NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
2008 Past News
Petty-GEM merger done deal? UPDATE: Multiple sources have confirmed that Petty Enterprises racing will shut its doors and merge with the team currently known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. A deal was inked between Petty Enterprises and team owner George Gillett on Christmas Eve, but the terms of that agreement have yet to be divulged. The venerable #43 Dodge covered with the trademarked Petty blue glaze will become part of the Gillett stable with Reed Sorenson expected to be behind the wheel. A formal announcement is expected early next week. Most of the remaining 39 employees at Petty Enterprises will conclude their duties at the Mooresville-based shop on Wednesday. The company moved from its original shop adjacent to the Petty homestead in Level Cross, N.C., in January to what was formerly the Yates Racing complex. Robbie Loomis, Petty Executive VP of Racing Operations, is expected to assume a managerial role under the new partnership, which will likely be rebranded under the Petty banner. Former car chief Ray Fox Jr. will assume a similar role at JTG-Daugherty Racing with the #47 team. David Zucker, who was named CEO of the team when private equity firm Boston Ventures purchased controlling interest in June, is expected to be reassigned to the Petty Driving Experience.(FoxSports), no word on what happend to the #10 ride which Sorenson was supposed to drive.(12-31-2008) UPDATE: Although neither GEM nor Petty officials said an announcement was forthcoming, sources indicated that the organizations were ironing out final details. The merger would entail GEM absorbing Petty's #43 car, which according to sources would be driven by Reed Sorenson and sponsored by the Air Force next season. Chris McKee, marketing director of the Richard Petty Driving Experience, confirmed that David Zucker, current chief operating officer of Petty Enterprises and the Richard Petty Driving Experience, will oversee only the driving experience once the merger is complete. Zucker was installed as Petty's CEO after team owner Richard Petty earlier this year sold majority interest in his organization to the private equity firm Boston Ventures in a bid to raise capital and improve performance. McKee added that further details of the merger will come next week. Indications are that the name of the merged organization will be altered to reflect Richard Petty's involvement. Richard's father, Lee, founded Petty Enterprises in 1949.
The merger would place four cars under the GEM stable -- the #43, as well as the #9, #10, and #19 currently in the Gillett-Evernham fleet. Kasey Kahne drives the #9, with A.J. Allmendinger replacing Elliott Sadler in the #19 for next season. No driver has been announced for the #10 car for 2009.(NASCAR.com)(12-31-2008) Comment here
Petty-GEM Deal Off? UPDATE denied: Sirius Speedway has learned that the much-discussed merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises has run aground. Anonymous sources say that GEM laid off approximately 50 employees today, and that its Nationwide Series team will either be eliminated or cut back dramatically. In addition, multiple sources say that GEM’s #10 Sprint Cup team and driver Reed Sorenson will also run only a partial schedule. While not commenting on the reported demise of the Petty deal, Gillett Evernham Motorsports CEO Tom Reddin confirmed today that major changes are underway. "We are a Sprint Cup team first and foremost, and winning in that series needs to be our primary focus,” he said. “The Nationwide Series is a fantastic series and we certainly look forward to racing a partial schedule in 2009, but we will not run the full season next year. We will remained focused on putting all of our effort behind the Cup program in 2009. GEM is very fortunate to have nearly all of our Cup sponsors returning in 2009 in addition to the new arrival of others." Reddin said that GEM will also restructure its engine department for 2009, to align with a reduced number of engine leasing customers next season.(Sirius Speedway/Motorsports Soapbox) AND Over the last week, Gillett Evernham Motorsports released 65 employees between its Nationwide Series team and engine shop. Due to a downturn in the economy and the inability to secure sponsorship, GEM was forced to cease operation of its NNS team on Tuesday. GEM is still in open discussions with Petty Enterprises regarding a possible merger. However, the option of Petty Enterprises not leasing engines in the future led to the company's decision to downsize its engine department by nearly half. The organization will continue to employ nearly 300 workers at its Statesville, N.C. facility and field three teams in the Sprint Cup Series with drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and Reed Sorenson, who will join the team from Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009.(FoxSports)(12-16-2008) UPDATE: been told by GEM that the #10 car will run the full Sprint Cup season and that the GEM-Petty merger talks are going well and the deal is NOT off.(12-17-2008) Comment here
Labonte and Petty part ways: Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises have reached a mutual agreement to separate, the team confirmed on Thursday. The 2000 Sprint Cup champion signed a four-year extension with partial ownership to remain in the famed #43 car that Richard Petty drove to seven titles earlier this season when Boston Ventures purchased majority interest in NASCAR's most storied organization. But with the car unsponsored -- General Mills is moving to [#33 Clint Bowyer] Richard Childress Racing in 2009 -- and the future of the organization in doubt he has opted to seek employment elsewhere. A possible scenario for Labonte could be the new Earnhardt-Ganassi team that has an open spot in the #41 Target car. Sources said the organization has had informal discussions with Labonte and would be interested if he were available, although his car number may not be the #41. Labonte, in a prepared statement, said only that he did not have a contract for 2009 and that he was ready to explore all options.
The Pettys have been in negotiations with Gillett Evernham regarding a possible merger into a four-car team. Under that scenario, the #43 would become the fourth car with the #9 [Kasey Kahne], #19 [Elliott Sadler] and #10 [Reed Sorenson] of GEM. "We can confirm Gillett Evernham Motorsports is in exclusive negotiations with Petty Holdings," Tom Reddin, CEO of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, said "GEM has a very solid foundation and this is an exciting opportunity to build on that foundation with one of the greatest names in the history of motorsports. We will work diligently over the next several weeks and make further comment at the appropriate time."
Petty officials were not immediately available for comment, but it obvious they are in a state of flux. Approximately 65 employees have been released since the season ended. Thirty-nine were let go on Monday.(ESPN)(12-11-2008) UPDATE: Bobby Labonte has been released from his contract with Petty Enterprises, which is trying to negotiate a deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports that would solidify the future of its famed #43 Dodge. Petty Enterprises has been unable to find sponsorship for Labonte, a former NASCAR champion, and is in danger of eventually closing its storied organization if it can't work out a merger with GEM. David Zucker, who took over as CEO of Petty Enterprises when Boston Ventures purchased majority interest of the organization in June, said Petty would run the #43 as a single-car team in 2009 if a merger with GEM is not completed. "Gillett Evernham Motorsports is a first class team with great drivers, sponsors and management," Zucker said in a statement Thursday. "We look forward to improved performance and maintaining the Richard Petty legacy, with the King front and center."
Labonte, also believing Boston Ventures could bring the organization back to prominence, signed a four-year contract extension to remain behind the wheel of Richard Petty's legendary car. Only nothing has materialized in the six months since the sale, and Petty Enterprises has had two rounds of layoffs, letting go at least 70 employees since last month's season finale. After "serious and sincere discussions" with Petty Enterprises, Labonte said he reached the difficult decision to leave the team. Labonte said he does not have a job lined up for next season, and Chip Ganassi's #41 is the only open ride with full-time sponsorship already secured. Ganassi recently partnered with Dale Earnhardt Inc., and has taken his time filling his vacant seat. "Bobby is a true champion who never failed to give everything he had when he was behind the wheel of one of our race cars," Petty said.(Associated Press) UPDATE 2: Effective immediately, Bobby Labonte has been released from all contractual obligations with Petty Enterprises. The terms were mutually agreed by both parties. Labonte will now fully concentrate on preparing for the 2009 season. Comments from 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte: "In over 15 years of racing in the Sprint Cup Series, I can't remember a time when the sport's landscape looks as it does today. Saying that, Petty Enterprises and I had serious and very sincere discussions about what was best for myself and everyone involved at Petty Enterprises moving forward. These discussions culminated with us agreeing that moving in a separate direction will be the greatest way to reach our end goals. It was by no means an easy decision. I am, and will always be, very appreciative of what Richard Petty and the Petty family, every employee of Petty Enterprises and members of Boston Ventures did to invest in bettering my career the past three seasons. Moving forward, I'm very anxious to prepare for the 2009 season. I do not currently have a contract with any other team for 2009, but I am ready to explore all opportunities and form the next partnership in my career. I'll continue to keep these matters private and will make the appropriate announcement and comments when my future plans are confirmed. I appreciate everyone's continued support."(BobbyLabonte.com)(12-11-2008) Comment here
Labonte to the #41 ride? UPDATE 4 PE & Labonte to split?: A possible scenario that could play out if this deal [Petty-GEM merger] goes through would place Reed Sorensen, who signed with GEM in August, in the #43. AJ Allmendinger, who parted ways with Red Bull Racing after the Kansas Speedway race in September and drove the #10 GEM Dodge for the final five races of the season, would remain in that ride according to sources. Bobby Labonte, who signed a four-year extension with the new BV regime and was given ownership as part of his benefit package. Now, it appears that Labonte could drive the #41 Target car for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing.(FoxSports)(12-6-2008) UPDATE: Adding another layer of intrigue to the [Ganassi-DEI merger] story are unconfirmed reports that Bobby Labonte may be negotiating to jump to DEI-Ganassi Racing, driving the #41 Target car. The deal would be contingent on Labonte's ability to negotiate an exit from Petty Enterprises, where he is signed through the 2012 season. A spokesman for DEI-Ganassi Racing said today that while he has heard Labonte’s name as one of many rumored to be in the running for the #41 car, he has no knowledge of any ongoing negotiations. A number of cards obviously remain to be dealt at this point. But at present, the most likely scenario appears to be for Labonte to negotiate his departure from Petty Enterprises, allowing him to move to DEI-Ganassi Racing with sponsorship from Target. That would keep Truex and his Bass Pro Shops sponsorship in-house, opening the door for AJ Allmendinger to drive the #43 Dodge next season for the newly merged Gillett-Evernham/Petty Enterprises tandem.(Sirius Speedway/Motorsports Soapbox)(12-9-2008) UPDATE Petty Announcement Thursday? The future of Petty Enterprises could be determined as soon as Thursday [Dec 11th] morning. Petty Enterprises will make an announcement -- most likely regarding driver Bobby Labonte and the team's flagship #43 car -- on Thursday. The Petty franchise has reportedly been in negotiations with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports about a possible merger. Representatives for Petty Enterprises did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. A GEM spokesman said the team "has no plans to make any announcement" on Thursday.(NASCAR.com)(12-10-2008) UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises plans to make an announcement regarding its future on Thursday morning, sources told ESPN.com. Bobby Labonte, the driver of the #43 that team owner Richard Petty drove to seven Sprint Cup championships, also is prepared to make an announcement. Details of the announcements were not immediately known, but the Pettys have been in negotiations with Gillett Evernham regarding a possible merger into a four-car team. GEM officials said they had no plans for an announcement. Whether Labonte, who signed an extension [thru 2012] with the Pettys earlier this year when the organization sold majority interest to Boston Ventures, will remain in the #43 or go elsewhere also is not known. Officials at Petty Enterprises and GEM were not immediately available for comment.(ESPN)(12-11-2008) UPDATE 4: Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises have reached a mutual agreement to separate, sources told ESPN.com on Thursday. The 2000 Sprint Cup champion signed a four-year extension with partial ownership to remain in the #43 car earlier this season when Boston Ventures purchased majority interest in NASCAR's most famous organization. But with the car unsponsored -- General Mills is moving to #33 Richard Childress Racing in 2009 -- and the future of the organization in doubt he has opted to seek employment elsewhere. A possible scenario for Labonte could be the new Earnhardt-Ganassi team that has an open spot in the #41 Target car. Sources said the organization has had informal discussions with Labonte and would be interested if he were available, although his car number may not be the #41. The Pettys have been in negotiations with Gillett Evernham regarding a possible merger into a four-car team. Under that scenario, the #43 would become the fourth car with the #9 [Kasey Kahne], #19 [Elliott Sadler] and #10 [Reed Sorenson] of GEM. Officials at Petty Enterprises and GEM were not immediately available for comment.(ESPN)(12-11-2008) Comment here
Petty-GEM merger? UPDATE 4: hearing there could be an announcement as soon as today that Gillett Evernham Motorsports [#9,10,#19] and Petty Enterprises [#43,#45] has merged.(12-4-2008) UPDATE: SI.com has learned that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. The organization will merge with George Gillett, giving that team its fourth car. No word on the future association with Petty Enterprises and Boston Ventures, although Boston Ventures may maintain some involvement in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Official announcement of the news could come as early as this afternoon. No word on whether Richard Petty will have an ownership stake as part of the merger agreement.(Sports Illustrated)(12-4-2008) UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises is in discussions to merge its storied franchise with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Multiple people familiar with the talks told the AP that the two teams are discussing a deal that would merge Petty's #43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing. SI.com first reported Thursday that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. But David Zucker, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said the report was "not accurate."
He would not discuss a potential merger. "We're not going to comment on rumors and speculation," he said. Petty has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields cars for Bobby Labonte, Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty. Robbie Loomis, vice president of Petty Enterprises, told the AP nothing has changed with the organization, and the team is continuing to talk to potential partners. Drew Brown, a spokesman for GEM, did not immediately return a call for comment.(Associated Press)(12-4-2008) UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises remains in discussions with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to merge into a four-car operation, sources told ESPN.com on Thursday. A report by SI.com that the merger would happen and that Petty Enterprises would not return in 2009, according to multiple sources, is premature. Drew Brown, the director of communications at GEM, said the status of the company has not changed and there are no impending announcements. Officials at the office of GEM majority owner George Gillett were surprised by the report. "We're just not going to comment on speculation," Brown said. Should such a merger happen it would shrink the garage by another car, the 45 driven by Kyle Petty, Chad McCumbee and Terry Labonte last season. The #43 of Bobby Labonte would combine with GEM's #9 of Kasey Kahne, #19 of Elliott Sadler and #10 of Reed Sorenson. A merger could also mean the end of NASCAR's most storied organization as it has been known since 1969. Owner and seven-time champion Richard Petty sold majority interest in Petty Enterprises earlier this year to Boston Ventures but maintained the Petty name. It is unclear if a potential merger with GEM would incorporate both parties or if the Petty Driving Experience would be included. News of the SI.com report spread rapidly through the Manhattan banquet room that hosted a Thursday awards luncheon featuring the top 12 drivers from this past season.
GEM has already benefited from the merger of DEI and Ganassi, which will run under General Motors -- Ganassi was a Dodge team -- and use engines prepared by Earnhardt-Childress Racing. The #10 car that was 37th in points will move into the top 35 guaranteed a spot in the field because the two DEI cars lost in the merger have been eliminated from the top 35. The #47 car that will be driven by Marcos Ambrose for JTG-Daugherty moved from 36 to 35. "Everybody will just shift up," NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said. "We will use the top 35 at the track."(ESPN)(12-4-2008) UPDATE 4: Petty Enterprises released 39 employees on Monday, bringing the total to 65 since the end of the season. A source close to the situation said Petty Enterprises has about 54 employees anxiously waiting to hear whether there will be a merger with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports. "Everybody is still looking for marching orders in what direction we're going in," the source said.
