9-8-10 —     Kasey Kahne is one of the more popular Cup drivers that probably  

won't make this year's Chase. During a teleconference last week, he  

talked about how he felt about missing it, and leaving Richard Petty  

Motorsports.

    "Yeah, it definitely isn't as good not being in the Chase," he said.  

"You don't feel as good about what you've done, the way you race,  

that type of thing. I think it's a little bit different for me this  

year because I know I've got 11 races left. I don't want to be done  

winning in a Ford, I don't want to be done winning for Budweiser or  

Richard Petty Motorsports. Hopefully we can find some spark to that.

    "If we don't make the Chase, hopefully we can show up to the  

racetrack each week and contend. If we do make the Chase, we can do  

the same thing, contend. I feel we should have a really good shot at  winning a race or two regardless if we make it or not.

    "I've been in this position I think every year since I've been in  Cup. I'm never in the Chase when we get to this point of the year.  

We're right on the edge. We either miss it or don't. We have to wait  and see."

    Kahne announced earlier this season that he would not be returning  

to Richard Petty Motorsports. He was given a three year contract by  

Rick Hendrick, but because Hendrick motorsports already has the legal  

limit of four teams (Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr.,  

and Mark Martin), he could not be listed as a Hendrick team.

    Instead, the deal was made for him to drive for Red Bull Racing next  

season, and move to Hendrick after Martin retires at the end of the  

2011 season.

    "Well, I've always known some people over at Red Bull, because some  

of the guys used to work at Evernham," continued Kahne.

    "Once I got more involved with Red Bull, I got more excited than  

when I initially heard about it. Right now I feel really confident  

with next year and being able to perform, race well and have a good  

time doing it.

    "But I don't know anything new for next year yet. I haven't really  

looked into it. I haven't really cared until we get through Richmond.  

I think at that point in time I'll be able to look at things and see  

where we're at, see where everybody is at, hopefully put some stuff  

together.

    "I want to start out at Daytona as good as anybody. You need a great  

team to do that. I think Red Bull has a lot of good people.

    "I'm going to be a big part of getting that all set up and kind of  

see where it's at and start working with some of the guys because,  

you have to have that if you want to run well. If I go in the next  

season thinking I can't run well, I might as well take the year off.  

I want to race, I want to perform and win races."

    Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 is the second driver that won't  

be at RPM next year.

    Sadler told Sirius Radio's Dave Moody that he expects to know his  

future plans within the next 2-3 weeks. Sadler is unlikely to return  

to RPM in 2011, after co-owner Richard Petty said the team is likely  

to scale back to just two cars next season with drivers AJ  

Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose.

    Sadler's current sponsor, Stanley Tools, will back Ambrose next season.

    "I have really enjoyed running up front in the Nationwide and  

Camping World Truck Series' these last few weeks," said Sadler, "And  

I'm hopeful that within the next couple of weeks, I can say, `Dave,  

this is what I'm going to do in 2011.' I'm not necessarily saying  

I'll be in the Nationwide or Trucks, though. I am also talking to a  

Sprint Cup team that is looking at the possibility of expanding with  

an additional car next season. We'll see what happens."

    Meanwhile Walmart will not be the sponsor of Jeff Gordon's No. 24.

    The giant retailer released a statement as an Editor's Note to an in-

house newsletter that mentioned the "numerous news stories" and  

concluded with the following sentence: "While we continue to employ a  

range of marketing initiatives to deliver our message of Save Money  

Live Better to our customers, this is not one we will be doing."



    Weekend Racing: The Cup and Nationwide teams are at the .75-mile  

Richmond Raceway. This will be the last race for the Cup drivers  

before the 10-race Chase for the 2010 Sprint Cup championship begins.

    Fri., Sept. 10, Nationwide Series Virginia 250, race 27 of 35;  

Starting time: 7 p.m. ET; TV: ESPN2.

    Sat., Sept. 11. Sprint Cup Richmond 400, race 26 of 36; Starting  

time: 7:30 p.m. ET; TV: ABC.

    Racing Trivia Question: Where is Elliott Sadler's hometown?

    Last Week's Question: The NASCAR Rookie of the Year was instituted  

in 1957. Who was the first driver to be named Rookie of the Year?  

Answer: It was a driver named Ken Rush, from High Point, NC. His  

NASCAR career ran from 1957 until 1964. His best finish was a second  

at Winston Salem, NC in 1959.



    You may contact the Racing Reporter at: hodgesnews@earthlink.net.