout out to Ryan Newman. I was pretty critical of him on this thread earlier and said he would be a "non threat" to win the championship if he did make the chase but he made the final round to my disbelief. Now I will say that I still don't believe he truly "belongs" in the final 4 with no wins and it's a shame to see Gordon get knocked out under the circumstances and I was not a big fan of him punting Larson to get the spot he needed but credit to him for doing what he felt needed to be done and being steady enough to take advantage of other's misfortune. I had to say something to show I am not like the people on here who ripped Kasey for the better part of the year but gave him zero credit when he won a race, made the chase and rebounded to have a decent year despite never really getting a handle on this rules package.

As for Kasey....something is up...yesterday was the worst day performance wise I have seen them have with HMS. He has finished worse obviously but due to mechanical failures or crashes. Yesterday they just stunk all day. I am HOPING since none of the HMS cars were anything to write home about except Gordon that the other 3 were unofficial R&D cars for him to make the final round but I have never seen them show NOTHING in a weekend like that. Now the rumor on Jayski is that a crew chief change is coming which as much as I like Kenny it may just be time.
 
ramfan9 said:
As for Kasey....something is up...yesterday was the worst day performance wise I have seen them have with HMS. He has finished worse obviously but due to mechanical failures or crashes. Yesterday they just stunk all day. I am HOPING since none of the HMS cars were anything to write home about except Gordon that the other 3 were unofficial R&D cars for him to make the final round but I have never seen them show NOTHING in a weekend like that. Now the rumor on Jayski is that a crew chief change is coming which as much as I like Kenny it may just be time.
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The 48 was just as bad.

Maybe it has to do with how they are paired in the shop. Back when Gordon was sharing space with the 48. Jeff struggled mightily.

On another note, I think this news with Kurt could possibly be good news for Kahne.

If that whole mess pans out, then surely he'll be canned from SHR opening the door for someone else. That someone else can be Kahne. And in doing so, the 5 opens up for Chase perhaps?

All interesting theories.
 
Reck said:
The 48 was just as bad.

Maybe it has to do with how they are paired in the shop. Back when Gordon was sharing space with the 48. Jeff struggled mightily.

On another note, I think this news with Kurt could possibly be good news for Kahne.

If that whole mess pans out, then surely he'll be canned from SHR opening the door for someone else. That someone else can be Kahne. And in doing so, the 5 opens up for Chase perhaps?

All interesting theories.
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I think Mr. H gives Kahne one more year. Especially with the bad luck he's had and curious to see how the changes to the car next season will effect all of his current drivers.

I remember H saying something long the line of maybe putting Elliott in a temp cup car next season.
 
CONCORD, N.C. – In preparation for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and revised rules that affect race car development and on-track testing, Hendrick Motorsports has named Kenny Francis to the new position of vehicle technical director and Keith Rodden as crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS team of driver Kasey Kahne. The roles take effect immediately.

Francis, 44, will oversee organization-wide car design and development with day-to-day management of Hendrick Motorsports’ chassis, body, research and development, on-track testing, vehicle engineering and simulation programs. Reporting to general manager Doug Duchardt, he will serve as the primary liaison between Hendrick Motorsports’ crew chiefs and its vehicle group.

Rodden will return to Hendrick Motorsports where he worked alongside Francis in 2012 and 2013 while the lead engineer for Kahne and the No. 5 team. For 2014, he was named crew chief for the No. 1 team at Chip Ganassi Racing where he won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, earned two pole positions and helped driver Jamie McMurray set a career-best season in laps led.

more here
 
Calling it now. The new package will benefit him & 2015 will be a solid season for Kasey.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Calling it now. The new package will benefit him & 2015 will be a solid season for Kasey.
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Very possible, and he could have had the same result with Kenny. This is a set up/package issue ala 18, etc.
 
something was out of whack there, too many times they would show up fast and as it went on they would get worse. A lot of races they were never really in it all day long.
 
This is great news, I'm very excited about 2015.

http://www.hendrickmotorsports.com/...rick-Motorsports-realigns-No-5-team-personnel


CONCORD, N.C. – In preparation for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and revised rules that affect race car development and on-track testing, Hendrick Motorsports has named Kenny Francis to the new position of vehicle technical director and Keith Rodden as crew chief of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS team of driver Kasey Kahne. The roles take effect immediately.

Francis, 44, will oversee organization-wide car design and development with day-to-day management of Hendrick Motorsports’ chassis, body, research and development, on-track testing, vehicle engineering and simulation programs. Reporting to general manager Doug Duchardt, he will serve as the primary liaison between Hendrick Motorsports’ crew chiefs and its vehicle group.

Rodden will return to Hendrick Motorsports where he worked alongside Francis in 2012 and 2013 while the lead engineer for Kahne and the No. 5 team. For 2014, he was named crew chief for the No. 1 team at Chip Ganassi Racing where he won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, earned two pole positions and helped driver Jamie McMurray set a career-best season in laps led.

“This is a great opportunity for both guys, and it will strengthen our overall organization,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “With the new rules for next year, it’s more important than ever to have a strong vehicle development program. Unifying those efforts for the first time under Kenny’s guidance will be critical to our success. It plays to his experience as a leader, innovative engineer and race-winning crew chief. He’s just tailor-made for it.