The Pettys have been in negotiations to merge with several teams for months. Two were eliminated when Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates merged last month. The possible merger with GEM would have the famous #43 joining the #9 (Kasey Kahne), #19 (Elliott Sadler) and #10 (Reed Sorenson) of GEM to become a four-car operation. Whether 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte, the current driver of the unsponsored #43, would be a part of that deal remains unclear. Labonte, who signed a long-term deal that included partial ownership with Petty Enterprises earlier this year, has reportedly had talks with DEI-Ganassi about driving the Target-sponsored #41. That could clear the way for AJ Allmendinger, released by Red Bull Racing late this season, to move into the #43. Officials at Petty Enterprises and GEM were not available for comment. Should the merger occur it would be the first time NASCAR has been without Petty Enterprises as it is known today since 1969. Richard Petty sold majority ownership to Boston Ventures earlier this year, but the name of the company and driving school remained the same.(ESPN.com)(12-8-2008) Comment here
More Layoffs - #96, #21, Petty's, Stewart: nothing official but heard that Stewart-Hass Racing [formerly Haas CNC Racing] laid off 16 people Monday, November 17th. Also on Monday, a large layoff at #96 Hall of Fame Racing, supposedly due to lack of full sponsorship. Also, the current Hall of Fame Racing shop building is up for sale.(11-18-2008) UPDATE: Wood Brothers Racing has downsized its Sprint Cup and Craftsman Truck Series operations [supposedly 25 people] effective immediately. The Wood Brothers expect to continue the 58-year tradition of the #21 Ford when racing resumes in February. "This economic downturn has been tough on everyone and racing is not immune," team owner Eddie Wood said. "What we're experiencing now is a dramatic correction but we will be geared up for the 51st running of the Daytona 500. We will be racing in 2009. We're just not sure what that schedule looks like at this time. We're going to do whatever is necessary to survive."(FoxSports) UPDATE 2: hearing 23 people were laid off at Petty Enterprises on Tuesday.(11-18-2008)
Many sponsors for the #43 in 2009: After 35 years in which the #43 made famous by Richard Petty had season-long sponsorship continuity with either STP (1973-2000) or General Mills (2000-2008), a scorecard might be necessary to keep track of the car's paint schemes in 2009. Petty Enterprises chief marketing officer Mike Bartelli says five or six companies will share primary sponsorship and space has been sold for more than half of the 36-race season. Bartelli says though sponsor opportunities remain available on the car, the team (shored up financially from its acquisition by private equity firm Boston Ventures) will field the #43 for the full season regardless. "Here you have the most iconic number in the sport's history, and it's not that we're losing deals to others," says Bartelli, who added Petty is substantially far away from cobbling together the millions needed to run its #45 Dodge [supposedly will be the #44 with McCumbee] full time in 2009. "It's that deals aren't there. We had a deal done two weeks ago, and the CEO reversed the decision after blessing it and indicated the company was going to make hundreds of millions in cuts."(USA Today)(11-17-2008) Comment here
No merger for Petty: One thing not in the cards for Petty Enterprises is a merger with another team, said Richard Petty, who earlier this year sold majority ownership in the team to investment banking firm Boston Ventures. “We’ve talked to everybody about everything that could be talked about and we’re still standing here independent,” Petty said when asked about a possible merger. “We didn’t want to take on anybody else’s baggage. We had enough of our own.” The lack of sponsorship is a major worry, the seven-time Sprint Cup Champion admitted Thursday. “I’m concerned about Richard Petty’s future,” he said. “It starts here. And Petty Enterprises’s future and everybody’s future. Because right now, has everything bottomed out? We don’t know how far down we’ll go. … We’re all in this together, whether we like it or not. Racing’s not going to survive without the economy surviving or vice versa.”(SPEEDtv)(11-14-2008)
Air Force leaving Wood Brothers? UPDATE to GEM: hearing that the Air Force sponsorship will leave the #21 Wood Brothers Ford and could be headed to either one of the Roush Racing teams [#'s 6,16,17,26,99] or Yates Racing [#28, #38].(11-6-2008) UPDATE: Air Force officials announced Tuesday that it will begin a new NASCAR partnership with Gillett Evernham Motorsports when it sponsors the #10 car driven by Reed Sorenson for the 2009 Sprint Cup season. GSD&M Idea City, the Air Force's advertising agency, organized the sponsorship and will roll out a multimedia advertising campaign to support the partnership in early 2009. The Air Force is both a primary and associate sponsor of the #10 car driven by Reed Sorenson, a 22-year-old three-time winner in the Nationwide Series. As a primary sponsor, the car will feature the Air Force paint scheme in four of 38 Sprint Cup races in 2009. For the 2009 season, the Air Force is changing their marketing strategy to rebalance their sponsorship and activation programs to increase public awareness of the Air Force and to attract more recruits. "Advertising and marketing that goes beyond the race track will help us connect with fans and emphasize the speed, power, precision, and team work that is common to both NASCAR and the Air Force," said Col. Timothy Hanson, Air Force Recruiting Service director of Strategic Communications. The Air Force has had a long-standing relationship with Wood Brothers Racing and the #21 car. "The Air Force is proud of the partnership we have had with the Wood Brothers Racing," Colonel Hanson said. "They are perhaps the most respected team in NASCAR and they have been strong supporters of the Air Force. While our sponsorship has changed we will always value the services they have provided us." The colonel added that he is excited about this new venture and confident that Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Reed Sorenson will provide new opportunities for the Air Force to achieve their sponsorship goals and inspire young Americans to consider the Air Force as a great career choice.(Air Force Recruiting Service PR)(11-13-2008) Comment here
Liberty Medical to sponsor #43 at Homestead: Liberty Medical [libertymedical.com] will adorn the side of the #43 Dodge that Bobby Labonte will drive at Homestead for the first time this season. “Everyone knows that General Mills will not be back with us next year. We’re sorry to see them go but we’ve enjoyed a long and successful relationship with them. I wish them the best in 2009 and beyond. They are a great sponsor, but more importantly they are great friends.”(MCG Sports/Petty Enterprises PR)(11-12-2008)
Petty Enterprises Renews Partnership with PVA: Petty Enterprises announced that it has extended its partnership with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) through the 2009 Sprint Cup season. “Our membership has been behind this program from day one and we’re excited to continue this into 2009,” said Paralyzed Veterans of America’s National President, Randy L. Pleva, Sr. “Our partnership with Petty Enterprises has been great for Paralyzed Veterans. We’ve seen an increase in awareness about our mission since we aligned with ‘The King’. In 2009, we will be featured on two races on July 4th (Daytona) and Veterans Day (Texas), two of the most patriotic dates of the year. Our continued partnership with Petty Enterprises and Richard and Kyle Petty will continue to raise awareness of the mission of Paralyzed Veterans and in return increase support and donations and give increased visibility to the men and women who serve our country.”
The Petty-Paralyzed Veterans partnership began in 2006 with ‘The King’ Richard Petty. Over the span of the partnership, Petty has made numerous trips to VA Hospitals across the country, hosted Paralyzed Veterans members at racetracks and attended fundraising events—all in an effort to increase awareness of the altruistic organization. In 2008, the relationship grew to include NASCAR driver Kyle Petty. In 2009, both Pettys will co-chair the “Go All In for Veterans” Texas Hold’em poker tournament to be held on Thursday, February 26 at the Rio in Las Vegas. Please visit www.pva.org for more info.(MCG Sports/Petty Enterprises PR), no car# or driver mentioned for the two race sponsorship, PVA was on the #45 Dodge for three races in 2008.(11-11-2008)
2009 Crew Chief for Newman? UPDATE 3 car chief: hearing that #8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. crew chief, Tony Gibson, will be Ryan Newman's crew chief on the #39 U.S. Army Chevy Stewart-Haas Racing team in 2009.(10-21-2008) UPDATE: Longtime Richard Childress Racing team executive Bobby Hutchens confirmed Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway that he has a contract offer to become general manager at Stewart Haas Racing. "I have an opportunity with Stewart Haas," Hutchens said as he walked through the garage toward pit road prior to the Dickies 500. "I'll make a decision here in a couple days." Several sources close to SHR, Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc. -- Hutchens' current employer -- told ESPN.com that Hutchens had already signed a contract with Stewart Haas, but Hutchens said otherwise. "Nothing is signed," Hutchens said.(ESPN.com)(11-3-2008) UPDATE 2: hearing that Stewart-Haas Racing will make an announcement at Homestead-Miami Speedway about Newman's crew chief and the general manager/competition director for the team.(11-7-2008) UPDATE 3: during SPEEDtv's NASCAR Raceday, Wendy Venturini reported that #43 crew chief, Jeff Meendering, will be Tony Stewart's car chief on the #14 Stewart-Hass Racing Chevy in 2009 and that rumor has it that Tony Gibson will leave DEI and be #39-Newman's crew chief, plus bring along the complete #8 DEI pit crew.(11-9-2008) Comment here
Donated Petty Enterprises racecar gets Virginia Tech makeover: Race fans attending Virginia Tech’s Thursday night football game against Maryland are in for a treat. Virginia Tech motorsports research center VIPER Service will unveil a new color wrap -- burnt orange and Chicago maroon – on one of the Nextel Cup racecars donated by Petty Enterprises earlier this year. The letters “VT” will replace the ubiquitous number “43” associated with racing legend Richard Petty. The car, sporting a Hokie Bird on its roof, will be on display from 4:30 until 7:30pm on the Drillfield as part of the university’s tailgate activities, according to Steve Southward, VIPER Director. VIPER, the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research facility, is one of several mechanical engineering (ME) labs at Danville’s Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR), an outreach partner of Virginia Tech. The VIPER Service vehicle also sports a new Dodge engine and other power-train components, so it is now ready to collect track data for research projects.
Petty and son Kyle donated the car, and a twin, to the Virginia Tech Foundation for use by ME graduate students pursuing degrees at VIPER’s facilities in Halifax County and at IALR. The second car retains its original #43 decal and yellow, red and blue color wrap. “We wanted one of the cars to be a marketing tool for the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, VIPER Service, and Virginia Tech,” said Southward. “And the best way to do that was put a new wrap on it.”
Wrap is a literal term. Few racecars are painted nowadays, according to Southward. Rather, cars are “wrapped” in vinyl sticker sheets – some quite large in size – formed to the car’s body. The basic wrap design doesn’t include the myriad of sponsor stickers and other decals placed all over the vehicle. On the car’s sides, where the doors normally would go, are the letters “VT.” In place of the number on the roof is a Hokie bird. VIPER, the IALR, the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS) at Virginia Tech, Virginia International Raceway and a list of other research labs and manufacturers will be represented by an assortment of stickers. A series of mechanical engineering equations and actual test data also adorn the car.(VT PR)(11-6-2008)
Latest Ganassi merger rumor? Petty? UPDATE3 or DEI?:Trying to pin down the state of Petty Enterprises, under its new Boston Ventures' management, and the future of the Chip Ganassi operation has been tough enough the last few weeks, but now the speculation of a GM-Chrysler corporate merger has thrown things into a real tizzy. Insiders at both the Petty and Ganassi Dodge camps say there is speculation that the two struggling teams may somehow merge, and that that speculation is fueled by the sense that fellow Dodge owner George Gillett, who has majority interest in Gillett-Evernham-Motorsports, is "99 percent" certain to jump to Toyota. Ray Evernham was Dodge's mainstay in NASCAR racing, making such a move highly unusual. Dodge officials a few weeks ago denied such a change might be coming. One major complication for Dodge teams like Petty's and Ganassi's is that Gillett-Evernham has been a major Dodge engine operation. If Gillett moves to Toyota, then Dodge loses a very big player.(Winston-Salem Journal)(10-12-2008) UPDATE: hearing that a Ganassi-Petty Enterprises merger is still possible with Target being the sponsor for Bobby Labonte in the #43. With #42-Juan Pablo Montoya and #44-Chad McCumbee as teammates and a possible 4th team with Kyle Petty running part time in the #45.(10-21-2008) UPDTE 2 - DEI?: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is negotiating with several organizations, including Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises. "We're talking to a lot of different people," Sabates said on Tuesday. "We're keeping our options open. Obviously, the way things are going today with sponsors, unless you have the sponsors you can't run. We only have a sponsor for the 41 car [Target] and the 42 [Wrigley's Big Red/Juicy Fruit] for half a year. We're looking at all possibilities." DEI and Petty Enterprises are in similar situations. DEI has only the #1 car of Martin Truex Jr. fully sponsored for next season, with partial sponsors in line for the #8 and none for its other two cars. Petty Enterprises is looking for sponsors for the #43 and 44 that is expected to replace the #45. So how would a merger with DEI help Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates? "They have a sponsor for one and a half cars and we have a sponsor for one and a half cars, that makes three cars, doesn't it?" Sabates said. "The same thing with Petty. They've got one car. There are other people out there, too." The biggest stumbling block for DEI to merge with Ganassi or Petty may be manufacturer permission. DEI is under contract with General Motors to field Chevrolets and the other two are under contract with Dodge/Chrysler. The proposed merger between GM and Chrysler could help that situation, but there remain other obstacles on both sides. "Everything is up in the air," Sabates said. "We're just talking in theory. We don't know what is going to happen. We don't have anything concrete with anybody. And I'm not saying we will do anything."(ESPN.com)(11-4-2008) UPDATE 3: An alliance is in the works that would combine the #s 1 and 8 Chevrolets at DEI with the #s 41 and 42 of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates next season. The newly combined outfit would boast a lineup consisting of Martin Truex Jr., with Bass Pro Shops sponsorship, Juan Pablo Montoya, with Wrigleys sponsoroship, and Aric Almirola. Ganassi still has a deal in place with sponsor Target, but it is unknown right now whether that will be for Almirola or for a yet-to-be-determined fourth driver. Ganassi could offer the presence of an at-track, hands-on owner, an important element that's been missing at DEI since the death of its founder Dale Earnhardt. Ganassi won four titles in Champ Car and two titles as an owner in the IRL IndyCar Series, including this season. Ganassi's current contract with Dodge extends through 2010. Given the economic climate and uncertainty of the Dodge program beyond 2009, the move would align Ganassi with Chevrolet for next year and beyond. Max Siegel, president of global operations declined comment on the report.(FoxSports)(11-5-2008) Comment here
Petty's Loomis talks about Dodge & mergers: from a Dodge Motorsports Teleconference Transcript:
Q: WHERE DOES PETTY ENTERPRISES STAND WITH REGARDS TO A MERGER?
ROBBIE LOOMIS: We’re very committed to Dodge at Petty Enterprises. If you read the news out there, everybody is talking to everyone about our merger. As the future unfolds, we all have to be smart on how we pay attention to how we operate and is there ways that we can be more efficient as we grow. That’s what will drive the decision of the future.
Q: IN REGARD TO MERGERS, FOR PETTY ENTERPRISES, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE?
LOOMIS: It’s a tough question. I think that our number one thing is…..in 2008 we wanted to move into a new shop. We wanted to move to Charlotte. We wanted to bring in an investor with Boston Ventures. We’ve got a new CEO in David Zucker. We have been looking at things…I know as I have the last couple years…we kind of saw that we were two cars and we wanted to get to four because years ago, NASCAR said there needs to be a four-car team. Then all of a sudden the landscaping is kind of changing and there are a lot of alliances. Before, a one or two car team was trying to hook on another two car team. Now, you’re seeing a four-car team and two-car team that want to attach to them and maybe grow to a four-car team to attach to that.(Dodge Motorsports PR)(10-23-2008) Comment here
DEI and Petty merger? UPDATE 2: Talks about a possible merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises are under way, according to sources familiar with the situation, and Wells Fargo's sponsorship money could be key to making something happen. However, the economic chaos that is wracking the country is also playing havoc with so many suddenly struggling NASCAR teams that it's unclear how any of the various scenarios might actually play out. And just what positives might even come out of a DEI-Petty merger aren't that clear, either. Richard Petty sold a "significant" stake this summer in Petty Enterprises, the family racing operation in business since 1949, to Boston Ventures, a private equity firm. Precisely how that joint NASCAR venture might fit into any DEI-Petty merger is unclear, considering the financial problems of many Wall Street investment firms. Petty Enterprises is looking for a 2009 sponsor for Bobby Labonte, who drives the legendary #43 car. #45-Kyle Petty, the other Petty driver, has been at odds apparently with some of the team's executives, and he appears to have the option to take the Wells Fargo sponsorship with him to another team. If Kyle Petty were to leave, that would, for the moment, leave Petty Enterprises with no major sponsors.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-17-2008) UPDATE: Robbie Loomis said Petty Enterprises has been approached by at least three organizations about a possible alliance heading into next season. The vice president of racing operations, speaking Friday at Martinsville Speedway, would not identify them, but published reports say Dale Earnhardt Inc. might be on that list. DEI officials declined to comment. Loomis said the Pettys' deal with Dodge extends three years past this one. DEI signed an extension with General Motors/Chevrolet before this season. Loomis said Petty Enterprises is closer to naming a sponsor for Labonte, and he appears close to set on Chad McCumbee to drive the second car, which will be the #44. He said the key in all of this is continued growth of the Petty brand, which a merger with DEI may or may not allow.(ESPN.com) AND Officials from Petty Enterprises do not deny that they have held preliminary discussions about a possible future partnership of some sort with Dale Earnhardt Inc., but they strongly deny that anything is close to happening or even likely to happen. In fact, Robbie Loomis said that DEI is not the only group with which Petty Enterprises is discussing its future. Nor is it alone in the Sprint Cup Series garage area, where Loomis insisted all teams are scrambling to find stronger footing in difficult economic times. "The bottom line for us is that we're committed to Dodge," Loomis said. "We like Dodge as our manufacturer; Richard Petty especially. We have three more years with them as far as solid commitments. We feel good about where we're at with them."(NASCAR.com)(10-18-2008) UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises appears on track to merge – somehow – with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which would turn the Petty Dodges into Chevrolets….apparently. Or maybe it’s just Kyle Petty ‘merging.’ Richard Petty Sunday didn’t have much to say about the DEI report; he didn’t deny the talks, but he insisted he didn’t have to panic about things: “We did our panicking last year. That’s why we did the deal with Boston Ventures. We’re ahead of the curve.” However there appears to be considerable internal disagreement between the father and son about the next business steps to take, though #43-Bobby Labonte still has no sponsor for 2009, and Kyle Petty himself apparently is looking to leave Petty Enterprises at the end of the year and take the company’s only full sponsor, Wells Fargo, with him.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-20-2008) Comment here
Inman receives Smokey Yunick Award: Legendary Petty Enterprises crew chief Dale Inman was awarded the Smokey Yunick Award prior to the start of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The award acknowledges outstanding achievement in the world of motorsports. Inman, the most decorated crew chief in NASCAR history, joined several of his colleagues with this recognition, including Glen and Leonard Wood, Ralph Moody and Bud Moore. While no driver has ever won more than Petty's seven NASCAR Sprint Cup titles, Inman has won eight as a crew chief. All seven of Petty's championships came under Inman's watch, along with 198 of his 200 record-setting wins. He won his eighth and final championship with Terry Labonte in 1984.(MCG Sprots/Petty Enterprises PR)(10-12-2008)
Aerosmith Guitarist Brad Whitford at visit LMS: Having written his first song, titled Round and Round, Aerosmith rhythm and lead guitarist Brad Whitford may have been thinking about his other passion in life, auto racing. This weekend Whitford will take to the Lowe's Motor Speedway with #43-Bobby Labonte as a guest for Saturday night's running of the Bank of America 500. It will be Whitford's first trip to the track. Whitford will tour the garage, the Cheerios/Betty Crocker transporter and meet with the crew before the race.(Breaking Limits PR)(10-10-2008) Comment here
Labonte "going pink" at Charlotte: In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Petty Enterprises has partnered with General Mills, primary sponsor of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, to promote awareness of breast cancer during the week of the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The efforts support Pink Together, a national campaign dedicated to inspiring hope among those touched by breast cancer. The centerpiece of this week's partnership will be the #43 Cheerios Racing/Pink Together Dodge Charger that will be driven by Bobby Labonte during Saturday night's race. The pink Dodge will carry the names of hundreds of people who shared their stories about breast cancer at PinkTogether.com, an online community of hope for those impacted by this devastating disease.(Petty Enterprises PR), see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(10-9-2008)
Labonte, White to be inducted into Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame: Fans voted in July for the 2008 Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame honorees, and on Saturday, Oct. 4 during Talladega Superspeedway’s AMP Energy 500 weekend, two new names will be added to this prestigious list: Bobby Labonte and Rex White. The Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame in downtown Talladega is both a focal point saluting NASCAR’s greatest names and a tribute to one of racing’s brightest stars – the late Davey Allison. Developed in 1994, the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame has inducted one active driver and up to two inactive drivers since 1995 based on the fans’ vote chosen from a ballot of nominees selected by strict guidelines. In the park, Davey Allison is remembered with a large marble monument, while drivers inducted into the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame have bronze plaques placed around the park, accessible by walkways that form the shape of Talladega Superspeedway.
