A lawsuit filed June 16 by Ford against Nextel Cup driver Kasey Kahne in district court in Michigan provides insight into the Ford/Kahne contract dispute that began when Kahne joined Ray Evernham’s Dodge team for the 2004 Cup season. The contract, which is at the center of the dispute, doesn’t provide any clear answers, however, according to a story in NASCAR Scene. According to the story, Ford was under no obligation to put Kahne in a Cup car for 2004, but Kahne had refusal rights regarding rides set up for him by Ford. In the suit, Ford contends that it “expended substantial financial and other resources to enhance defendant Kahne’s competitiveness and marketability” without reaping any benefits. The contract, signed in 2002, stipulates that Ford would pay Kahne a $30,000 signing bonus and $200,000 annually for being a Ford driver. He was also required to do 12 appearances a year for the automaker. Kahne contends that he has fulfilled his contractual obligations, and he has not filed a response to the suit in court.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-2-2004)

redriderbob

 

Kasey Kahne's lawyer fired back Thursday at Ford Motor Co., saying the NASCAR driver's former sponsor breached the personal services agreement it made with Kahne, which gave the top-ranked rookie in the Nextel Cup circuit every right to drive for someone else. Ford filed a lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court last Friday that said Kahne broke a contract with the company and Robert Yates Racing by agreeing to drive Dodges for Ray Evernham Motorsports. In documents filed in federal court Thursday, Kahne's lawyers argued that the personal services agreement was not an enforceable contract and that Ford didn't offer Kahne a chance to race in the Nextel series, which released Kahne of his obligations to the company. "What's happened here is Kasey has had an extraordinary rookie season at Nextel,"' said Kahne's lawyer, Paul LiCalsi, who spoke to reporters in a conference call. "Ford is embarrassed. When Ford could not agree with Kasey because they were either unable to or didn't have the vision to agree to put him in a Nextel car, he had no obligation to them."(Detroit Free Press)(7-16-2004)

redriderbob

 

id be willing to bet that this wouldnt have become an issue if kasey would have sucked. i hate fords. phony could get back in my good graces if he would start spinning ford drivers....hes more than welcome to start with "cheatin' matt" kenseth.

 

Kasey's been doing pretty good for awhile now. Wnder why it took Ford so long to get pissed??? Maybe they think as slow as their cars move......[:'(]