Associated Press

Kasey Kahne (right) will drive for Red Bull Racing next season before replacing Mark Martin at Hendrick Motorsports in 2012.

Kasey Kahne will drive for Red Bull Racing next season, but he still doesn't know who his crew chief, his teammate (or teammates) will be or even what car number he'll drive.

Kahne was a driver without a home for next season. He signed a contract with Hendrick Motorsports earlier this year, but there was no place for him to drive with the team next season. NASCAR limits organizations to four teams each, and Hendrick Motorsports already had Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. under contract.

After his one season at Red Bull Racing, Kahne will go to Hendrick Motorsports and replace Martin, whose contract expires after next season.

"From the start, [car owner Rick Hendrick] told me we were going to work together,'' Kahne said of where he would drive next year. "He came up with the Red Bull option.''

Jay Frye, general manager of Red Bull, could not say who Kahne's teammate or teammates will be. Frye said it was possible for the two-car team to add a third car, but many questions remain.

As for Kahne's possible teammates, Brian Vickers has been out since May because of treatment for blood clots. Frye said that Vickers is halfway through his treatment and "continues to get better and appears to be on a good path.''

Frye said the team is looking for improvement from Scott Speed, who is 27th in the driver standings heading into this weekend's race at Michigan.

"There are still things we're doing as a race team to get better, there are things that he needs to do to continue to get better,'' Frye said of Speed. "It will show over the next month or two what the future will hold.''

Frye said that many details still had to be resolved over the next few weeks, including if Kahne's longtime crew chief, Kenny Francis, would join the team.

Frye also said that Kahne's contract is with Red Bull for next year and that Hendrick is not paying a stipend for Kahne to be there. So, what is the benefit of having Kahne for only one year?

"It's kind of like the same thing with the [Minnesota] Vikings,'' Frye said. "Why would the Vikings try to sign Brett Favre for one year? Well, it's because they want to win; they want to win now. Brett Favre is a proven commodity, proven winner. That's the same thing Kasey Kahne is. We're going into next season knowing we have a winner, a proven commodity in one of our cars.''

Schedule takes shape

The 2011 Sprint Cup schedule is taking shape with a number of changes.

Kentucky Speedway announced it will host its first Cup race on July 9 and it will be a 400-mile event at night. Kansas Speedway announced it will add a date and have two Cup races next year with those dates being June 5 and Oct. 9. Both will be day races, although the track is adding lights in hopes of having a night Cup race in the future.

Kansas got its second date by taking one from California. Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., which has struggled to fill its seats since adding a second race, will have only one Cup date next year. It will be March 27.

Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials announced that the track again will have one date. Its Cup race will be on March 6. It will follow the Daytona 500 and Phoenix, which moves into February.

Phoenix officials announced that the Feb. 27 race will be reduced from 600K to 500K and be a day race. The track's other race will be Nov. 13, before the season finale at Homestead.

Also, Martinsville's dates will be April 3 and Oct. 30 next year. The October date is a week later than this year. That likely means that Talladega Superspeedway will move up a week to Oct. 23 and be between Charlotte and Martinsville.

Richmond's two Cup dates will be April 30 and Sept. 10. The September race marks the eighth consecutive year Richmond has been the last race before the Chase begins. Darlington will again have its Cup race on Mother's Day weekend.

The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte again will be on Memorial Day weekend. Dover's two dates will be May 15 and Oct. 2.

Previously announced is that Chicagoland Speedway will be the first race in the Chase on Sept. 18 and that Atlanta will have only one Cup date. Atlanta's race will be a night event on Sept. 4.

NASCAR is expected to release the 2011 Cup schedule next week.