Dr. Jerry Punch, lead announcer and host of ESPN/ABC sports coverage, will make his second appearance as emcee for the Induction Ceremony. Punch took over emcee duties last year after the passing of Benny Parsons. Parsons was a longtime supporter and significant part of the event. He is also credited with being one of the first inactive drivers to be inducted. During this year’s event, Phil Parsons, Benny’s brother, will help unveil a permanent plaque honoring Benny’s longtime duties.(TSS PR), more info at talladegawalk.com.(10-1-2008) Comment here
"The King" honored at Dover: Denis McGlynn, president and CEO of Dover Motorsports, Inc., presented Richard Petty with a mini version of the new plaque that is featured on the base of the Monster Monument during Sunday's prerace ceremonies. McGlynn still thinks back in amazement of the days when the NASCAR driver known simply as "The King" drove to seven career victories at the track.
"Back in the day, we just had that little press box up on top of that old grandstand there, like a high school football press box," McGlynn said. "The thing I remember most about Richard in the early days ... I used to work up in that press box, and Richard, after whooping up on everybody for 500 miles and the temperatures inside the car and the physical endurance, he'd climb all the way up those 36 rows and put up with an hour of the media, and then he'd go out and sit in the stands and sign autographs until the last person went home. You mention all the records that Richard owns here ... I think he also owns the record for most autographs signed."(Delaware News Journal)(9-22-2008)
Loomis Courted by Stewart-Haas UPDATE Loomis says no: Sirius Speedway has learned that Petty Enterprises Vice President of Racing Operations Robbie Loomis is now at the top of Stewart-Haas Racing’s wish list, as they attempt to hire a new Vice President/General Manager. Red Bull Racing’s Jay Frye recently turned down the job in favor of remaining in his current position, and sources says Stewart-Haas is now interested in talking with Loomis.(Motorsports Soapbox)(9-20-2008) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis said he is not entertaining an offer from Stewart-Haas Racing. Loomis' name surfaced when Jay Frye opted to remain general manager at Team Red Bull. "All of my interests are to continue to do what I'm doing, and that is get the #43 back in Victory Lane," Loomis said. "All of my focus is here with Petty Enterprises." (ESPN)(9-21-2008) Comment here
Bobby Labonte Lends “Helping Hand”: When West Virginia’s Pratt Elementary School needed funds to update its playground and shelter facilities, Hamburger Helper was there to lend a “helping hand.” Courtesy of the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grant program and Bobby Labonte, Pratt Elementary received $15,000 to make some much needed improvements to the children’s park. Labonte was at Pratt Elementary today for the park’s ribbon cutting ceremony that re-opened the revitalized recreation area. The Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grant program winners were selected by a panel that reviewed applicants’ essays of 250 words or less, describing how the grant would benefit their community project. Labonte served as a guest judge that helped determine the winners. Over $200,000 in grants has been awarded this year, including Pratt Elementary. Other grants have helped communities purchase new band equipment, fund a tornado warning system, among other projects. Labonte attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at Pratt Elementary this afternoon. The driver of the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge signed autographs and raced remote control cars against students and their families.(Breaking Limits/General Mills PR)(9-19-2008)
Latest on Petty Enterprises in 2009: frpm a Dodge Motorsports PR/transcript:
Q: WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE FOR THE SECOND PETTY CAR FOR NEXT YEAR?
Robbie Loomis, Executive VP of Racing Operations – Petty Enterprises: There’s no secret that we’ve been working our way through it since we took on our new partners with Boston Ventures and David Zucker – the new CEO. We’re still navigating our way through our direction. It’s obvious that we want to bring in a young guy with Bobby Labonte’s experience and try to build from there. We’re excited about this past weekend. We’re working a lot with Chad McCumbee and will probably take some looks at Chad this season for sure in another five races. We’re excited about where we’re going in the future with that…also excited about having the experience of Bobby Labonte on our side.
Q: WILL KYLE (PETTY) BE IN THE CAR NEXT YEAR?
RL: Oh yeah. Kyle’s going to be back in (the 45 car) this weekend in Dover and some other races lined up for him during the end of the year. We’ll see Kyle and I’m sure you’ll see Kyle out there next year. As everyone knows, with all the sponsorship dependent on how you put all these programs together, we’re trying to work our way through it right now.
Q: IS ONE OPTION NEXT YEAR FOR PETTY ENTERPRISES THREE CARS, ONE WITH A LIMITED SCHEDULE WITH KYLE DRIVING IT?
RL: It definitely is. We’ve had a lot of discussion on that in staff meetings each week. Dave Zucker – our CEO – is trying to put a lot of things together on the sponsorship front and that’s one of the avenues that we’ve talked about. If we could run a third car on a limited schedule – even if it is a minimum of five to seven races – it does help us prepare and get a little bit of information in our circle and also prepare an easier transition when we go to three cars in 2010 when everyone gets this economy rolling again.
Q: AND A THIRD CAR IS CONTINGENT ON SPONSORSHIP?
RL: Yes sir. 100%.(Dodge Motorsports PR)(9-17-2008) Comment here
Monday’s “Deal or No Deal” Contestant Says “Deal” To General Mills Offer: This past Monday night, millions watched NBC’s “Deal or No Deal” as race fan Gary Cote and his family took television viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride in an attempt to become the show’s second million dollar winner. Cote, a native of Coventry, Rhode Island, was not only playing for the opportunity to help out his immediate family, but also his “extended” family of people he has quietly helped throughout his life. Cote also made no secret of his favorite sport, NASCAR, and his desire to vacation with his family and visit a NASCAR race, an opportunity he had only once before. While on the show, he was offered a race prize package from two-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s offer included a trip for Cote to the 2009 Daytona 500, a pace car ride around the hallowed speedway and a Richard Petty Driving Experience. In the end, Cote didn’t walk away with either the million dollar grand prize or the NASCAR package. Cheerios is now making an offer that Cote can’t refuse. They are offering Cote and his family the opportunity to be guests of theirs and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker race team this weekend at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Cote and his family will be given suite and garage passes for Saturday and Sunday’s events. Cheerios will also give the Cote family the opportunity to meet their driver, Bobby Labonte. What is Cote’s answer to this offer? “Deal!” exclaimed Cote. Cote was given the offer after Cheerios learned of the generosity of Cote and his family. The Cheerios Racing team will meet Cote Friday evening and tour him and his wife and daughter around the track Saturday and Sunday.(General Mills/Breaking Limits PR)(9-13-2008)
Labonte Races with an Eye on Texas: With all of the fanfare focused on the start of the 2008 “Chase for the Sprint Cup” at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, one of the most-respected drivers in the garage area will be excused if his mind drifts away to the place of his birth. #43-Bobby Labonte was born in the bayside town of Corpus Christi, Texas. Corpus Christi is now in the path of Hurricane Ike, one of the many strong storms to make its way into the Gulf of Mexico in recent years. “Please keep the residents of Corpus Christi in your thoughts and prayers,” said Labonte. “The Labonte family moved to North Carolina many years ago, but Corpus will always be home. We used to deal with only the occasional hurricane in the Gulf (of Mexico), but they are becoming more and more frequent. Hopefully all of the necessary safety measures have been taken and everyone’s well-being will be secure. We’ll be racing at Loudon this weekend, but our thoughts will be with everyone in the path of the hurricane.”(Petty Enterprises PR)(9-12-2008) Comment here
Petty Enterprises still working on 2009 driver lineup: Robbie Loomis, vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises: "As far as driver lineup for next year, we are very aggressive on moving forward…but we are facing the fact that, based on where our cars are running right now, we won't be able to get that A-level driver as a teammate with #43-Bobby Labonte. So we have to create that player: like Brett Favre at Green Bay. We're still working on those plans. Kyle [Petty] will run some races next year. And Bobby will have a teammate that we hope can grow into that B-level or A-level player."(Winston Salem Journal)(8-31-2008) Comment here
Fans Vote Bobby Labonte, Rex White Into Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame: The votes are in for the 2008 Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame honorees. Bobby Labonte won by the closest margin in history for active driver, while Rex White won the inactive driver category by a landslide. Labonte and White will be enshrined to the Walk of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 4, during the AMP Energy 500 weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. The Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame in downtown Talladega is both a focal point saluting NASCAR's greatest names and a tribute to one of racing's brightest stars - the late Davey Allison. Developed in 1994, the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame has inducted one active driver and up to two inactive drivers since 1995 based on the fans' vote chosen from a ballot of nominees selected by strict guidelines. White, 78, of Fayetteville, Georgia, will be inducted as this year's inactive driver. White won the 1960 NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) championship as a driver/owner, recording six wins and 35 top 10s in 41 starts. He is one of just six driver/owners in history to win a series championship. Fan voting for the 2008 Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame began on April 15. In addition to Labonte, active driver nominees this year included: Michael Waltrip, Jeff Burton, Morgan Shepherd, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Robby Gordon, Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler, Ken Schrader and Carl Edwards. White competed against inactive drivers, Jim Paschal, Bill Rexford, Jack Smith and Speedy Thompson. In the park, Davey Allison is remembered with a large marble monument, while drivers inducted into the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame have
bronze plaques placed around the park, accessible by walkways that form the shape of Talladega Superspeedway. For additional information, visit talladegawalk.com.(TSS PR)(7-25-2008)
Totino's scheme at Indy for Labonte: This weekend for the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Dodge team will sport the colors of Totino's Pizza Rolls. Labonte, the 2000 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard champion, will auction off his helmet
from this weekend to benefit the Bobby Labonte Foundation. The auction will begin the week leading into the Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen. Go to www.bobbylabontefoundation.org to learn more about the Totino's Pizza Rolls helmet and other helmet auctions.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing), see an image of the car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(7-24-2008) Comment here
Bartelli named Chief Marketing Officer of Petty Enterprises & Richard Petty Driving Experience: Petty Enterprises announced that Michael Bartelli has been named Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer of the legendary race team and the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Bartelli will further strengthen the race team marketing group led by Brian Moffitt and the Richard Petty Driving Experience efforts led by President Brian Flynn. Bartelli joins Petty Enterprises from Millsport's Charlotte-based motorsports division where he spent eight years, and was most recently, its President. Prior to Millsport, Bartelli served as Vice President, Business Development for Action Performance Companies, the world's largest manufacturer of licensed motorsports merchandise at the time. He began his industry career in Daytona Beach, FL where he served as Director, Marketing Partnerships for International Speedway Corporation.(Petty Enterprises PR)(7-16-2008) Comment here
Petty Enterprises Press Conference: Kyle Petty hosted the press conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway, with NASCAR's Brian France, #43 driver Bobby Labonte, Richard Petty, new CEO David Zucker and Andrew C. Davis, Managing Dorector of Boston Ventures were seated at the front table.
The partnership between Petty Enterprises and Boston Ventures was announced.
Zucker becomes the first non Petty to be in charge.
Zucker says he plans to expand to more teams/cars in the future
Boston Ventures would not say what percentage of Petty Enterprises they invested in
No 2009 sponsor was named for the #43 or #45, General Mills/Cheerrios will leave the #43 after 2008 and head to a 4th RCR team.
Bobby Labonte is signed to drive the #43 Dodge thru 2012 and says there are options for him to becomed more involved with the afterwards.(6-11-2008)
Labonte Signs Contract Extension with Petty: Petty Enterprises has announced the signing of 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte to a four-year contract extension. The contract will keep the veteran driver behind the wheel of the famed #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge through the 2012 Sprint Cup season. Labonte, 44, began driving the #43 Dodge in 2006. “I have known all along this is where I want to finish my racing career,” said Labonte. “The future is very bright for Petty Enterprises. As we continue to develop and learn from this new car we will increase our testing and engineering support. The investment from Boston Ventures will allow us to compete on the same level as the bigger Sprint Cup teams.” In Robbie Loomis, Jeff Meendering, Derrick Finley and others, we have some of the brightest minds in the garage area. They will continue to expand our resources which will continue to pay dividends for us both on and off of the track. After the initial meeting I had with Boston Ventures, it was evident they shared the same vision and desire to return Petty Enterprises to Victory Lane that we all have,” continued Labonte. “Their enthusiasm is contagious. When you can pair that with ‘The King,’ the confidence and success that he portrays, you have an organization that will be as strong as any in the Sprint Cup Series.” See full PR woth quotes and info on Baker and Davis at Pettyracing.com.(6-11-2008) Comment here
Petty Enterprises Names Zucker CEO: Petty Enterprises announced today that David Zucker has been named Chief Executive Officer of the legendary race team and the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Zucker brings a wealth of business acumen and experience which will help grow and expand the Petty brand. Zucker has held prominent positions in the media, entertainment, sports and technology sectors, serving most recently as President and CEO of Midway Games, Inc., a publisher and developer of video games for home console and PC platforms. The company, based in Chicago, IL, had 900 employees and produced the Mortal Kombat and NBA Ballers series of video games. Zucker also spent 11 years with the Walt Disney Company, including eight years at ESPN, where he helped expand their motorsports strategy, directed the programming launch of ESPN2, championed the original X-Games and oversaw the growth of ESPN International to include 21 networks in 20 languages around the world. See full PR woth quotes and info on Zuckr at Pettyracing.com.(6-11-2008) Comment here
Boston Ventures Invests in Petty Enterprises: Boston Ventures, a leading middle market private equity firm, announced that it has agreed to a sizeable investment in Petty Enterprises and the Richard Petty Driving Experience. The infusion of capital will allow Petty Enterprises to significantly grow the organization with the goal of returning to the pinnacle of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and growing the Richard Petty Driving Experience into the safe driving and performance sectors. Barry Baker, Managing Director of Boston Ventures, will become Chairman of Petty Enterprises. Andrew C. Davis, Managing Director of Boston Ventures, will also serve on the newly formed Petty Enterprises Board of Directors. See full PR woth quotes and info on Baker and Davis at Pettyracing.com.(6-11-2008) Comment here
Same sponsor for the Labonte brothers at MIS: both Petty Enterprises will run similar paint schemes in the Lifelock 400 at Michigan International Speedway with #43-Bobby Labonte and #45 Terry Labonte running Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil schemes. Terry Labonte comments: "It's going to be cool to wear the Marathon colors this week, especially with this being close to their home in Findlay, Ohio. My brother, Bobby, and I are both running the Marathon colors. Our paint schemes will be mirrored. It will be easy for our dad to find us on Sunday. It has been a few years since I raced on Father's Day weekend. Sharing the track with my brother will make it special."(Petty Racing PR), see images of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page and #45 Team Schemes page.(6-11-2008)
Petty Investor to be announced soon UPDATE 3 announc Wed: Petty Enterprises' yearlong search to find an investment partner seems to be in the final stages, with an announcement tentatively planned for next week to announce a deal with a private equity firm. Boston Ventures is expected to take over a controlling interest in the company, which has fallen behind NASCAR's top organizations and needs a boost to become competitive. Richard Petty declined to discuss the deal Saturday. "We're not even going there," he said.
