“We’ve put a ton of emphasis on the No. 5 program, it’s been a total team effort, and Casey has worked as hard as anyone to help us improve. We’ve tested more than we ever have, but the results just haven’t come,” Rick Hendrick said in the official statement from Hendrick Motorsports.

“None of us, Casey included, have been satisfied with the situation this season. But he’s confident there are other options out there for him in 2009, and we feel like Hendrick Motorsports will have some opportunities, too,” Hendrick continued, in what could be the understatement of the year.

Opportunities are definitely abundant for Hendrick right now – Tony Stewart has made it painfully clear he’s ready to get back into a Chevrolet, and Ryan Newman has put himself on the market in search of a championship caliber ride.

Then there’s Mark Martin, who looks to be leaving DEI at the end of the year. Martin may want to step back into a full time ride and make one more run at a championship – or would he be content to continue to run a partial schedule and help groom Dale Earnhardt Jr protégé Brad Keselowski for a full time ride.

Then there’s Martin Truex Jr, also ready to bolt from DEI – Truex and Earnhardt together at Hendrick would be a powerhouse similar to what Waltrip and Junior were back when they were winning all those restrictor plate races.

One thing’s for sure – whatever happens will be interesting to watch.