Richard Petty Motorsports is finalizing elements of its 2010 program, beginning this weekend when Elliott Sadler will race a Ford at Talladega Superspeedway.

Behind the scenes, the team is also shoring up its lineup.

Team officials familiar with RPM's personnel moves told The Associated Press on Wednesday that sponsor Best Buy will move from Sadler's car next season to Petty's famed No. 43 with AJ Allmendinger as the driver.

Stanley will become the sole primary sponsor for Sadler.

Sponsorship concerns have been one of the larger issues facing RPM as it prepares for 2010. The team is trying to complete a deal to merge with Yates Racing, and plans to move full time from Dodge to Ford next season.

But its lineup has been a huge question as RPM fielded only two fully funded cars all season for Sadler and Kasey Kahne . The team has had to piece together funding for Allmendinger and Reed Sorenson , and both drivers have forfeited either salary or race winnings to help keep their teams afloat.

RPM could still be a four-car team, contingent on the merger with Yates and if driver Paul Menard and the sponsorship from his father's hardware store chain stay within the organization.

Either way, all signs indicate the RPM-Yates merger will go through.

DYNAMIC DUOS: The working relationship between Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus is reminiscent of the unusual success Ray Evernham had with Jeff Gordon .

"It takes a total team to win like they have and like we did in the mid-90s and the championships,'' said Gordon. "That driver-crew chief relationship is crucial to have common respect. To push one another and then also just to be on the same page when it comes to communicating. I feel like there are certain relationships that just click right away."

Evernham and Gordon won three championships and 47 races in 216 races. Knaus and Johnson have won three championships and 46 races in 287 races.