Robbie Loomis, vice president of racing operations, said Petty Enterprises is an attractive partner to any potential investors. "The Petty brand is such a clean brand and stands for so much, and we want to take it to the next level with the right company," Loomis said. Boston Ventures has invested six funds totaling $2.6 billion in capital commitments in its 22-year history. Some of Boston Ventures previous portfolio companies include American Media Inc., Motown Records, Six Flags Entertainment and Continental Cablevision.(ESPN/AP)(6-8-2008) UPDATE: not sure if this is a press conference for the investor, but Petty Enterprises will host a news conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:00am/et at Lowe's Motor Speedway Media Center with Richard Petty, Bobby Labonte, Kyle Petty and others attending. Hearing that Labonte's new deal with Petty could be announced and possibly a new sponsor.(6-9-2008) UPDATE 2: The future of Petty Enterprises will become clearer on Wednesday. NASCAR's most famed organization has called a news conference for 11am/et Wednesday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Among the expected topics are a partnership with Boston Ventures Management and the re-signing of Bobby Labonte.(ESPN.com) UPDATE 2a: On Wednesday, Petty Enterprises will announce that Boston Ventures, a private equity firm, has acquired controlling interest in the 60-year-old racing operation which has produced 10 NASCAR champions but struggled to remain competitive the last two decades. Richard Petty will remain involved at a high level, but David Zucker, 45, will assume the role of CEO according to David Hovis, a spokesman for Petty Enterprises. Hovis also said it will also be announced that veteran driver Bobby Labonte has agreed to a four-year extension. Labonte will continue to drive for what is expected to remain a two-car Cup team for 2009. Until March, Zucker had been CEO of Midway Games, a Chicago-based producer of video games. In 2002, Zucker was named president and CEO of Playboy Enterprises. From 1988-1999 he was with the Walt Disney Corp., becoming executive vice president at ESPN. He also served as director of ESPN International, overseeing international operations. Petty said the initial deal is to run two cars but indicated he'd like to have a third Cup team running full time by 2010. Sponsorship, however, remains an issue. The team is losing its primary sponsor of the Labonte's #43 car. General Mills, to Richard Childress Racing next year. Hovis said a fourth component of the deal will be announced at a Wednesday press conference.(USA Today)(6-10-2008) Comment here
Petty expects Labonte back in 2009: Kyle Petty answering a viewer question submitted on NASCAR.com on what car Bobby Labonte will race next year: "This year Bobby Labonte drives the 43 car, which is obviously a teammate to the 45 car. I think Bobby Labonte will end up in the 43 car (next year). We feel very confident in where we've been and where we're going (with Bobby this year) and some of the things that Bobby has helped us do...Bobby is an integral part of Petty Enterprises, what Petty Enterprises is
and where Petty Enterprises is going."(TNT PR)(6-9-2008) Comment here
A Golden Anniversary Fit for "The King": Petty Enterprises announced the plans to celebrate "The King" Richard Petty's 50th anniversary in NASCAR. The plan includes Petty getting back into a racecar and turning laps at Chicagoland Speedway. On July 12, 1958, Petty made his first NASCAR start in the old Convertible Division at Columbia Speedway in Cayce, South Carolina. On July 12, 2008, Petty Enterprises and the entire NASCAR community will celebrate the anniversary of that race at the Chicagoland Speedway, where the Sprint Cup Series is competing in the Life Lock 400. Petty Enterprises will be marking the anniversary with numerous special events and promotions. The team has extended an invitation for the CEOs of their sponsors and partner companies to come to Chicago to help them commemorate the anniversary. As part of the activities, Petty will return to a racecar to give some of his special guests a ride around Chicagoland Speedway in a Richard Petty Driving Experience stockcar. As a tribute to Petty and the anniversary of his first race, the #43 and #45 will be featuring special throwback paint schemes for the Life Lock 400. The paint schemes feature the Petty Blue color made famous by Petty and in a nod to the 60's and 70's, racing strips. Each will also carry the 50th anniversary commemorative logo on the hood of both cars. The 50th anniversary of Petty's first race is an opportunity for Petty Enterprises, the NASCAR community, and all NASCAR fans to honor him for his achievements and for the countless contributions he has made to the sport.(MCG Sports PR), see an images of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page and #45 Team Schemes page.(5-20-2008)
Labonte close to decision on future: #43-Bobby Labonte said he is no longer agonizing over whether he will stay at Petty Enterprises or drive for someone else next season. Labonte said he is likely within two or three weeks of having final answers concerning his driving career beyond this season. “We’re trying to get things squared away at Pettys, like I’ve always said,” Labonte said. “But obviously we have to get that done. In a couple of weeks, three weeks maybe, we’ll have a lot more answers. … Right now, I’m pretty much at ease.… It’s just a matter of things happening that’s going to take place, whether you like it or not. I’m about to the point if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, you do something different. I’m not worried about that as much as the talk about it from the outside trying to make sure that the guys that come to work, that they don’t read the paper and say, ‘What’s going to happen?’ Nothing is done yet – nothing that can be [said] because of the implications [on] people,” Labonte said. “We can’t implicate people that are doing things that will [mess] them up and our own position. I have nothing to report yet. Hopefully in the next few weeks, it will be a lot more well known." Petty Enterprises has been entertaining offers from investors. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, said it’s his understanding those talks are continuing.(SceneDaily)(5-16-2008)
Labonte supposedly agrees to contract extension with Petty's UPDATE 2: Bobby Labonte has reached an agreement to remain in the #43 car at Petty Enterprises after this season, sources told ESPN.com on Saturday. Labonte has been widely speculated as a candidate to drive the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing, but Petty officials have remained adamant that he will spend the rest of his career with the organization and that he is determined to be the driver that puts the 43 back into Victory lane. David Hovis, a spokesman for Petty Enterprises, said the team had nothing to announce Saturday about Labonte's future. "We still remain 100% convinced that Bobby will be with Petty Enterprises next season," Hovis said. Sources said Labonte's new deal will be announced as soon as details concerning a new sponsor are worked out. General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor, will be on the fourth car at RCR next season.
Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty, has been the most outspoken on Labonte's commitment to Petty Enterprises. He remained that way on Saturday.
"As far as I know Bobby Labonte will be with us for a long time," he said before the Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. "I feel confident where we're at with Petty Enterprises and with Bobby. In due time Petty Enterprises will have a lot of announcements coming forward." One is that a Petty has finalized a deal with New York-based Medallion Financial as a business partner. Loomis said that could come within the next month to six weeks. The other concerns Labonte's new sponsor. General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor, will be on the fourth car at RCR next season. Loomis said negotiations for a new sponsor are going well, noting Labonte's "brand is clean like the Petty's."(ESPN.com), one rumored sponsor for the #43 team has been Caterpillar, whose deal with Bill Davis Racing and the #22 Toyota runs out at the end of 2008.(5-3-2008) UPDATE 2: from an ESPN.com post from #43 crew chief Jeff Meendering: "As for reports that Bobby Labonte has signed with the team, I don't think that anything is set in stone there. They are getting really close on working everything out. But to say anything is set in stone might have been some speculation. When everything started blowing up with that story, the guys on our team never paid any attention to that. We have really good management here that takes care of that and allows us to go to the track and race. I still feel like Bobby will be here next year, but I know they're not totally done with it. I think they're getting close, though."(ESPN.com)(5-10-2008) Comment here
Special scheme for Labonte in #43: #43-Bobby Labonte will drive this special paint scheme marking the 50th Anniversary of the King's first NASCAR race. Labonte is scheduled to drive this car on July 12, 2008 at the LifeLock.com 400 in Chicagoland. See image on my #43 Team Schemes page.(5-9-2008)
Bobby Labonte Celebrity Golf Classic raises over $100,000: Bobby Labonte and wife Donna hosted the fifth annual Bobby Labonte Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic on Tuesday, April 29 with over 100 participants taking part at the Ballantyne Resort Golf Course. The Golf Classic was preceded the night before by a dinner, silent and live auctions and a concert by country music artist Eric Church at the Ballantyne Resort Lodge. The activities ended with an awards luncheon Tuesday afternoon. All proceeds raised for the Bobby Labonte Foundation during the two days benefitted charities including the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Over $100,000 was raised for the Bobby Labonte Foundation through the tournament and auctions. One of the highlights of the auction included Ms. Lynda Petty, the wife of Richard, who bid on an autographed Brett Favre Jersey. The item was won by Ms. Petty who will place the jersey in the Richard Petty Museum. The Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre have been favorites of the entire Petty family throughout the years.(Breaking Limits PR)(5-2-2008)
Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer...on the #43 IMAGES added: This weekend at Richmond, the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge of Bobby Labonte will sport a special paint scheme to promote the new movie, Speed Racer, which opens across the country May 9. The paint scheme is reflective of Speed Racer’s Mach 5, the car driven by the character in both the classic 1960s animated series and the new live action family film. Labonte: "I appreciate NASCAR allowing us to have a little extra 'speed' this weekend. It's really cool to have the new Speed Racer movie on the side of the #43 Dodge for Richmond. Any young boy that grew up in the '70s watched Speed Racer. I know I did. To a kid that dreamed of growing up to be a racecar driver, that was the coolest show on television. They haven't given me a sneak preview yet, but I'm sure I'll check it out in the theaters."(Petty Racing/MCG Sports), add some cool images of the scheme to my #43 Team Schemes page.(4-30-2008) Comment here
The King's Hat Makes Visit to Troops in Iraq: With 200 wins and seven championship in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, "The King" Richard Petty is firmly woven into
the fabric of Americana as a true icon. While those numbers place him at the top of his profession, "The King" is dually noted for his generous giving of time and energy in support of others. As a member of the Dodge Motorsports family, Petty routinely takes part in Dodge's satellite conference calls over the Freedom Calls Satellite network. The video conference calls connect men and women on the front lines of Iraq with their favorite Dodge NASCAR drivers before certain races. While at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March, Petty was involved in one such call with a group of United States Army engineers from the Coalition Network Operations and Security Center (CNOSC). When the group commented on Petty's signature cowboy hat, he made sure that the group had one of their own. "Our soldiers sacrifice so much to allow us to live in a free country," said Petty. "When they asked me to send them one of my Charley One Horse hats I thought that was the least I could do. It meant the world to me that one of my hats could provide them with a little relief from what they deal with on a daily basis."
Petty is also heavily involved with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). The PVA works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with spinal cord injury and dysfunction (SCI/D) as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans' benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights. "Race car drivers are often called heroes, but the men and women of our military are the real heroes," continued Petty. "Not only do they need our
support when overseas, but also when they return to their lives back home."(MCG Sports/Petty Enterprises)(4-16-2008)
Only four drivers left: only four Sprint Cup drivers have ran all fifteen Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway including the race Sunday: #8-Mark Martin, #31-Jeff Burton, #24-Jeff Gordon and #43-Bobby Labonte. Martin and Burton have won at the track.(4-5-2008)
Petty Enterprises don't expect to lose Labonte: Petty Enterprises lost the sponsor of its famed # 43 car to Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday, but officials don't expect the driver to follow. STP was the sponsor of the #43 car that Richard Petty drove to 200 victories. Now with General Mills moving on, the car needs a sponsor again. Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said the organization is in the final stages of negotiating a deal that would keep 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte there for the remainder of his career. He said losing General Mills, the current sponsor of Labonte's car, will have no bearing on that. "I'm not worried about that at all," Loomis said of losing Labonte to RCR. "I feel as good about it as anything I've felt about in a long time." (ESPN.com)(4-5-2008) Comment here
Bobby Labonte Comments on Remainder of 2008 Season: Bobby Labonte continues to be totally focused on returning Petty Enterprises back to victory lane. He will
concentrate on those efforts for the remainder of the 2008 season. Contrary to reports, he has made no contractual agreements with any team beyond 2008. “I’m very humbled by the level of interest in my future, but at this time I’m concentrating all my efforts in getting Petty Enterprises back to victory lane. I feel good about all the positive steps that Petty
Enterprises has made and continues to make. General Mills has been a huge part of making the 43 team what it is today. I worked diligently with Petty Enterprises to continue General Mills involvement with the team. Today, we all learned they have made a decision. I truly appreciate all they have done to contribute to our success at Petty Enterprises. Moving forward, I’m going to work hard each week to win races. I want to do the best I can for Petty Enterprises and everyone who puts great cars under me each week. That’s our focus, and that’s what I feel is the right thing to do for all our partners. At this time, I have no intention to talk about my plans after 2008 because of the immediate tasks at hand. I respectively ask for everyone’s patience in this matter and, again, am humbled by everyone’s interest.”(Breaking Limits PR) AND: Petty Enterprises lost the sponsor of its famed #43 car to Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday, but officials don't expect the driver to follow. Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said the organization is in the final stages of negotiating a deal that would keep 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte there for the remainder of his career. He said losing General Mills, the current sponsor of Labonte's car, will have no bearing on that. "I'm not worried about that at all," Loomis said of losing Labonte to RCR. "I feel as good about it as anything I've felt about in a long time." Meanwhile, Childress is left with finding a fourth driver. Scott Wimmer is a potential candidate. He already has a Nationwide Series win for RCR this season and is scheduled to drive a handful of Cup races in a fourth RCR car.(ESPN.com)(4-2-2008)
Petty Enterprises looking for a sponsor of #43: Since 1949 Petty Enterprises has forged a legacy as the most successful organization in American motorsports history by forming lasting partnerships with trusted sponsors based on the Petty family principles of hard work, integrity, dedication and charity. These core values have produced some of the most enduring and successful partnerships in all of sports. In 2009 primary sponsorship of the famed #43 Dodge will become available for only the second time since .The King., Richard Petty partnered with STP in 1972—a relationship that continues to this day. Petty Enterprises‘ current partner, General Mills, has been the primary sponsor of the #43 for the past nine seasons and will continue through the end of the year. .We value our relationships with all of our sponsors,. said Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President, Operations. .We appreciate everything that General Mills has helped us accomplish over the past nine seasons both on and off of the track, and we wish them well in their future plans. The #43. driven by .King. Richard and his record 200 wins is synonymous with success not just at the highest levels of motorsports, but across all sports. 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte, continues that tradition today. .Bobby is one of the most marketable and popular drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,. said Brian Moffitt, Vice President, Marketing. .He and his family share the ideals and values of the Petty organization and he remains a key component to the long-term future of Petty Enterprises. While there is substantial sponsorship interest in Bobby and Petty Enterprises we will carefully consider our options to ensure the continuation of our rich tradition and to build on current momentum. Prospective partners are well aware of the special power of the .Petty. brand, as numerous surveys and marketing groups have identified Richard Petty as one of the most iconic brands in all of sports.. .I am proud of our organization‘s rich tradition.. said Richard Petty "We look at bringing in fresh resources and new partners as a real opportunity to further grow and improve the Petty organization. Especially those who share in the same core values of integrity, dedication and winning that have come to define Petty Enterprises.(Petty Enterprises/MCG Sports PR)(4-1-2008)
Labonte/General Mills to RCR in 2009? Richard Childress acknowledged that his organization is close to fielding a fourth team in the Sprint Cup Series, and Yahoo! Sports has learned that the driver of that car beginning in 2009 likely will be Bobby Labonte [currently #43 Petty Enterprises]. Sources close to the deal point to General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor with Petty Enterprises, coming along with him to RCR. According to Childress, he will field a fourth car sometime this season, though he wouldn't set an exact time frame. He did say things were progressing well and that he was pleased with how plans were coming together. "We're looking at entering a few races before the end of the season," Childress said. Childress entered a fourth car (#33) in selected races in 2007 with Scott Wimmer as the driver. Wimmer likely is the choice to be behind the wheel when the car makes it back onto the track this season. However, Labonte likely will be the full-time driver in 2009. Hiring Labonte would be an ace up the sleeve for RCR. Labonte is a past champion, which means he would get a champion's provisional that would guarantee him a spot in the field at the start of the '09 season. Labonte already has a relationship with Childress, having signed with RCR this year to drive the #21 Nationwide car on a part-time basis this season.(Yahoo Sports)(2-23-2008) UPDATE - RCR to Field Fourth Cup Team in '09 with General Mills Sponsorship: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and General Mills have agreed to terms on a multi-year partnership for the world's sixth-largest food company to sponsor the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy beginning with the 2009 Cup Series season. The driver for the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy will be announced at a later date. "RCR is honored to represent General Mills and its Cheerios, Hamburger Helper and many other brands in the NASCAR Cup Series," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "The partnership is another step in RCR's continued association with blue-chip global brands and companies. General Mills has a great history of activating its NASCAR programs so our focus now turns to the short list of drivers we feel will help continue that tradition as well as be at the same competitive level on the track as our current drivers and teams."
The 2009 season will mark General Mills' 13th year of sponsorship involvement in NASCAR as well as Richard Childress' 40th anniversary in the sport. RCR has earned 11 NASCAR championships, including six in the Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt, four in the Nationwide Series, and one in the Truck Series. Next year will be the first time RCR will run a fourth fulltime NASCAR Cup Series team.(RCR PR)(4-1-2008)
Petty finds investor? UPDATE: Yahoo! Sports has learned through two independent sources that Richard Petty [#43, #45] will soon announce that he has struck a deal with a major investor that should keep the Petty name in the sport it has been so instrumental in building. While it's obviously good to keep the Petty name alive in NASCAR, it also signals the beginning of the end of an era.(Yahoo!Sports)(3-9-2008) UPDATE: Richard Petty says he is further along in the process of finding an investor for his Petty Enterprises organization than he was last year when he was in talks with George Gillett. “We ain’t signed a thing," Petty said Friday at Martinsville Speedway. “But we are working on it. We’ve agreed to more things, but we’re not there yet.” Petty indicated that his family would still have control of the "racing parts” of the team. He also said the investors have been to the races. An announcement likely won’t come in the next couple of months, but Petty indicated that he is comfortable with where negotiations are. “If we decide to do it today, it’s going to take three months to get all the stuff done – it’s going to be a little while,” Petty said. “We ain’t got down to signing it. Until it’s signed, it’s [hard to predict]. We’ve done the leg work. … I wouldn’t have gotten this far if I haven’t felt pretty confident at this point.”(SceneDaily)(3-28-2008) Comment here
No Petty Racing points swap for Martinsville: Petty Enterprises officials say they will not ask NASCAR to approve a points swap between drivers Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. That means that Petty will need to qualify based on speed for the March 30 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The team could have swapped points between the drivers, helping get both into the field. Petty is outside the top 35 in owners points this season, with the locked-in field being set based on this season’s points starting with the Goody’s Orange Cool 500. Since Labonte is the 2000 Cup series champion, he would have been eligible for the past champions provisional as the most recent past champion outside the top 35. Instead, the team is not requesting a change, leaving Labonte 18th in points and Petty 40th.(SceneDaily)(3-19-2008) Comment here
Petty donates two Cup cars to VT: Petty Enterprises has donated two #43 Nextel Cup race cars to the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (VIPER). Richard Petty and son Kyle have donated the race cars to VIPER as research tools for mechanical engineering students pursuing graduate degrees. The Petty's decision was prompted by the Nextel Cup's retirement of the cars in preparation for the move to the "Car of Tomorrow" in 2008. Petty Enterprises General Manager Robbie Loomis noted in an ESPN.com article that the first donation would be to Virginia Tech for use at VIPER, primarily due to the research already underway there with a well-known motor sports team. "In this sport we need an area where we can groom and shape engineers to really fit the racing model. There always seems to be a disconnect between the book engineer and the actual applications engineer at the racetrack. So we hope we can bring that together for the future," said Loomis. VIPER Director Steve Southward couldn't agree more. "We are thrilled to have the race cars in the lab for hands-on experience. Working with these cars on our eight-post shaker rig allows our students to put what they learned about chassis engineering in class into practice in a way that leads to real know-how," said Southward. The VIPER program in mechanical engineering began in 2005. The institute offers unique programs, including testing of commercial vehicles.(Danville Register)(3-11-2008) Comment here
Petty could be out of top 35, is points swap with #43 possible? #45-Kyle Petty is optimistic that even though he is 40th in owners points that he could get back into the top 35. He believes his Petty Enterprise Dodge has been better than a year ago and mechanical gremlins have hurt the finishes as he sits 81 points out of the key 35th-place spot. “We had three bad races but I am more encouraged where we’re at than I was last year. and that is no joke,” Petty said Friday. “Our car has driven good at all three races.”
