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What Does New Kasey Kahne Contract Mean for Hendrick Motorsports?

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Kasey Kahne contract

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Last Thursday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that it had signed Kasey Kahne to a contract extension through 2018. That move certainly provided some stability to Kahne’s future, but what about the future of Hendrick?

First, one needs to ask if Kahne deserved an extension. Consider that Hendrick combined to win 13 races this season. Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. each won four times while Kahne won once, needing a Hail Mary victory at Atlanta just to earn a last-gasp berth into the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Over the past three years with Hendrick, Kahne has seen his finish decline with a fourth-place finish in 2012, a 12th-place finish last year and a 15th-place finish this year.

One could argue that Kahne, just 34 years old, could have his brightest days in front of him. After all, teammates Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. each had resurgent seasons this year, who says Kahne won’t be next?

But regardless of Kahne’s current or future performance, his extension creates quite a logjam in NASCAR‘s premier team. Gordon has a lifetime contract, Johnson’s contract runs out after next year but there is already talks of a contract extension, and Earnhardt Jr. is under contract through 2017. Kahne’s new extension is good through 2018.

So where does that leave Hendrick’s fast-rising star Chase Elliott? The 18-year-old Nationwide Series rookie, who, by the way, won three races and the Nationwide title this season, is already scheduled to make his Sprint Cup debut in a limited schedule next season. If he continues to flash the kind of promise he did this year, he would seem to warrant a full-time ride sooner than later and 2016 seems to be the latest he could be held back from NASCAR’s premier series.

Kahne’s extension takes away one option, which would’ve been to let Kahne’s contract run out at the end of next season and put Elliott in the No. 5 car at the beginning of 2016. Now there are a few options that have to be considered in terms of Elliott’s Sprint Cup future.

First, would be Gordon retiring and Elliott taking over the No. 24. But that doesn’t seem likely after Gordon just completed his most impressive season since 2007 and seems hungrier than ever for a fifth championship. Plus, taking over the seat for Gordon, a legend of the sport and arguably a top-five driver of all time, would be quite a task, especially for a 20-year-old rookie.

It seems even less likely that Hendrick would let either Johnson or Earnhardt Jr. go. Johnson has brought six championships and 70 wins to Hendrick in his time with the team. Junior, the sport’s most popular driver, provides benefits in terms of money, sponsorships and race performance.

NASCAR has never had a five-car team and it doesn’t seem likely Hendrick would try to add yet another car for Elliott. It’s also impossible to believe that Hendrick could let Elliott walk, not after bringing up young promising stars like Gordon and Johnson with great results in the past.

Basically, Hendrick has five drivers for four seats and how those seats are filled over the next two or three years is going to be fascinating to watch. But one thing is certain after last week, Kasey Kahne is staying in the No. 5 over that time.

Ryan Pritt is a NASCAR writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @RPritt, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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