AJ Allmendinger makes his Ford Racing debut this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver will race the remaining three races of the 2009 season in a Ford Fusion. Race fans will recognize the familiar "Petty Blue" and red paint scheme on #44 for the rest of the season. Last week at Talladega, Elliott Sadler drove a Ford to a ninth-place finish. Allmendinger will be the only Petty driver in a Ford in any of the remaining 2009 races. "This is exciting stuff. It's like a new beginning for Richard Petty Motorsports. Whenever you do something new you are a little bit excited and a little bit nervous because you haven't done it before. Elliott drove a Ford for us at Talladega last week and everyone was really positive about the experience. It's our turn this week tire testing a Ford in Daytona and we'll drive one at Phoenix and Homestead as well."(RPM)(11-3-2009)

 

 

 

Good looking paint scheme.

 

Car looks good. Lets hope it goes as well as it looks.

 

Top 10 for A.J. today.

 

 

In 3 races with Ford, A.J. finished 10th, 13th and 10th. He should be a solid Top 15 driver next year.

 

Yes, seems to be doing well. He did better than some others such as Biffle or Kenseth.

 

 

It seems this package from Ford is playing right into Petty's hand! Makes ya wonder why Roush isn't doing as well?

 

It was a bad year (a really really bad year).

It will be better next year.

Although Jayski is reporting that Kahne wants to leave after 2010. I'm pretty sure Chrysler will do anything in their power to get him back. But then again, there is only one Dodge team left (Penske) and they might be switching to Toyotas ...

 

Kahne started out with Fords if I'm not mistaken. Now he's back in them and he wants to leave?! To race what? Dodge is doing lousy at keeping teams lately! He might be alone in a Dodge. Oh well being alone in one brand as a lone car isn't new. Look at Harry Gant in an Olds for how many years? And he won races too !

 

Yeah, but then Ford sued him when he left so I'm sure there is still some bad blood between them.

 

Isn't because He broke his agreement with Ford? It was all on him but I'm not 100%, Ford paid all his bills then he left them in the lurk....

 

He was under a contact with Yates and went to drive for Evernham.

 

No problem! Pretty boy wasn't all that anyway! Ford could do far better than him any day!

 

I don't know man, if Kahne leaves he will probably take Budweiser with him.

And best Petty driver this year, not counting Kahne, was Allmendinger at 24th position.

 

He will almost certainly take Bud with him. The combined Yates-Petty names are just barely scratching together sponsorship, without Kahne it will get worse. I may not like how the kid skipped out on his Ford obligation, and how he's continuing to dis them by already looking to drop this team, but he's got skill and he's a sponsor sponge.

 

He can go right now for all I care, I think the kid is overrated anyway.

But where is he gonna go? The only Dodge team out there is Penske and they're talking about switching to Toyota.

But then again, Kahne is already driving a Toyota in a Nationwide series so I guess he won't mind.