Pilot Kasey Kahne declared he wants to give his situation –staying with Richard Petty Motorsports-, a really good opportunity, a really legit shot at showing him that RPM is where he needs to be.  On his part, RPM management clearly wants him to stay. “It is our intention to try and keep Kasey Kahne,” managing partner Foster Gillett said

Now, with the Yates merger complete and a stable management team seemingly in place — George Gillett and Petty remain owners, with former Yates co-owner Max Jones now aboard as president and general manager — Kahne seems content to let performance make his decision for him.

He stated he was made an offer already and he “… just wants to wait and see. That’s the biggest thing, just performance, how can I win races and do that kind of stuff.”  He added that he’s really hoping that this merger and things with the Roush people and Yates is going in that direction.

This Saturday Kevin Harvick won Budweiser Shootout at Daytona for second consecutive time, but even though he’s very happy, he’s aware that this victory does not guarantee his success in the 2010 race at Daytona 500

Last year, Harvick almost won the Daytona 500 race where he finished in second position after Matt Kenseth.  However, his overall performance during the whole season was far from what he expected.  Still he had to admit he’s excited after winning Saturday’s non-points event behind the wheel of his No. 29 RCR-powered Chevrolet for the second consecutive year.

Although he said there are no guarantees that things improve this year, he hopes that the rest of the season is much better than the last. He declared “he is painfully aware of the fickle nature of races at Daytona International Speedway. What he accomplished Saturday night was great, but in the long run of Speedweeks at DIS it may not mean a whole lot, or even anything at all.

“I’ve been here enough times to know this can be a funny week,” Harvick said. “It can mess with you time after time. Hour by hour can bring something that’s unexpected, just like getting sick to start the week. I mean, that’s not something that you plan for or can plan for.

“Getting sick … having the car wrecked in the first practice with someone else driving it … there are just so many variables that can get thrown at you this week, you just have to stay even keel. This is great that we won this race. We’re all really excited about what we want to do. But the big picture is on Sunday. It’s just taking it hour by hour, one day at a time, and stay concentrated.”