Notebook: Is a Chevy not in Kahne’s immediate future?

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

(June 18, 2010)

SONOMA, Calif. —Could Kasey Kahne drive something other than a Chevrolet next year?

Team owner Rick Hendrick acknowledged Friday that there’s a possibility, albeit a remote one, that Kahne could drive another manufacturer’s car next year as he waits for Mark Martin to vacate the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

In an April 14 news conference shortly after the announcement that Kahne would drive the No. 5 car starting in 2012, Hendrick was asked whether the interim arrangement he would provide for Kahne in 2011—during the final year of Martin’s contract—would be with a Chevrolet team.

“Yeah, it’ll be a Chevrolet,” Hendrick said definitively.

On Friday at Infineon Raceway, where Hendrick became the newest addition to the track’s Wall of Fame, the answer wasn’t as clear-cut.

Asked whether it was still written in stone that Kahne would be in a Chevy next year, Hendrick said, “Oh, yeah,” then paused and added, “Well, I won’t say … I don’t know that. I think so, anyway.”

That comment could indicate that Hendrick is considering options that would place Kahne with another manufacturer next year—and Hendrick allowed that there were many options available.

“I’ve had a lot more options than I thought I would,” he said. “A lot of it is just waiting for the right time and the right deal. We’ve got some good options. There’s new deals coming out every day. I get unbelievable calls from people in this garage. But we’re just not ready to pull the trigger yet.”

Hendrick addressed a report that Kahne would drive a Chevrolet owned by James Finch next year—without denying it.

“I don’t where that came from,” Hendrick said. “James Finch is a good friend and been a good customer of our engine shop. And I don’t know how that got started.”

Kahne said last week he had no knowledge of an impending deal with Finch. Kahne and Hendrick spoke briefly on Friday but did not discuss plans for next year.

“I actually talked with Mr. Hendrick this morning and we just chatted,” Kahne said. “We stay in touch every week, and we didn’t even cross that path. I didn’t even ask anything about next year, and he didn’t bring it up either. We were just talking about other stuff, so I would say there is no new news.”

SPEED: WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE PROBLEMS

Last week, Casey Mears was Scott Speed’s interim teammate at Red Bull Racing. As of Wednesday, that was no longer the case.

Speed had harsh words for Mears after contact from the No. 83 Toyota that Mears was driving spun Speed’s No. 82 at Michigan . On Wednesday, the team announced Mears was out as a substitute for Brian Vickers while Vickers is treated for blood clots that will keep him out of the car for the rest of the season.

Road course specialist Mattias Ekstrom already had been hired to drive the No. 83 in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon. Reed Sorenson will take the wheel of the No. 83 next weekend at New Hampshire .

Asked at a Thursday media luncheon in San Francisco whether he was surprised at Mears’ ouster, Speed replied, “Did I sound surprised? This weekend (with Ekstrom) had already been put in motion before that. Honestly, what has happened since then, I’ve pretty much stayed out of it.

“It’s hard enough for us to push forward with the loss of Brian, with the experience that he brings to our two-car team. When you lose that, it really hurts the progression of everything. It hurts the stability of the teams. We don’t need any more problems than we already have on ourselves.

“I think whatever happens from here on forward (will be) certainly something that (general manager) Jay Frye and what we all consider for the best interest of the team.”

FUEL MYSTERY AT INFINEON

Jeff Gordon’s team found a mystery in the fuel system of the No. 24 Chevrolet on Friday. Instead of the blue racing fuel used at Infineon, the fluid was clear. Sunoco typically dyes the fuel it supplies to race teams different colors at different racetracks.

The No. 24 team flushed the fuel of unknown origin from the car and turned it over to NASCAR. As of Friday afternoon, NASCAR was investigating the source and composition of the fuel and contemplating spot-checking other cars in the field, according to NASCAR spokesperson Ramsey Poston.

“I don’t know what was in our car,” crew chief Steve Letarte said before Friday’s time trials. “It was something that looked—it appeared to be other than race fuel. It wasn’t dyed. We’re not sure if it came in our jugs or if it came in the pumps here or what happened.

“So NASCAR came over and tested what’s in the cells in case there’s any problems later when we do fuel samples. We pumped it out, rinsed it out the best we can.”