AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Friday's announcement that A.J. Allmendinger will remain with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010 potentially raises more questions than answers. What exactly will he be driving, and how will that affect the rest of the organization?

Allmendinger, currently 20th in the points heading into Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500, was originally guaranteed eight races in the No. 44 Dodge this season. But after scoring a surprising third-place finish in the rain-shortened Daytona 500 -- and then qualifying for five consecutive races despite being outside of the top 35 in owners' points -- the team found additional sponsorship.

Relaxing in Allmendinger's hauler before Friday's Cup Series practice at Phoenix International Raceway, Petty said a patchwork effort between seven different sponsors will now allow RPM to continue the commitment to the 27-year-old California native until at least the fall event at Richmond in September.

"We want to keep him on all the time," Petty said. "The deal is sponsorship, being able to afford to keep everything going. On our end of the deal, our crowd worked and said, 'We'll tell you about the program. Here's the program. You go out and make sure the program works.' They were able to get enough stuff going that we'll be able to continue on. That gives him and his crew confidence and makes them better right now because they know they've got something out in front of them."

“

I think that [with] what A.J.'s been doing, our other three drivers are challenged. So if you've got somebody in your team challenging them, it makes the whole team better. I think that's what we're seeing with A.J.

”

-- RICHARD PETTY

It's been said that a rising tide floats all ship, and in Petty's opinion, that's what Allmendinger brings to the organization.

"A.J.'s a lot of fun to watch drive," Petty said. "I think that [with] what A.J.'s been doing, our other three drivers are challenged. So if you've got somebody in your team challenging them, it makes the whole team better. I think that's what we're seeing with A.J."

So does Friday's announcement guarantee that there will be four teams in 2010?

"No, not necessarily," Petty said. "We still don't know what the economy is on anybody or anything. Basically just because we're still here, saying A.J.'s going to do his deal and we've got everything squared away, we can't keep up with the world. So if the world changes, we'll have to change, too. But right now, everything looks positive for that, but that's about all I can say."

Before the season started, Allmendinger had been slated to drive the No. 19, leaving Elliott Sadler temporarily without a job. However, once Sadler reminded team officials -- thanks to a court injunction -- that he had a guaranteed contract for 2009, forcing RPM to put together a fourth program for the ex-Red Bull pilot, Sadler's future has been murky.

So will Sadler be back in 2010? Petty wasn't willing to commit either way.

"We don't know with him," Petty said. "He's up and down, just like all our cars are right now. We've got to get him a better car. We do know that. We've got to get all four better cars, more consistent.

"That's been our problem. We've run good from time to time, but we haven't been consistent from one week to another, or with all four cars. That's the thing that we're really trying to get our hands around and if we do that, then everybody's set to go."

Now Petty said it's a matter of finding sponsorship for Allmendinger to cover the final 10 races, allowing him to complete the entire 2009 season. Again, Petty wouldn't commit one way or another, but he said the odds were in Allmendinger's favor.

"We're back to what happens in the world, with the economy," Petty said. "But if things don't go any worse than what they are right now, yeah, he'll most like be there all along."