“Keith is one of the most talented young crew chiefs in the garage. He already knows our culture and works extremely well with our people. The relationships and familiarity he has with Kenny, Kasey and the No. 5 team will make it easy to hit the ground running. We talk a lot about ‘fit factor,’ and this definitely falls into that category. He’s the right fit.”

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Francis holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Florida. Known as one of the most innovative minds in the NASCAR garage, he worked as a team director, engineer and fabricator before posting 17 wins as a Sprint Cup crew chief. Francis has led Kahne’s efforts since the final race of 2005, earning 16 race wins and five Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berths. The pair joined Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

“When it was clear there was a need for this role, I was very intrigued and felt it would be a great challenge,” Francis said. “It encompasses areas I’m passionate about, and I know we can make a difference for our teams, especially with the new rules for next year. There are a lot of reasons why it feels right at this point in my career, and I’m looking forward to contributing in a new way.”

Rodden, 33, has enjoyed a long relationship with Kahne, having worked with the driver as a team engineer from 2004 until 2013. After graduating from North Carolina State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, his motor sports career began in 2003 with owner Andy Petree. Rodden in 2004 joined Evernham Motorsports to support Kahne’s NASCAR XFINITY Series effort before moving in 2006 to the No. 9 Sprint Cup team, which began an eight-year stint under the tutelage of Francis.

“Opportunities like this don’t come around often,” said Rodden, who grew up in Denver, North Carolina. “The people at Hendrick Motorsports are like my family, especially in the 5/24 shop. I expect we’ll have great chemistry right off the bat, which should make for a smooth transition. I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running with the No. 5 team and everyone who supports us. There’s no better resource than Kenny, so I hope he’s ready for some late-night phone calls.”

Since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2012, Kahne, 34, has earned at least one victory each season while securing three consecutive Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berths. The Enumclaw, Washington, native has 17 career wins in NASCAR’s top division, including five in three full seasons with the No. 5 team.

“I’m so grateful to Kenny and happy for him and his family,” Kahne said. “He’s one of my biggest supporters and best friends, and I’m excited about his new role. It’s going to give all four Hendrick Motorsports teams the best possible opportunity to win races and compete for championships.

“Bringing Keith back is big for us. We spent 10 years together, so we have a very strong overall relationship and understanding of how to communicate. There’s a great friendship and a lot of mutual respect, but at the same time I know he’s really going to push me. I trust Mr. Hendrick to put the right people in the right places to make us successful, and I know these decisions will do that.”
 
I'm really excited to hear this. I think that team will be tough next year with the new aero and chassis changes coming.

I posted this in the kasey Kahne thread too before I saw this thread, my mistake.
 
I like it, I think both Kasey and Kenny needed to move on after this year. It reminded me of Kasey's 2005 where he won once but was terrible the rest of the year and he got Kenny at the end of that. I think the time is right for this to happen.
 
Calling it now ! You won't see Rick Hendrick dumping Kasey .If this new crew chief doesn't work out , you can expect to see another one.
 
@kennybruce

Worried about @kaseykahne future? Worry no more. @TeamHendrick announces contract extension through 2018.

mrw-the-same-guy-who-voices-emmet-in-the-lego-movie-is-also-star-lord-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-118859.gif
 
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@nateryan

Chase Elliott's likely promotion to Sprint Cup in 2016 had caused speculation about landing spot. Not Kasey Kahne's No. 5, it seems.
 
@bobpockrass

Chase to Cup with JR Motorsports? It can't happen b/c Dale Jr drives for Hendrick. Can't drive for 4-car team and own a separate Cup car.
 
@JennaFryer

Kasey Kahne has signed a 3 year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports. Will drive the 5 through 2018.
 
Kahne Signs HMS Contract Extension


​
Hendrick Motorsports and Kasey Kahne have agreed to a three-year contract extension that will keep the driver with the No. 5 Chevrolet SS team through the end of the 2018 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“It’s extremely gratifying to work with a driver like Kasey,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “I think the world of him both as a driver with championship-level talent and an overall terrific young man. Our whole organization has a great deal of respect for how hard he works, the professionalism he displays with our partners and the way he carries himself every day. We’re committed to winning races and competing for titles with him for many years to come.”

from here

more stuff here
 
@nateryan

Addendum to Kasey Kahne contract news: Hendrick also signs LiftMaster as a primary sponsor for 2015-17. Three races next season.
 
Lol at everyone saying Hendrick will drop Kasey after 2015. He's smarter than that. I see HMS as a powerhouse in 2016 with Jimmie, Dale Jr., Chase, and Kasey.
 
@kaseykahne

Thankful to have four more years with @TeamHendrick, couldn't ask for a better group of people/teammates to work with.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
@bobpockrass

Chase to Cup with JR Motorsports? It can't happen b/c Dale Jr drives for Hendrick. Can't drive for 4-car team and own a separate Cup car.
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Ok, so is Gordon still half owner of the 48? FWIW, Kelly could field a satellite team for HMS.
Lots of ways to skin a cat.
 
Happy for Kasey. All he has to do now is grow another ball and punt Kyle into the wall.
 
Bobw said:
Ok, so is Gordon still half owner of the 48? FWIW, Kelly could field a satellite team for HMS.
Lots of ways to skin a cat.
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Jr. Motorsports can't go Cup period. Not as long as Jr. drives for HMS and is still an owner @ Jr. Motorsports. No way around that.
 
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