NASCAR NATION – 4-21

With several great finishes in NASCAR in the early part of 2010, Mother Nature decided it was time for a break.
Persistent showers postponed both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Texas Motor Speedway until Monday.
Tony Stewart captured his first pole in over five years during qualifying for the race, but strong rains followed by endless drizzle forced NASCAR to postpone the race only seventy-five minutes after its scheduled start time.
Race results were unavailable for this edition at press-time.
Kahne to Hendrick… in 2012:
The biggest NASCAR news of the past week was the announcement by Hendrick Motorsports that they have signed Kasey Kahne, who is currently in the last year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports, to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet beginning in 2012.
The move comes as a rather interesting one – it is uncommon for teams to sign a driver to a contract not scheduled to begin the following season. Hendrick Motorsports was not considered a potential destination for Kahne, due to the fact that all four current Hendrick drivers had contracts lasting through 2011, and due to NASCAR’s four-team limit, would not be able to create a new seat for Kahne.
In addition, Hendrick also has Danica Patrick under contract, although her time-scale and potential Sprint Cup Series future are unknown.
But rather than pass up on a golden opportunity, owner Rick Hendrick decided to sign Kahne to drive the team’s No. 5 Chevrolet beginning in 2012, following the retirement of Mark Martin.
“In Kasey, we saw an opportunity to cement a big piece of our future,” Hendrick said. “He possesses incredible talent and a tremendous dedication to his craft, and we know he’ll be a great fit within our company.
“Kasey has earned the respect of his future teammates by the way he’s handled himself on and off the racetrack, and we know he’ll be a contributor to the success of Hendrick Motorsports for many years to come. To have someone of his caliber join our team is an unbelievable opportunity for us.”
Kahne felt confident that the move was right for him.
“If this opportunity was going to happen, I knew having some unanswered questions would be part of the scenario at this stage,” Kahne said. “Hendrick Motorsports has a commitment to Mark Martin that they want to fulfill, and that’s important. It’s part of what attracts me to the team.”
Kahne’s 2011 destination, meanwhile, remains to be unseen. Rick Hendrick has said it is Hendrick Motorsports’ responsibility to find Kahne a 2011 ride. The most likely team would be that of Stewart Haas Racing, whom Hendrick Motorsports has an alliance with.
Coming Up:
NASCAR returns to the superspeedway when the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series head to Talladega, Alabama.
Bruce Knoll, 18, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at bknoll jr4cmcherald@yahoo. com