On Wednesday evening, Richard Petty Motorsports announced that it was parting ways with driver Kasey Kahne, effective immediately. Kahne announced months ago that he would leave RPM at the end of the season for a ride with Hendrick Motorsports to begin in 2012. Plans for 2011 has the driver piloting a car for Red Bull Racing.
Kahne's contract with RPM expires at the end of the season, but the organization opted to release him immediately, according to Wednesday's announcement. Current Camping World Truck Series competitor and part-time Nationwide Series driver Aric Almirola will drive RPM's No. 5 entry in Sunday's Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Almirola was already scheduled to be at Martinsville this weekend, as the Truck Series competes at the same track on Saturday afternoon. The team is still searching for a driver to run the remaining four races on the Sprint Cup Series schedule.
Almirola was also expected to drive Red Bull's No. 83 car in the Sprint Cup event this weekend. With Almirola moving to the No. 9 and Kahne being slated as a Red Bull driver next season, Kahne is expected to be in the No. 83 car Sunday. Brian Vickers began the season as the regular driver in the No. 83 but was forced out of the car by treatment for blood clots. Vickers is expected to return to the team for 2011 to be a teammate to Kahne, and Scott Speed, current driver of Red Bull Racing's No. 82 entry, is assumed to be the odd man out with the organization.
To read more, visit Cup Series News & Notes.
Photo courtesy of NASCAR Media.
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