With the top 35 reverting to this year’s owners points following Bristol next week to determine the guaranteed spots in the lineup week to week, Petty does have another option to get back into the top 35 – he could swap owners points with teammate #43-Bobby Labonte. Labonte, as the 2000 Cup champion, would have access to a past champions provisional, if needed. Labonte, who is 14th in owners points, would still keep his driver points [with #44-Dale Jarrett retiring and #2-Kurt Busch 10th in owners points, Labonte would be guaranteed to make the races unless he used up his 6 past champion provisionals]. “It’s something we’ve thought about, but we haven’t talked about it [with everyone],” Petty Enterprises Executive Vice President Robbie Loomis said Sunday. Petty said the decision would be made by Loomis: “I haven’t thought about it because I’m not worried about it,” Petty said. The top-35 situation also could impact who eventually replaces Petty when he steps out of the car for six races to be in the booth for TNT’s Cup telecasts. The team used Chad McCumbee for one race and John Andretti for the others last year and it likely will be at least another month before those plans are settled. “We’re kind of waiting on this point deal to shake out,” Loomis said. “We have had a lot of drivers contact us about doing it. … I’m really, really big on McCumbee.(SceneDaily)(3-10-2008)
Labonte and The King go snowmobiling: Communication between driver and crew chief is one of the most important factors in developing a successful race team. This takes time to develop and can only be accomplished by both driver and crew chief working to get to know each other. Bobby Labonte and Jeff Meendering, driver and rookie crew
chief on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, are attempting to accelerate this learning process. After the extended race weekend in Fontana, Labonte and Meendering broke
away from racing to have some fun and find out more about each other. The two, along with "The King" Richard Petty, visited "The King's" Alpine, Wyoming home to ride snowmobiles. It is trips like these that promote a great relationship between the driver and crew chief.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(2-28-2008)
Special scheme on the #43 at Vegas MORE: This weekend at Las Vegas Bobby Labonte is running a special Cheerios "Circle of Helping Hearts" paint scheme on the #43 Petty Racing Dodge. More info about at cheerioshelpinghearts.com.(Petty Racing PR)(2-27-2008) MORE: Bobby Labonte knows the importance of a number. He races the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, one of the most famous and recognizable numbers in the history of the sport. Veteran media members, Wendy Venturini [SPEED Channel Reporter], Jenna Fryer [Associated Press Motorsports Journalist] and Krista Voda [Fox Sports Pit Road Reporter/SPEEDtrucks host] are also familiar with an important number. They each know that their cholesterol number is vital for them to continue to live a strong and healthy life. This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Venturini, Fryer and Voda will be wearing Cheerios “Circle of Helping Hearts” stickers to help raise awareness for women to “Know Your Number” and get cholesterol checks. Women’s heart disease is the number one killer among women today, making it more important for all females to “Know Your Number” and help take care of their heart. The Cheerios racing team will be doing their part on the track. Labonte will carry the “Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts” logo on the hood for this weekend’s race. The “Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts” is a reminder to help a heart and make a difference. Fans can enter a code found inside specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal or on containers of 8th Continent soy milk. Cheerios and 8th Continent will donate a $1.00 for each code entered. Through the code program, Cheerios and 8th Continent soy milk will donate up to $300,000 to WomenHeart, the nation’s only patient advocacy organization serving women with heart disease, to provide free cholesterol screening for communities of women in need. Together with 8th Continent soy milk, Cheerios is donating an additional $200,000 to WomenHeart, bringing the total possible contribution to $500,000.(Breaking Limits/General Mills PR)(2-27-2008) Comment here
Special scheme for Labonte at Calif UPDATE: This weekend at California Speedway #43-Bobby Labonte will run a special paint scheme for the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Program; the nationwide initiative lends a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community.(Petty Racing PR)(2-21-2008) UPDATE: This weekend, Bobby Labonte is bringing the colors and scheme of the #43 Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Dodge to the two-mile California Speedway. Labonte will be focused on racing up front to help raise awareness of the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grant program. The nationwide initiative lends
a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community. Labonte has not only had tremendous success on the track, but has volunteered his services to help communities off the track as well. Labonte will be a guest judge for the program. He plans to choose at least one of the MyhometownHelper.com selected grant winners to donate additional money from his foundation and/or to provide his own time to help in raising funds. The MyhometownHelper.com grant winners are selected by a panel that will review applicants’ essays of 250 words or less, describing how the grant will benefit their community project. From now until March 31st community groups seeking support can visit
MyHometownHelper.com to apply online for the grant. Grants will be awarded in the range of $500 to $15,000 dollars and all requests must be sponsored by a charitable organization, municipal or civic organization, or a public school. Funds will be awarded based on the merit of the project, including its impact on, and support within, the community, among other factors. Labonte will review from the winning grant essays in April. Last year, Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” gave away $130,000 in grants and plans to give away $200,000 this year. The Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grants have helped communities purchase new band equipment, build a school playground and fund a tornado warning system, among other great projects.(Breaking Limits PR)(2-24-2008)
Labonte/Genral Mills to RCR in 2009? Richard Childress acknowledged that his organization is close to fielding a fourth team in the Sprint Cup Series, and Yahoo! Sports has learned that the driver of that car beginning in 2009 likely will be Bobby Labonte [currently #43 Petty Enterprises]. Sources close to the deal point to General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor with Petty Enterprises, coming along with him to RCR. According to Childress, he will field a fourth car sometime this season, though he wouldn't set an exact time frame. He did say things were progressing well and that he was pleased with how plans were coming together. "We're looking at entering a few races before the end of the season," Childress said. Childress entered a fourth car (#33) in selected races in 2007 with Scott Wimmer as the driver. Wimmer likely is the choice to be behind the wheel when the car makes it back onto the track this season. However, Labonte likely will be the full-time driver in 2009. Hiring Labonte would be an ace up the sleeve for RCR. Labonte is a past champion, which means he would get a champion's provisional that would guarantee him a spot in the field at the start of the '09 season. Labonte already has a relationship with Childress, having signed with RCR this year to drive the #21 Nationwide car on a part-time basis this season.(Yahoo Sports)(2-23-2008) UPDATE: Dustin Long went to Labonte on Saturday to ask him about the report. Here's what he said.
Q: What about the report?
LABONTE: "I just say that kind of like where that world is. I don't really believe a whole lot of stuff that you read and half of what you say sometimes, so I don't put nothing into it. What's the good of any? That's crap.''
Q: Robbie Loomis said the Pettys have presented you a contract offer, so what's the next step as you consider your future?
LABONTE: "Behind closed doors you work on it yourself. You don't need to know about it. You know what I mean? It's just the way it is. That's my next step (laughing). My next step is not to talk about it to you (laughing).
I also talked to Robbie Loomis, VP of operations at Petty, about the report. Here's what he had to say:
Q: What about the report?
LOOMIS: "I think that everybody knows that Bobby came here with a three-year deal. We're negotiating with him right now, in the middle of that. As far as the General Mills part, that was pretty outlandish I thought because we have a lot of things in our contract how specifically they won't touch a sponsor that is with alcohol, so for the General Mills piece to be going over (to RCR, which has Jack Daniel's as sponsor of the 07 car) ... I really find surprising. It's something we're in negotiations for sure and see where everything shakes out.
Q: What do you mean by negotiations with Labonte? Define where that is.
LOOMIS: "By the end of the year his current contract will be up, the end of '08, so you start negotiating to see if he wants to stay and he wants to make sure we're making the steps of improvement. It's just a shame that the story come out now because it disrupts the guys on the team and we're doing a lot of good things. We've got (crew chief) Jeff Meendering on board. The presence of the race team, moving to the race shop, so many good things going on, you hate to have an outside circulating story affect the inside.
Q: Where are you in the negotiations?
LOOMIS: "He has a contract from us. It's up to him what he wants to do with it, hopefully, he wants to sign it. We'd really like Bobby Labonte to finish career out with Petty Enterprises and the contract that's presented is kind of laid out that way. We think his values and what he stands for is a good fit for us. We'll see where the future is.''
Q: When do you need an answer?
LOOMIS: "It's hard to say. We haven't really put a timeframe on it. Obviously the earlier the better so that everybody can get their eyes back on the racing.''(hamptonroads.com) AND: Petty Enterprises has offered Bobby Labonte a contract that it hopes keeps the 43-year-old driver with the team the rest of his career, although an internet report states he could be driving elsewhere next year. "I don't really believe a whole lot of stuff that you read and half of what you say sometimes, so I don't put nothing into it,'' Labonte said Saturday afternoon of the Yahoo! Sports report. Labonte, the 2000 series champion, is in the final year of his three-year contract with Petty Enterprises. Robbie Loomis, vice president for operations at Petty Enterprises, said the team is awaiting word from Labonte on the contract offer. "It's up to him what he wants to do with it,. Hopefully, he'll sign it,'' Loomis said. "We'd really like Bobby Labonte to finish his career out with Petty Enterprises and the contract that we presented him is kind of laid out that way. We think his values and what he stands for is a good fit with us.'' Loomis said he doesn't have a timetable on when the team would like a response from Labonte, but admits that "the earlier the better, so that everybody can get their eyes back on the racing.'' Labonte said whatever he does next will be behind closed doors. "My next step is not to talk about it,'' Labonte said. Loomis also said he does not see General Mills joining Richard Childress Racing as long as that team has Jack Daniel's sponsoring one of its cars. "We have a lot of things in our contract how specifically they won't touch a sponsor that is alcohol, so for the General Mills piece to be going over there ... I really find surprising,'' Loomis said.(Roanoke Times)(2-24-2008) Comment here.
Special scheme for Labonte at Calif: This weekend at California Speedway #43-Bobby Labonte will run a special paint scheme for the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Program; the nationwide initiative lends a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community.(Petty Racing PR)(2-21-2008)
New car chief for #43: Long time Yates Racing employee [car chief, crew chief, mechanic], Ray Fox Jr., is now the car chief for the #43 Cheerios Dodge for Petty Enterprises and driver Bobby Labonte. So Fox is working in the same building as he worked in last year since Petty Enterprises moved into the old Yates Racing shop over the 'off season'.(SPEED's coverage of the Media Tour)(1-25-2008)
Petty Enterprises Completes Move to Mooresville N.C.: Petty Enterprises is the newest resident of Race City, U.S.A. As of January 7, the organization began
operating completely out of their, 115,000 square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Since its inception in 1949 through the 2007 season, Petty Enterprises had been based out of Level Cross, N.C. Intertwined in the movement of man and machine is a renewed commitment to winning that produced such a successful legacy. "This is an exciting time to be a part of the Petty Enterprises' family," said Executive Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis. "NASCAR is going in a new direction with the new car, so we felt this was the right
time to make our transition. The fact that the move was finished ahead of schedule shows our determination."(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(1-8-2008)
Petty Enterprises Hires Derrick Finley as Technical Director: Petty Enterprises announced the immediate hiring of NASCAR veteran Derrick Finley to the position of technical director. Finley, 36, will oversee the full-time implementation of the Car of Tomorrow for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, driven by 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte, and the #45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/PVA Dodge, driven by Kyle Petty. His first order of business will be to accompany both teams to the NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing that will begin February 7th at the Daytona International Speedway. Finley brings over a decade of NASCAR experience to Petty Enterprises. Upon his graduation from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Finley held crew chief and engineering positions with several racing organizations. This gives Finley the unique blend of an engineering education and hands-on knowledge that is highly sought after in today's
world of auto racing. Finley is another integral piece in the growth of Petty Enterprises back to a championship-contending team. The move by the organization to a state-of-the-art shop in Mooresville, N.C. is almost complete. Several new hires will also give the team plenty of resources to compete for wins immediately.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(1-4-2008)
2007 Past News
Cheerios becomes 1st client for Labonte firm: General Mills has selected Breaking Limits as its motorsports agency for event and promotional marketing, giving Bobby Labonte's new firm its first client. Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, opened Breaking Limits in the fall as a full-service marketing agency. For the past two seasons, Cheerios, a General Mills brand, has been the primary sponsor on Labonte's #43 Dodge at Petty Enterprises. General Mills has sponsored the #43 since 2000, when it replaced longtime Petty sponsor STP. General Mills has been the only primary sponsor for the car since then. General Mills previously was an associate sponsor for Roush Racing's #6 Valvoline car driven by Mark Martin. "We're looking forward to help grow their brand and presence in the sport for years to come," Labonte said. Julie Busha, director of marketing at Breaking Limits, will oversee the account.(SportsBusiness Journal/NASCAR.com)(12-27-2007)
Petty Enterprises migrates south hoping to improve: By Jan. 2, 2008 most of the move for Petty Enterprises will be complete as the NASCAR operation moves its headquarters 74 miles south from Level Cross, N.C., to the recently vacated Robert Yates Racing buildings in Mooresville, N.C., much closer to most of the other top race shops who call North Carolina home. The red moving trucks with the Petty Enterprises logos displayed prominently on the side have been rolling out of 311 Branson Mill Rd. (a Randleman, N.C. mailing address but actually located in Level Cross) for weeks now, heading south toward the RYR complex in Mooresville. On Wednesday, the fabrication shop and machine shop personnel and their equipment were scheduled to complete their move from the old facility to the new. On Dec. 31, the finished fabrication and suspension folks and all their machinery is scheduled to arrive at their new working address. Most of the rest of the Petty operation will move into the new digs by Jan. 2, followed by the assembly and setup teams for the group's two Sprint Cup cars by Jan. 8. The #45 car driven by Kyle Petty, Richard's son, will leave for the first week of testing at Daytona out of Level Cross but will return to the new shop in Mooresville on Jan. 10. The #43 car driven by Bobby Labonte will leave for the second week of Daytona testing out of Level Cross around the same time and return to its new base of operations for good on Jan. 17. Back in Level Cross, Petty wants to make it clear that he isn't vacating the old place completely. "I'm still going to operate out of here, as far as a bunch of stuff that I do," said Richard, owner of 200 of the race wins claimed by Petty Enterprises. "My secretary will still be here and all that stuff. I'll spend a lot of time going back and forth, seeing what's going on at the race shop. But all my scheduling and all my deals will be done out of here, so I'll spend half my time here and half my time over there. I've got some of the deal done for the body shop. I've got a bunch of cars for them to work on and stuff," Richard said. "We might move the museum back up here [from its current location in Randleman]; we might run a [Nationwide Series] car out of here. We don't know yet. Our main deal now is let's leave this place in limbo, and let's go get our [Cup] racecars going down at the new place, our new main deal. Then we'll figure out what we're going to do with what we've got left."(see full story at NASCAR.com)(12-27-2007)
No Petty/GEM merger: For the time being, Petty Enterprises will go it alone in the increasingly costly world of NASCAR. Kyle Petty said Tuesday that Richard Petty has decided not to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Not at this time, at least. Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham were said to be discussing a merger or partnership that would have allowed Petty to maintain its identity.(Kansas City Star)(11-28-2007)
Bobby Labonte to Drive for Childress in Nationwide Series: Richard Childress Racing has signed Bobby Labonte to a part-time schedule driving its #21 Chevy in the 2008 Nationwide Series. Labonte will compete in 15 races.(RCR PR)(11-27-2007)
New crew chief for Labonte in 2008? UPDATE 2: Hearing that #24-Jeff Gordon's car chief [not crew chief], Jeff Meendering, will be Bobby Labonte's new crew chief of the #43 Cheerios/Petty Enterprises Dodge in 2008, replacing current #43 crew chief, Doug Randolph, will leave after the season and head to the #15 DEI team of Paul Menard.(11-9-2007) UPDATE: The car chief for Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevy says he will wait until after the season to decide whether he will leave Hendrick Motorsports to pursue opportunities as a crew chief. Jeff Meendering, who joined Hendrick in 1994 and has been part of the #24 team since 2000, said several teams are interested in acquiring his services, but he said he hasn't decided whether he will accept one of those positions. One of those teams is Petty Enterprises and its #43 car, which has an opening after crew chief Doug Randolph was hired by Dale Earnhardt Inc. An Internet rumor said Meendering had already decided to join Petty as a crew chief next season. "I've talked to them," Meendering said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "That's one of the options that's out there. I'm just trying to get through the season. I'm not committing to anything yet. I'm just looking at my options. I'm not saying I'm going to be doing anything different than [working at Hendrick] this year."(SceneDaily.com)(11-9-2007) UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises announced Jeff Meendering as the new crew chief of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Avenger driven by Bobby Labonte. Meendering, 30, will take over crew chief duties of the #43 team immediately and will see his first on track action with Labonte during a Goodyear tire test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, December 11-12. He joins Petty Enterprises after a 13-year stint with Hendrick Motorsports where for the past 2 ½ seasons he held the position of car chief on the #24 team of Jeff Gordon. In addition, Meendering assumed the role of interim crew chief of the #24 car for six races during the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Under his guidance the team scored top-10 finishes in each of the six races, with a high finish of second at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. Meendering will step into an organization that is showing a commitment to winning. Petty Enterprises recently announced that they will move into the Mooresville, N.C. shop the previously housed Robert Yates Racing. The hiring of Meendering will provide a talented leader to ease in the transition period.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(11-26-2007)
PE donating the 'old' cars to schools: Sunday's Ford 400 marks the final time Nextel Cup Series teams will run the standard-model racecar, so theoretically those machines become obsolete the moment the checkered flag falls. Again, theoretically. While most teams plan to sell those cars to ARCA teams for 20 cents on the dollar, or reallocate them to Busch East or NASCAR West driver development programs, Petty Enterprises will take a unique reinvestment approach focused on grooming future racing engineers. "We're going to take some of the old cars and donate them to universities [that have] good engineering programs, and hopefully we can get some return back on from the engineering side," said Robbie Loomis, Petty Enterprises GM. The idea was hatched on a flight home from a race. Loomis was discussing with Richard and Kyle Petty how they'd discard all of those old cars, and the thought of donation was broached. "There's just not a big outlet to sell them to ARCA teams and things like that," Loomis said. "We'll sell some to those teams, but we feel like the biggest benefit would be for the whole community, for the racing world, is to tie into some colleges and universities with great engineering programs." Among those schools, Loomis said, is Virginia Tech, with which he said Dodge Motorsports has already forged a partnership. Loomis said Dodge's technical team is setting up a test facility at Virginia International Raceway that will include an 8-post shock dynamometer for suspension simulation work. "It's right there at the racetrack," he said. "So we're trying to grow it, and for now it worked out because of the school and the location. "Virginia Tech has a great engineering program. You see what they're doing with Dodge -- there's a lot of things to gain there in the future. In this sport we need an area where we can groom and shape engineers to really fit the racing model. There always seems to be a disconnect between the book engineer and the actual applicable engineer at the racetrack. So hopefully we can bring that together for the future." The biggest gain should be in chassis engineering, as it would give students a real-world, hands-on look at NASCAR chassis engineering. While body work on the old cars doesn't truly transfer to the COT, Loomis said chassis engineering does. "There's a couple of schools in North Carolina we'll give to that have great engineering programs, and Virginia Tech, again, because of the ties with Dodge," he said. "And I'm sure there will be a few others calling now."(ESPN.com)(11-18-2007)
Bobby Labonte forms marketing agency: #43-Bobby Labonte has announced the formation of a full-service marketing agency, Breaking Limits, LLC. Labonte will serve as president of the company. Breaking Limits mission is to go above and beyond expectations for every partner with business professionals that have the integrity, morals and values that Labonte encompasses. Breaking Limits will offer sales, marketing and public and media relations capabilities to assist partners in exceeding their goals and objectives. Breaking Limits has commenced business effective immediately and will operate out of Huntersville, N.C. Three key employees of Breaking Limits have been announced; Mark Hughes, Chief Financial Officer, Julie Busha, Director of Marketing and Jeff Dennison, Director of Public and Media Relations. This is not Labonte's first business venture. He currently owns and
operates Bobby Labonte Enterprises and Bobby Labonte Racing both headquartered in Archdale, NC.(Breaking Limits PR)(11-14-2007)
Partnership in Petty's hands: The ball is in the court of Richard Petty as to whether there is a merger/partnership between Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham Motorsports. George Gillett, the majority owner of GEM, said he hoped to at least maintain a commercial relationship with the Pettys regarding their exchange of engines and chassis.
