Wheldon planned to extend his CGR contract when Chip Ganassi provided him with an offer in May 2008. He decided against doing so when he learnt AGR's Kanaan had begun discussions with the team. He felt betrayed and began talking to other teams. Wheldon told CGR three months later in Detroit of his decision to leave them at the season's conclusion. On 2 September, CGR announced that Wheldon would be released from his contract at the end of the season as Dario Franchitti left NASCAR and returned to IndyCar. Wheldon returned to Panther Racing for the 2009 season following an agreement with his management and team owner John Barnes in mid-August. He struggled to perform in the first three races, but he took his first top-ten finish with a fifth at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. At the Indianapolis 500, Wheldon qualified in eighteenth and finished second. The rest of Wheldon's season saw him achieve a best finish of fourth at Iowa Speedway and three top-tens. He did not attain those results in seven of the last eight races. He was tenth in the championship standings with 354 points, his lowest finish since he placed eleventh in 2003.