"Whether it goes further, that's up to Richard,'' Gillett said. Petty announced this past week that he is moving Petty Enterprises from Level Cross, N.C., into the Robert Yates Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C. He said the move is being made independent of talks with any organization wishing to partner with his. Gillett has expressed an interest in combining the two companies in a manner that would allow Petty Enterprises to maintain an identity. He would not say whether talks were ongoing, but did acknowledge a recent trip to the Victory Junction Gang Camp that the Pettys run for chronically ill children. "I don't know if I've cried as an adult as much as I did there,'' Gillett said.(ESPN.com)(11-12-2007)
Some changes at DEI? New crew chief for Menard? UPDATE confirmed: hearing that Dave Charpentier, current Paul Menard's crew chief on the #15 Menards/Dale Earnhardt Inc Chevy, will become DEI's Technical Director, overseeing the engineering support of the four Cup Teams [#01,#1,#8,#15] and development of DEI's race cars going forward. Also, hearing that Doug Randolph, current crew chief of Petty Enterprises #43 Dodge team that Bobby Labonte drives for, will become Paul Menard's crew chief of the #15 in 2008.(11-6-2007) UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Inc. continued to strengthen its motorsports operation with the promotion of several key industry experts and the addition of a veteran crew chief to its roster. Dave Charpentier, current crew chief of the #15 Menards Chevy, has been promoted to technical director, and Doug Randolph, current crew chief of the #43 Petty Enterprises car driven by Bobby Labonte, will take over as crew chief for Paul Menard and the #15. Charpentier, a long-time Dale Earnhardt Inc. employee, will oversee all aspects of engineering for the four-car Nextel Cup Series operation. He was trained as a nuclear engineer during a seven-year career in the United States Navy, and since 1989 has served in an engineering capacity with multiple NASCAR teams. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in nuclear science. Randolph is a University of Tennessee graduate and served as a crew chief at MB2 Motorsports/Ginn Racing for the previous four seasons. He will join the team on November 26. Walter Giles, current race engineer on the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, was named Director of Race Engineering and Jason Anderson was named Director of Design and Project Engineering. Giles and Anderson will report to Charpentier. In addition, Rex Garrett has been promoted to Director of Motorsports Operations. The nine-year Dale Earnhardt Inc. veteran will oversee the day-to-day activities of the race shop.(DEI PR)(11-8-2007)
New home for Petty's Cup teams to be announced UPDATE: on Wednesday Petty Enterprises will announce a new location for its Nextel Cup operation in 2008.(PE PR), past rumor has the new shop being Robert Yates Racing [Mooresville, NC], who will move to Concord near Roush Racing.(11-7-2007) UPDATE: The winningest organization in NASCAR announces its first move since its inception in 1949. Richard and Kyle Petty, in efforts to garner continued wins and championships, have agreed to move Petty Enterprises closer to the center of NASCAR activities in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area. They have reached a multi-year lease agreement for shop space located in the city of Mooresville. The space was formerly occupied by Robert Yates Racing and its two-car Nextel Cup operation. Petty Enterprises, founded by Richard's father, Lee, in 1949 as Lee Petty Engineering, is currently headquartered in Level Cross, North Carolina. At that location, the 60,000-square foot sprawling facility has become one of the most successful in motorsports' history. The organization has 268 Nextel Cup wins, 10 Nextel Cup titles and nine Daytona 500 trophies have been won from inside the hallowed ground. "Level Cross will always be the home of the wins and championships that the Petty family built," said team owner Richard Petty. "It is where Petty Enterprises was founded and where the team has won and built a legacy in NASCAR. Petty Enterprises and Level Cross are the same as Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers, Yankee Stadium and the New York Yankees and Boston Garden and the Boston Celtics." The move, to begin in December and completed by end of the year, includes the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil/Wells Fargo/Tire Kingdom Dodge driven by Kyle Petty. It's another move in the forward direction since 2006 when Robbie Loomis was named Vice President of Race Operations and 2000 Nextel Cup champion Bobby Labonte was announced as driver of the famed 43 Dodge. It has not yet been determined how the current location of Petty Enterprises will be used in 2008.(Petty Enterprises PR)(11-7-2007)
Richard Petty Visits USS Abraham Lincoln: Richard Petty will be a guest on the naval aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln on October 31, 2007. It will be Petty’s first visit on an aircraft carrier. Petty will travel to the Halsey Field Naval Air Station in San Diego, California where he will be taken to the ship. The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently out to sea preparing for its next deployment. Petty will spend the afternoon aboard the ship watching and participating in various naval base drills with the sailors. Petty is expected to take part in a landing on the flight deck in a dual-prop plane and spend time on the flight deck. He will also entertain troops by taking pictures and signing autographs for those on board.(Petty Racing PR)(10-31-2007)
Labonte Racing with Spoonfuls of Stories Paint Scheme: Bobby Labonte will be returning to his home state supporting the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program by running a #43 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge this weekend. The Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program helps get books into kids' hands and encourages parents and children to read together. Over the past six years, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories has distributed more than 30 million books free inside boxes of Cheerios cereal, and donated more than $2.5 million to support nonprofit partner First Book. See images of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(Petty Racing PR)(10-31-2007)
Labonte & Petty Could Switch Cars: Bobby Labonte could find himself in the #45 instead of the 43 at Petty Enterprises should Kyle Petty fall out of the top 35 in Nextel Cup owners' points over the next five weeks. Petty said he would consider switching cars with his teammate so both would be guaranteed a starting spot, him on Labonte's points [17th] and Labonte on his past champion's provisional, the remainder of this season. That also could help for next season if Labonte could race the #45 back into the top 35 that will be guaranteed a spot the first five races of 2008. "Yeah, we'd consider it," Petty said Saturday between practices at Martinsville Speedway. "I'm not gonna lie. Look, as long as they don't change the rules and the rulebook is written that way, we're in the business to run racecars. We have two racecars, the 43 and 45. Whatever it takes to get those in, I don't see the issue with it."(ESPN.com)(10-21-2007)
Labonte Goes Pink for the Cure: Bobby Labonte is partnering with General Mills this Saturday night at the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway located in Concord, North Carolina to help introduce "Pink for the Cure". Labonte will be driving the #43 Cheerios/Pink for the Cure Dodge in Saturday night's Bank of America 500. Labonte's pink "Pink for the Cure" Dodge is supporting the General Mills' campaign that donated $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and offers anyone touched by the disease the opportunity to join the cause. Fans can go to www.PinkTogether.com, an online community encouraging anyone touched by breast cancer to share their story. General Mills will donate $1 for every story shared on PinkTogether.com, up to $100,000, through October 31, 2007. Fans can also share their support by looking for General Mills products with special pink packaging including Cheerios, Progresso Soup and Nature Valley Granola Bars. By supporting these brands, consumers help ensure that General Mills can continue to support the fight against breast cancer. Labonte is pitching in to the cause by donating his Cheerios/Pink for the Cure uniform and helmet to be auctioned off to help raise more money for breast cancer awareness and research. Labonte's uniform will be auctioned off on www.komen.org while his race helmet will be auctioned off at www.bobbylabonte.com.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the car on the #43 Team Schemes page.(10-10-2007)
GEM-Petty deal on hold? Alex Gillett still hopes to work out a partnership with Petty Enterprises, although he admits talks have slowed. "What you've got is one of the most storied people in the sport," the co-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports said. "There is a lot of emotion attached to what they want to do in the future and who they want to move into the future with. I can respect that. If that means give them space or not space. We did it with Ray." Negotiations to merge Gillett with owner Ray Evernham lasted at least four months longer than anticipated because an underground storage tank had to first be removed from Evernham's property in Statesville, N.C., for environmental reasons. "A lot of people criticized us for taking too long to close," Gillett said. "Well, nobody asked us the question of why. Each one of these has a life cycle. You can't push it." Meanwhile, Gillett said GEM officials are talking to two or three drivers to replace Scott Riggs in the #10 next season. He acknowledged that Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier is a strong candidate even though he has only one Nextel Cup start. David Stremme, who was not re-signed by Chip Ganassi Racing, also is a candidate. "I'm not sure if you bring somebody like a Patrick Carpentier and throw him right into Nextel Cup," Gillett said. "So we've got some other good options in the No. 10 car we're exploring. We'll see over the next couple of weeks where that ends up."(ESPN.cpm)(10-8-2007)
Pillsbury scheme for Labonte: This weekend #43-Bobby Labonte heads to Talladega Superspeedway with the Pillsbury brand on the hood and sides of the famed
#43 Dodge.(Petty Racing PR)(10-4-2007)
The King talks about possible deal with Gillett: Petty Enterprises is not merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. But the Petty family and the Gillett family are exploring the possibility of a partnership. Richard Petty said Friday that his family's company needs a partner to remain competitive and he is further along in talks with George Gillett than any other potential partner in the past. "We're probably halfway there," said Petty, who owns Petty Enterprises. "We're doing a lot of talking, I'll put it that way. We have not signed any papers." When asked if a deal could be done by the start of next season, Petty said "that's a good question" and "we're way on down the road, but we don't know how far down the road we are. Petty said he envisions that if he and Gillett partner at Petty Enterprises, the team would then purchase chassis, and bodies from GEM as well as to continue to buy engines from the team. The two teams, though, would remain as separate companies. There are plenty of sticking points, including how many teams would be in the Petty fold. Gillett could not have an ownership stake in three cars at GEM (#9 with Kasey Kahne, #19 with Elliott Sadler, #10 with Scott Riggs) and then two cars in Petty (#43 with Bobby Labonte, #45 with Kyle Petty) - he would be over the four-team limit. "We at Petty Enterprises are not looking to do away with any of our cars," Petty said. "So he's caught in some situations and we're caught in some situations. ... You never look at going backwards. Even with getting all the engineering and everything from other people, you need something to bounce your people off of, so that's the reason that I would think you would have to have ... two cars." When asked if he was forced to choose between his car numbers, Petty said the 43 would always be with his team but "we haven't gotten that far along" in the discussions. For Petty, the deal is difficult and he called emotional issues about selling his team "half the battle right now." "The deal with us is that we're the Petty name," said Petty, whose team started when NASCAR started in 1949. "We do Petty Enterprises. We've got the Richard Petty Driving Experience. We've got Victory Junction Gang Camp. That's all encompassed, that's all basically one deal. For now, GEM and Petty will still share information as they have for much of this season.(SceneDaily.com)(9-23-2007)
Labonte To Make 500th Consecutive Start: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the one-mile, banked Dover International Speedway for Sunday's Dodge Dealers 400. Labonte will be making his 500th consecutive start this weekend [the 9th most all-time, see my MISC Stats page for the list.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(9-19-2007)
More on the GEM/Petty 'merger': George Gillett Jr., the majority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, has been a big fan of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty for more than 30 years. Now he wants to be business partners. Gillett is actively pursuing a merger that would make Petty Enterprises and GEM a four-car team. Sources close to the situation say the merger likely would happen before the start of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, with Petty likely moving his two-car operation of #43-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty to GEM's Statesville [NC] facility. Gillett would only confirm that there have been discussions. "He's a man of great integrity, honesty," Gillett said of Petty. "His values are something like I've never seen. ... I'd love to figure out a way to be associated with him. I'm not prepared to say any more than that today. Richard and I are good friends." GEM minority owner Ray Evernham said such a deal would make both organizations stronger. "From my point of view, I would like to see that happen," Evernham said of the merger. "For me, the sooner the better." Evernham has been looking to expand to four teams. The difference here, he said, is he would have four good teams that are solidly in the top 35 for next season. Gillett said expansion is the only way to keep up, and not just in terms of teams. He is looking to build a large shop in the Charlotte area that will become a destination for racing fans. "Ray Evernham has every bit of technical skill and genius as the best of any one of those programs," he said of Evernham, who won three Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief. "So we will deploy ourselves in a way that gives us as much competitive strength as is possible to do within the rules." To stay within those rules, specifically NASCAR's four-car limit, GEM would have to lose one of its three teams to merge with Petty. The #10 driven by Scott Riggs is the likely target. Riggs is 37th in [drivers and owners] points, well behind Kahne in 22nd [drivers] and Elliott Sadler in 25th [drivers]. Gillett acknowledged that he would like to get more seat time for Patrick Carpentier, who finished 22nd when he replaced Riggs at the Watkins Glen road course last month. "We had our first test with him yesterday on an oval," [Kentucky Speedway] he said. "We're going over the data. ... I can tell you he looked very good and very comfortable on the track. He was competitive. It doesn't appear there will be any significant learning curve." Regardless, to merge with Petty Enterprises there would be no room for Carpentier in a Cup car. "It's all about the number of cars," Gillett said. "We would have to get rid of one of the cars here. Whether 'get rid of' means mothball or have it aligned with another team ... there are a number of teams out there that don't have four cars, several of whom we already have relationships with." GEM and Petty, which would remain under the Petty Enterprises umbrella, potentially could have the knowledge of six to eight cars under that scenario as Roush Fenway Racing plans to do under its partnership with Yates Racing. "As you can see, we've got technical excellence, a commitment to technology and upstanding people," Gillett said. "We need to exploit that. That can be exploited in any number of ways."(ESPN.com), on has to wonder..... what about Petty Enterprises long standing non-alcohol sponsorship policy? neither the #43-Labonte or #45-Petty cars carry any form of alcohol [beer or spirits] decals/sponsorship - like the Bud Pole award. How would teaming up with GEM and the #9 Budweiser sponsorship effect this policy?(9-19-2007)
Latest on the GEM-Petty merger: A possible merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises would benefit both teams from a competition standpoint, Petty vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis said Saturday. In a season of mergers, GEM and Petty are just the latest to talk about combining their teams and resources. From Loomis' view on the competition side, sharing engineering would only help. Loomis pointed to the agreement between Roush Fenway Racing and Yates Racing - in which the teams will share information, cars and motors - as one that might work for Petty and GEM. "I think that's the same thing we're trying," he said. "The model of the sport has been created by NASCAR, the framework has been set with the rules. And now we're trying to figure out how to make Petty Enterprises bigger and larger." Petty already gets its engines from GEM. Evernham, who is focused more on the racing and less on the business since selling a majority share of his company to George Gillett, said he would welcome the opportunity to work with the Pettys and "especially Bobby Labonte." "There's obviously discussions going on," he said. "I don't know exactly where they're at. ... I think it would be a good thing for both organizations." Loomis said in the year and a half since he returned to the Petty organization, he'd been approached by three or four teams about doing various deals with the 43 car in particular. "That's what everybody is interested in, they're interested in the Petty brand and the 43," he said. "It's such a clean thing. You look at the things with Kyle Petty and Victory Junction Gang [Camp] and everything they stand for, their worth is worth a lot more than what's on the race track. And what I want to do is make sure we've got the money and the tools to operate on the race track. Right now we're operating on half to a third of the budget that the big teams are operating on, so I want to make sure that we're going to get the money and the financing to carry the company forward and take it to the next level while we still keep what I call the 'P' in the Petty - the things off the track that makes Petty feel good."(SceneDaily.com)(9-16-2007)
Special Scheme for Labonte at NHIS: This weekend Bobby Labonte has some visitors along for the ride for Sunday's New Hampshire 300 at the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway. General Mills characters Lucky, Trix, Sonny and Buzz Bee will make up the #43 Cheerios Racing/Trix, Lucky and Friends Dodge. It's the first time that all characters have shared the hood and sides of the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge. Labonte, who will be dressed in the characters colors, will be making his 26th consecutive start at New Hampshire this weekend. Labonte made his 500th Nextel Cup career start last weekend and will be making his 499th consecutive start this weekend.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(9-11-2007)
GEM/Petty to merge? Petty Enterprises, NASCAR's most storied organization, is open to a change of ownership. The two-car operation owned by seven-time champion Richard Petty is having discussions with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. that would allow it to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and form a four-car Nextel Cup organization. "They have quoted some numbers,'' Kyle Petty, the CEO of Petty Enterprises and driver of the #45 Dodge, said on Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Gillett recently purchased majority ownership of Evernham Motorsports, now known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Petty said Gillett has floated an offer in which the companies would merge but allow Petty Enterprises to continue working under its flagship name. For that to happen, Gillett Evernham Motorsports would have to drop one of its three teams to comply with NASCAR's cap of four cars. The #10 car of Scott Riggs would be the most likely victim. Riggs is out of the top 35 in owner's points that automatically qualify for races and his contract is up after this season. Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler are solidly in the top 35 in owner's points with Kahne at 22 and Sadler at 28. Both Petty Enterprises cars also are in the top 35 with Bobby Labonte at 18 and Kyle Petty at 34. Evernham said there's no doubt the proper business model is for a four-car operation. Because he already has a relationship with the Pettys, supplying the organization with engines and technical support, he would be all for a merger. "I think we could combine the organizations and be stronger,'' he said. "How the car numbers work, I don't know.'' Petty said he is far from a deal with Gillett, which took more than six months to finalize his deal with Evernham, or any suitor. Should a merger with Gillett occur, Petty said the organization would consider every option from relocating to Salisbury, N.C., as has been discussed regardless to moving to Evernham's shop in Statesville, N.C. "We've been in this business 60 years,'' Petty said. "When you look at it this just seems to be the trend of the moment. Do you jump on the trend of the moment or do you stay the course? We've been the same course for 60 years. Whether that's the right course or wrong course I'm not going to say.''(ESPN.com)(9-8-2007)
Bobby Labonte Joins 500 Club: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Avenger team head to Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night's Richmond 400. Saturday's race will be Labonte's 500th career start. Labonte joins active drivers Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip to have eclipsed 500 career starts (not counting Sterling Marlin or Ken Schrader). Labonte and Rudd are the only two drivers to have over 500 starts and have started every race this season [until this weekend when Rudd will miss the race due to injury]. Labonte, 43, is also the youngest active driver to have 500 starts. This weekend's start will be Labonte's 498th consecutive Nextel Cup start. He is second on that list, only behind Jeff Gordon by one start [Gordon will make his 500th start next week at NHIS].(Petty Racing PR), see image of the scheme on my #43 Team Scheme page.(9-6-2007)
Special scheme for Labonte at Calif: Bobby Labonte's #43 Dodge will be carrying the colors of Totino's Pizza Rolls this Labor Day weekend at California Speedway. It's the second time that Totino's Pizza Rolls has been on the car this season, last time at Indy in July. Sunday's start will be Labonte's 499th career start, Labonte will make his 500th start at Richmond next week.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2007)
Andrews injured in fall UPDATE: Paul Andrews [former crew chief for Bobby Labonte and 1992 Cup Champion crew chief] was seriously injured in an accident at his shop [Tim Andrews Busch East car] in Mooresville, NC late yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon. He fell off a ladder in the shop while changing a light bulb, and fell about 30 ft. to the floor. He was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Andrews suffered a compression fracture of his spine, a crushed left ankle, and some broken bones in his right ankle.(8-17-2007) UPDATE: been told that Paul Andrews out of the hospital last Tuesday, August 21st and is back home, but will have surgery Tuesday [Aug 28] to reconstruct his heel. Andrews is expected to be back home Tuesday night or Wednesday morning after the surgery. He's wearing a back brace now, but is expected to be pretty mobile in about a week and is planning on a speedy and full recovery. Andrews has been taking calls from a few teams about crew chief positions once he's recovered.(8-27-2007)
New Crew Chief for Bobby Labonte: Petty Enterprises announces veteran Doug Randolph as crew chief for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by 2000 Nextel Cup Champion Bobby Labonte. Randolph, who takes over the crew chief duties from Paul Andrews, will be on top of the pit box for this weekend's 3M Performance 400 at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. "Doug Randolph brings an outstanding resume to Petty Enterprises," said Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis. "He was a winner in the Busch Series and he brings a wealth of knowledge to this team. Bobby (Labonte) and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team need to take the next step. Doug is the leader that we feel can do that for us. Paul Andrews is a championship crew chief that did some great things during his time at Petty Enterprises," continued Loomis. "He is a man of high character that built a solid team around Bobby Labonte. We wish Paul all the best. We're still very involved with Tim Andrews as a development driver for Petty Enterprises and will continue that relationship." Petty Enterprises has plans of entering Tim Andrews in the ARCA Series event at the Talladega Superspeedway this October. Randolph, 41, brings over 20 years of NASCAR experience to Petty Enterprises. He most recently directed the NASCAR Busch Series efforts of Reagan Smith. "Looking at other options I felt working with everyone at Petty Enterprises was right for me," said Randolph. "Bobby is a championship driver and the organization is very determined to get back to victory lane."(Petty Racing PR), no word on the plan for former crew chief Paul Andrews.(8-14-2007)
Petty's plan to have Labonte back in 2008 and beyond: Petty Enterprises plans to have Bobby Labonte in the #43 Dodge for as long as he wants to drive. Labonte has been speculated as a candidate to become the fourth driver at Richard Childress Racing. But Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said Labonte has given no indication he plans to leave. He reminded that Labonte's contract runs through 2008 and that the organization is negotiating a long-term extension with the 2000 Nextel Cup champion. "I tell people I like having a driver everybody's talking about," Loomis said before Saturday's final practice at Watkins Glen International. "It's kind of like having a girlfriend or a wife. You want one that everyone's chasing. As people are probably talking to Bobby we're talking to him about extending it down the road. I feel very confident Bobby will be with Petty Enterprises until he's done driving." Loomis said Labonte's main concern is making sure the company has the people and equipment to contend for a spot in the championship chase. "He's 20th in points and he's a better driver than that,'' he said. Loomis hopes the decision to expand the deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to include chassis support as well as engines is a step in the right direction. Loomis said the deal ultimately could have GEM supplying complete chassis. "We've been working through the chassis development part of it," he said."It would be easier if they were winning six races like they were last year. Right now, we're trying to tread lightly as we move forward." Loomis said the organization remains on track to move from Level Cross, N.C., to a location closer to Charlotte, N.C., by 2009. He doesn't foresee a time when Petty Enterprises will completely merge with GEM or any other organization. "Petty Enterprises will always be Petty Enterprises,'' he said. "Richard and Kyle are in a family business that is real important to them.''
Meanwhile, RCR owner Richard Childress on Friday said that he has been in discussions with J.J. Yeley, who is losing his ride with Joe Gibbs Racing to Kyle Busch, to become his fourth driver.(ESPN.com)(8-12-2007)
Dodge Reconfirms Commitment to NASCAR: Mike Delahanty, senior manager of the Dodge Motorsports program, confirmed on Saturday at Pocono Raceway the manufacturer's long-term intent to remain in the series and an extension of Petty Enterprises' deal with Dodge. He also said its flagship Evernham Motorsports cars might have a different look next season. Cerberus Capital Management, an investment group, this week finalized its agreement to split the Chrysler brands away from DaimlerChrysler, but Delahanty said Dodge's motorsports involvement would not be affected, with the plan for four teams to run 10 cars next season. Delahanty declined to go into the details of rumors that connect Ray Evernham's team to possible deals with commercial sponsors such as Budweiser or a Masterfoods brand such as Snickers -- but said the #9 and 19 Dodges, which have carried Dodge Dealers and UAW sponsorship since the newest program began in 2001, might look different next season.(NASCAR.com)(8-5-2007)
#43 To Carry Special Decal This Weekend for Minneapolis Bridge Collapse: The #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge will honor the victims and those hurt in the Minneapolis (Minn.) bridge collapse this past week during Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. General Mills, a Minneapolis based company, and primary sponsor of Petty Enterprises will place a special decal on the hood and on the TV Panel of the #43 Dodge. The decal features a silhouette of the state of Minnesota with a heart and the date of the accident on top.(Petty Racing PR)(8-4-2007)
Labonte To Celebrate 500th With Fans: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge is already preparing for his 500th career start. Labonte will reach the "500 Club" when he takes the green flag Saturday night, September 8 during the Rock-n-Roll 400 at the Richmond International Raceway. Labonte is inviting fans to celebrate this milestone by offering a free "500th Career Start" T-shirt exclusively at bobbylabonte.com. Fans who order are automatically entered
into Labonte's exclusive online contest. Prizes include various signed Bobby Labonte merchandise/items including the grand prize, an authentic #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker helmet autographed by the 2000 Nextel Cup Series champion. "We just wanted to give something back to the fans for all their support," said Labonte. "You probably look at stats more after your career, but this milestone is a chance to say 'thanks' for all the fans that have been there for me. This sport is driven by the fans. This is something to show my appreciation."(Petty Racing/Moore Consulting Group PR)(7-31-2007)
Richard Petty named North Carolinian of the Year: He was already The King. Now, Richard Petty is the North Carolinian of the Year. Petty won a record 200 Cup races and seven Daytona 500 races. He won 27 races in 1967 alone, 18 races in 1970 and 21 in 1971. Since 2000, no driver has won more than eight in a season. Only the late Dale Earnhardt matched Petty's seven NASCAR championships. Petty was honored at the press association's annual meeting, held this year at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. The award started in 1993 and is given to North Carolinians who bring honor and recognition to the state. Other winners include evangelist Billy Graham and former North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole and banjo-picker Earl Scruggs.(AP/wnct.com)(7-28-2007)
Bobby Labonte to run Totino's Pizza Rolls at Indy: This weekend, Bobby Labonte travels to the world's most famous speedway, the Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway. Labonte heads to the Brickyard with Totino's Pizza Rolls on the side of the #43 Dodge. Labonte will race the #43 Totino's Pizza Rolls Dodge on a weekend that is highlighted by Sunday's Allstate 400.(Petty Racing PR)(7-26-2007)
Goody's scheme to run at Martinsville: on SPEED's NASCAR Live, the King, Richard Petty, was interviewed and showed the #43 Goody's Headache Powder Dodge that Bobby Labonte will run at Martinsville in October. Goody's is featured on the petty blue hood. See an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Scheme page.(7-6-2007)
Petty Racing looks to move shop in 2009: Petty Enterprises Vice President of Racing Operations Robbie Loomis said the team is making progress on its goal to move from its long-time home but likely won't leave it's Randleman, N.C., base until 2009. "We're definitely making a lot of progress," Loomis said. "We've looked at more land and sites and things. The scope and the size of the project has kind of changed a little bit. We were originally looking for 50-75 acres, and now we're looking for a lot more land than that." Loomis said the team would eventually like to expand to four cars, and there needs to be enough land to add shop space to accommodate the increased number of teams. The two-car team is now housed in a sprawling campus in Randleman, about 90 miles from Charlotte, N.C., the home of most NASCAR teams. "We're still trying to identify exactly where the best place to be for the land for all the employees that we have now and for the ones [who would join later]," Loomis said. That appears to be Salisbury, N.C., about halfway between Randleman and Charlotte. "Our main targeted area has been Salisbury," Loomis said. "We feel that's a good location to grow. But right now, there's a lot of things involved in making that next step and making the commitment to get the land." Loomis did say the team would "for sure" be in a new facility for the 2009 season but didn't speculate on exactly when a move would be made.(SceneDaily.com)(7-6-2007)
Happy Birthday to the King: Richard Petty, "The King" of NASCAR will celebrate his 70th birthday in his hometown of Randleman, North Carolina Monday. Petty is looking forward to be at home for the occasion. "I can't remember the last time I've been home to celebrate my birthday," stated Petty. "I've always been in Daytona. That was fine, too. We won a lot of races there, but it will be nice to be around the family. It's just the way the date landed this year." "I don't know what anyone has planned," continued Petty. "I leave that up to my wife. She will let me know and we'll do that. Then it's back to Daytona because that's what we know."(Petty Racing PR)(7-2-2007)
Bobby Labonte to run MIS Truck race for BHR: #43-Bobby Labonte climbs behind the wheel of the #4 Open Joist Dodge this weekend at Michigan. It will be his second start for BHR. Labonte drove this particular truck last season at Michigan and finished third. Mike Bliss was scheduled to pilot the Open Joist Dodge, but is unable due to a previous commitment with his Busch Series team [in Kentucky]. Labonte will be making his 10th NCTS start on Saturday. In nine previous races Labonte has scored one win, five top-five
finishes and five top-10 finishes.(BHR PR)(6-14-2007)
Labonte to run #43 Chocolate Chex Dodge at LMS: #43-Bobby Labonte, driver for Petty Enterprises, will trade his Cheerios yellow and Petty blue paint job to showcase a chocolate-themed paint scheme at the Coca Cola 600 on May 27th. Throughout the weekend Labonte will help launch new Chocolate Chex cereal for General Mills. With hopes of a winning weekend for Labonte in the #43 Chocolate Chex Dodge, Chex cereal wants to give race fans a chance to win. Thursday, May 24th through Saturday, May 26th at Food Lion Speed Street in uptown Charlotte, race fans can enter to win their very own 1937 Chocolate Chex Dodge Sedan LegendsT Car designed by artist Sam Bass. Race fans can just stop by the Chocolate Chex tent, vote for the NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award and receive an entry form. The winner will be notified the week of June 4 through a congratulatory phone call from Nextel Cup driver Bobby Labonte. Fans must be 18 or older to enter or win. Chocolate Chex is an oven toasted rice & corn cereal with a great chocolatey taste! Chocolate Chex has only 8 grams of sugar per serving, has natural antioxidants from whole grain and cocoa, and is a good source of Whole Grain. Chocolate Chex is a good source of calcium and Vitamin D; it is an excellent source of iron; it provides 9 other essential vitamins and minerals and is naturally cholesterol free.(Petty Racing PR)(5-23-2007)
King [Petty] to meet the Queen [of England]: Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II won't be the only royalty at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Richard Petty, otherwise known as "King Richard" in NASCAR circles, will fly to the Derby to meet with Queen Elizabeth after a special invitation from Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Petty then will return to Richmond International Raceway in time for Saturday night's Nextel Cup race in which he has two cars, the #43 of Bobby Labonte and #45 of Kyle Petty. The Queen was in Richmond on Thursday to address the Virginia General Assembly. She and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, then went to Jamestown to help commemorate the 400th anniversary of America's first permanent colony.(ESPN.com)(5-4-2007)
Labonte to ride with Spiderman at Talladega: This weekend Bobby Labonte has a guest. Labonte's #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge will be decaled with the company of Spiderman on board in anticipation of the movie Spiderman 3. The paint scheme will run for fans all weekend at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway as the team prepares for Sunday's Aaron's 499. Labonte and team head to Talladega after shaking some bad luck at Phoenix.The Cheerios Dodge team recorded their best finish of the season when they
finished eighth. It was the teams first top 10 finish of the season. Comments from Labonte as he prepares for this weekend's Aaron's 499:
"We've got Spiderman along for the ride this weekend. That's a great opportunity for us and we want to take advantage of it. It's always neat any time you have something like this on the car, but Spiderman has been a huge success. It's something pretty neat to be involved with. The Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge is always a sharp looking car. Having Spiderman on the sides, it's really cool. Hopefully we can give him a good ride. You know, paint schemes are a part of our sport. They came into the sport years ago and it was a really big deal. Today, you see so many of them, but it still keeps the sport interesting. We want fans to walk away on Sunday thinking, 'Man, that Spiderman car was pretty cool." I think it's good for the fans, the families and kids to get to see that every once and a while. We think
the Spiderman 3 scheme will get everyone excited."(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR), see an image of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(4-24-2007)
Tim Andrews Making ARCA Debut This weekend, Tim Andrews and the Cunningham Motorsports team head to the 1.33-mile, concrete-surfaced Nashville Superspeedway for Saturday's ARCA 150. Saturday's race will be Andrews first in his part-time schedule with Cunningham Motorsports in 2007. The team will compete in the ARCA Series as Andrews takes his next step in his driving career. Andrews won his first career NASCAR Busch East Series race at Dover International Speedway last September. Sunday's race is his first race since. Andrews has been climbing the racing ladder all his life. Winning poles and races has been a part of life. Learning at the sports highest levels has been too. Andrews is the weekly race spotter for Nextel Cup veteran Kyle Petty. Each weekend, Andrews studies and witnesses first-hand what it takes to be a winner at the highest levels of professional racing. It's that experience and his past winning marks that gives him an advantage this weekend. Andrews is the son of Petty Enterprises #43 crew chief Paul Andrews, who call the shots for Bobby Labonte and won a Cup championship with Alan Kulwicki in 1992.(Moore Consulting Group)(4-4-2007)
Petty may also look for invester: #45-Kyle Petty said Petty Enterprises may have to join Jack Roush, Richard Childress and other car owners and sign with a business partner, to keep making a go of it in this sport. Richard Petty was in Montreal this week checking out businesses [and at a Montreal Canadiens agem]. And fellow Dodge team owner Ray Evernham has been talking with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillet Jr. about a joint NASCAR business venture. Kyle Petty points to Petty Enterprises' close ties with Evernham Motorsports, particularly on the engine building side, and said it just makes sense to check out some of the people that Evernham is considering working with. "There's more to Petty Enterprises than just a race team going round in circles," Kyle Petty said, mentioning the company's other ventures. "So that makes Petty Enterprises a little different venture for a potential investor. "We have already folded our company into some of the stuff that Evernham Motorsports does, so as Ray begins to branch out and take on different partners, we need to find out who those partners are, and if there is an opportunity there we'd be foolish not to explore it."(Winston Salem Journal) AND Richard Petty, owner of Petty Enterprises, was an invited guest of Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett at Tuesday's Rangers-Canadiens game at the Bell Centre, Journal de Montréal reported this week. Kyle Petty didn't shed much light on what his father and Gillett talked about Friday. "As (team owner) Ray (Evernham) begins to branch out and take on different partners, we need who his partners are if we want to stay in businesses (with Evernham )," said Petty, who drives the No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge. "If there's an opportunity there, then we would be idiots not to explore it. We are exploring different avenues with different people." The Petty and Evernham organizations — both Dodge teams — have grown closer in recent months. Evernham builds Petty's engines and the two teams are sharing engineering knowledge. "Those conversations are between George and Richard. I really don't know what's going on there," Evernham said. Petty Enterprises' last victory came here eight years ago, but Kyle Petty said his family's company is still attractive to suitors. "The main part of what we do is race around in circles," he said. "This is our main job, but we have the (Richard Petty) Driving Experience that has 1,000 to 1,500 dates. We are starting a defensive driving program. There's a lot of stuff going on outside of this and that makes Petty Enterprises a little bit different opportunity for an investor."(USA Today)(3-31-2007)
Bobby Labonte to Drive Grand-Am Rolex Cup Sports Car at Martinsville: #43-Bobby Labonte will give NASCAR fans the chance to see a different kind of race car on the oval at Martinsville this Saturday. Blending the worlds of NASCAR short track racing with the Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes, Labonte will drive Finlay Motorsports' #19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation Ford Crawford on the track prior to Saturday's Craftsman Truck Series race. This is the same car Labonte drove in the 2007 Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race. Following a demonstration run on Martinsville's .526-mile paperclip-shaped oval, the brilliant orange and black-liveried car will be on display in VIRginia International Raceway's tent at Martinsville. The car is coming off a top-ten finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The car races in the series enjoyed by several other Nextel Cup drivers, including Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and now-retired Rusty Wallace in their entries at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Fans can examine the car closely meet and the Finlay and VIR teams at Martinsville and again at the Grand-Am Rolex Series VIR 400 April 27-29. Tickets can be purchased for VIR's major events online at Etix.com or in person at the gate. More info about VIRginia International Raceway at .(VIR PR)(3-29-2007)
Super 8 Motels Named Official Lodging Sponsor of Petty Enterprises: Super 8 Motels announced that it has signed an agreement with Petty Enterprises to become the official lodging partner and associate sponsor of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte. Beginning with the 2007 Nextel Cup Series season, the Super 8 logo will be displayed on Labonte's car and uniform, crew team's uniforms, team trailers, pit boxes and transporters including merchandise haulers. With this agreement, the Super 8 economy hotel chain will enter its 11th year as a NASCARR racing sponsor, according to Rosanne Zusman, Super 8 vice
president of marketing. With more than 2,000 Super 8 Motel locations worldwide, the Petty team, Labonte and racing fans can find clean, comfortable accommodations wherever their travels take them. The Super 8 brand features free continental breakfast and high-speed Internet access, free local calls and kids 17 and under stay free with an adult family member. Participating motels offer fax and copy services, exercise facilities and pools. Reservations and information are available by calling (800) 800-8000 or by visiting www.super8.com.(Petty Racing PR)(3-2-2007)
Bobby Labonte says Terry not contacted about #45 ride: #43-Bobby Labonte said he’s not spoken with his older brother Terry about pinch-hitting for Kyle Petty this summer when Petty steps out of the #45 Dodge to work as an analyst for TNT for five races.(SpeedTV.com)(2-9-2007)
Olympia Steel Buildings join Petty's as assoc sponsor: Olympia Steel Buildings announced that they have entered an agreement with Petty Enterprises to be the "Official Steel Building" of Petty Enterprises and an associate sponsor for drivers #43-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty for the 2007 Nextel Cup season. Under the agreement with Petty Enterprises, the Olympia Steel Buildings logo will be featured on the uniform sleeve of both Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. In addition, discounts for Olympia Steel Buildings will be given to 2007 Richard Petty Driving Experience participants and NASCAR fans who are visitors to Olympia's website www.olympiabuildings.com.(Moore Consulting Group PR)(2-6-2007)
Petty's may now run Busch Series: One team--Petty Enterprises--stands to gain when Busch drops out of the Busch Series after this season. The company, which does not associate with alcohol-based advertising [also No Bud sticker on the #43 or #45, so even if a pole is won, doesn't get pole award or entry into Bud Shootout], long has resisted running in the series because of the title sponsor. Now, Petty Enterprises might run in the series, which could help its Cup efforts.(Sporting News), Kyle Petty did own a Busch team, #45 Spree/Sprint Chevy] in 1999-2000 with Adam Petty before he was killed practicing at NHIS in May 2000, then Kyle took over the #45 for 15 races to finish out the season. They last ran in the series in 2001 with Steve Grissom in the #45 at Daytona.(2-5-2007)
Petty has seven race deal from tire companies UPDATE: Tire Kingdom/NTB/Merchant's Tire & Auto Centers are scheduled to sponsor #45-Kyle Petty in the Petty Enterprises Dodge for seven races in 2007. NTB [ National Tire and Battery] will be the sponsor at four races: Atlanta (3/18), Talladega (4/29), Chicago (7/15) and Texas (11/4); Tire Kingdom at Daytona in July and Charlotte in Oct. Merchant's Tire ay Richmond in May.(NTB Racing site), see images of the schemes on my #45 Team Schemes page.(2-1-2007) UPDATE: Track testing, COT testing, wind tunnel testing; it's all over. The month of January had everyone at Petty Enterprises preparing the #45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/Tire Kingdom Dodge and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for the 2007 racing season. The preparation is complete and both teams are looking forward to the beginning of the season. "The guys are committed to winning in 2007," said Executive Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis. "We saw good signs in both preseason test sessions (Daytona International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and we are in a good position to really have strong runs the first three races. We have hired new over-the-wall guys to make our pit stops better. We have hired in the engineering department and in the shop. All the guys want to show everyone what we have." Drivers Kyle Petty and Bobby Labonte both returned from Las Vegas testing knowing that the next time they are on track it counts. "It's another season for everyone," said Petty. "We have had the time to make changes and get better. I've said that we have better people at Petty Enterprises. We have great guys working on both teams. The '45' car was pretty good in Vegas testing, and we've made final changes to the Daytona car. As a driver you dream of the Daytona 500. It's here and we know what it takes to win it." Petty Enterprises has 11 wins at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. Labonte is a former runner-up in the event.
"We've been up front at Daytona with this Cheerios car and Vegas was a good learning experience," said Labonte. "We have done a lot of testing and a lot of preparation for the next few weeks. We have more experience as a team and that is a big positive step for us. The Vegas test was a good chance for us to see that new track configuration and surface. I'm glad we had the chance to get out there and test it before the race. That will help us once we go back. We want to get back to racing after what we did at the end of 2006."(Petty Racing PR)(2-2-2007)
Petty Enterprises Moving?..to Charlotte area? from a Clear!Blue/Dodge PR, Robbie Loomis quotes during the Nextel Media Tour, day 2:
DO YOU EVER ASK YOURSELF IF IT'S ALL WORTH IT? "It's definitely all worth it. We've talked about that about planning and organizing. We hope the next time we have one of these it's in that new facility. That's one of the things we want to work toward. At the same time, we obviously want to get ready for the Daytona 500, the Bristol race, other things along the way, but that's one of our major goals to be in our new facility. It would definitely be toward the south, whether it be Salisbury or Charlotte. It's a long way away. Right now we have to be focused on winning the Daytona 500. That's first and foremost on our minds."
COMMENT ON RELOCATING PETTY ENTERPRISES "Richard knows he needs to do it. He knows he needs the competition thing to keep attracting and drawing the better people. Deep down inside does he want to do it? No, but he knows it's something that needs to be done to raise the level of the team and keep building on that foundation we've got started. It would be at least 12-18 months before we have ground breaking. I think there will always be something here (Level Cross, N.C.). That's always been Richard's biggest concern. If we come up with the planned facility, the big thing is going to be what goes on here. Kyle and Bobby both love road racing. I would love nothing more to have a series here so the boys here could work on those cars, the ones that don't want to transfer. I think this will be a combination of a race shop and museum."
COMMENT ON DRIVER DEVELOPMENT "We are watching a couple of young drivers. We're very high on Chase Miller. We think he's got a lot of natural raw talent, but it's got to be developed."(Clear!Blue/Dodge PR)(1-24-2007)
Goody's and Petty to Celebrate 30th Anniversary Together: For 30 years, the "King" Richard Petty has been synonymous with Goody's Headache Powders and its fast pain relief. Now through a landmark agreement, Petty's status as spokesperson for the fast pain relieving headache powders will be guaranteed for life. This announcement marks the first time a current or former NASCAR driver and a sponsor have agreed to lifetime terms. The lifetime contract guarantees that Petty, NASCAR's most decorated champion will continue his role as Goody's spokesperson and "expert on fast pain relief." This is a title that he has held since Goody's entered the sport in 1977. Petty will continue to star in Goody's advertising and make appearances on behalf of Goody's. Additionally, fans will have the opportunity to celebrate with "The King" and Goody's through a host of special promotions throughout 2007. These include limited edition Commemorative Goody's Headache Powders packaging featuring Petty's greatest moments along with a new logo titled "Goody's and 'The King', 30 Years Together." A sweepstakes to win "The King's" 30th Anniversary custom Dodge Charger will also take place to give fans a chance to drive like "The King." Petty's lifetime contract announcement is only the beginning of the most exciting year ever for Goody's. In 2007, Goody's will dramatically increase its involvement and participation in NASCAR with the Goody's Cool Orange 500 Nextel Cup race at Martinsville Speedway, the Headache of the Race Award, the Goody's Fast Relief Zone and a multitude of celebrations surrounding the Brand's 30th Anniversary in NASCAR, including car paints that will delight fans. Fans can also look forward to a major upcoming announcement with Goody's and two-time Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart. To further celebrate Richard Petty and his 30 years with Goody's, the brand has also announced a $50,000 donation to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Since the
camp opened in 2004, Goody's has continued its status as a major sponsor of Victory Junction and was the first company to donate $1,000,000 to help build the camp's hospital named "The Goody's Body Shop."(Lighthouse Marketing PR)(1-23-2007)
Labonte's Subway 500 Finish Helps Martinsville-Henry County Youngsters: Richard Petty's race cars have always run well at Martinsville Speedway. In fact, his cars have won more races on the half-mile oval than any other team. But it was a third-place finish by one of Petty's race cars at Martinsville Speedway on October 22 that made big winners out of youngsters in Martinsville and Henry County. Bobby Labonte, who now drives Petty's familiar #43 Dodge, finished third in the Subway 500 Nextel Cup race that afternoon, completing all 500 laps. That was the best run in several years at Martinsville for both Labonte and Petty Enterprises. And it couldn't
have come at a better time for reading programs in Martinsville and Henry County. Last fall Cheerios, Labonte's sponsor, and nonprofit
organization First Book created "Race to Books," an initiative to donate 43 books for every lap Labonte completed during the final 10 races of the 2006 season. By completing all 500 laps in the Subway 500, 21,500 children's books have been contributed to the United Way of Martinsville and Henry County by Cheerios and First Book. The books will be distributed by Success By 6, an early childhood program. Some of the books have also been given to the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club to use with their children's programs. The "Race For Books" projects raised a total of 126,893 books during the final 10 weeks of the 2006 Nextel Cup season.(Martinsville Speedway PR)(1-19-2007)
2006 Past News
Bobby Labonte Racing to field cars for Pearson Jr. Bobby Labonte Racing has reached an agreement with Dunn-Benson Motorsports and will field Late Model cars for the Jacksonville, Florida resident and three time Dirt Late Model National Champion Earl Pearson Jr. beginning with the 2007 season. The team will be based out of the Bobby Labonte Racing shop in Archdale, NC. The 2006 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Crew Chief of the Year Jason Fitzgerald will continue to handle the crew chief duties along with Matt Langston as additional full time crew for Bobby Labonte Racing. #43-Bobby Labonte is excited about the opportunity to field cars for Earl Pearson Jr. and to be a part of the huge sport of dirt late model racing. Bobby is equally excited to be associated with Carlton & Kemp Lamm and Dunn-Benson Motorsports. Bobby Labonte Racing and Earl Pearson Jr. are finalizing sponsorship for the team and working on their schedule for the 2007 season. A special press conference announcing more details and sponsorships about the new team is tentatively scheduled for the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando on December 14th. A new Bobby Labonte Racing website will be released in the near future for fans, sponsors, and the media to keep up with the new team and information about Earl Pearson Jr.(more at dunnbensonfordmotorsports.com)(12-5-2006)
Labonte, Cheerios raise 126,893 Books for Kids in Need through "Race for Books": Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43
Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, ended the 2006 racing season by starting a whole new chapter on reading for kids across the country. That's because for every lap Labonte completed in the last 10 races, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories and nonprofit partner First Book are donating 43 books to disadvantaged children in a "Race for Books." Labonte and the team's performance in the last 10 races raised a grand total of 126,893 books that will be donated to kids, and helped call attention to the importance of reading and getting books to children. The "Race for Books" kicked off September 17th at the New Hampshire International Speedway and wrapped up at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. In that time Labonte earned four top-10 finishes.(Moore Consulting Group PR)(11-28-2006)
#43 to sport Chex Most Popular Driver colors at Homestead: #43-Bobby Labonte will be behind the seat of the Chex Most Popular Driver Dodge for this weekend's event at Homestead-Miami Speedway to promote the Chex NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver of 2006 Award. Fans can vote at mostpopulardriver.com. ends at 11:59am/ct on November 20, 2006. Voting limited to one vote per person per email address per day. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won the award the last three years.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(11-15-2006)
Spoonfuls of Stories Paint Scheme for the #43 at Phoenix: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge team head to the flat one-mile Phoenix International Raceway for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500.
Labonte will be showcasing the Spoonfuls of Stories logos this weekend on the famous #43 Dodge. Labonte and the team are currently involved in Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories "Race for BOOKS!" Throughout the final 10 races of the season for every lap Labonte completes Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories will donate 43 books to kinds in need across the country through nonprofit partner First BookR. Through the first eight races Labonte has earned over 100,000 books heading into this weekend's event. The total number of books earned has been a direct result of the team's strong performance of late. Labonte has scored over 1,000 points in the last eight races. He has finished in the top 10 in four of those races and twice in the top five. Labonte was wrecked out of the first 'Chase' race in
Loudon and since then has finished no worse than 17th.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(11-8-2006)
Labonte Racing Cascadian Farms Dodge at Atlanta: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cascadian Farms Dodge team head to the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway for Sunday's Bass Pro Shops 500. Labonte will be racing the Cascadian Farms Dodge for the first time this season. In 1998, with the addition of Muir Glen tomatoes, Cascadian Farm became part of Small Planet Foods. In 2000, Small Planet Foods was purchased by General Mills, giving Cascadian Farm the opportunity to bring quality products to even more people around the country. Cascadian Farm has become a leading grower, manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of delicious organic products, from frozen fruit to breakfast cereal.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing), more info on Cascadian Farms at cascadianfarm.com, see images on my #43 Team Schemes page.(10-25-2006)
Petty Enterprises Notes: #43-Bobby Labonte finished third Sunday at Marrtinsville to score his fourth top 10 finish in the last five races.
- Labonte has scored two consecutive top five finishes- the first time since Fontanta (Race 10) and Richmond (Race 11) of 2004
- The Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team has a total of 8 top 10 finishes this season. Kyle Petty has two top-10 finishes this season.
- Petty Enterprises has a total of 10 top 10 finishes so far in 2006. That total is the most for the organization since 1999 when they had 19 with John Andretti and Kyle Petty
- Sunday's Subway 500 was the first time both PE cars finished in the Top-10 since Phoenix of 1999 (Race 32). Kyle Petty finished 7th and John Andretti 8th in that race.
- Labonte's finish on Sunday was the best for PE since Bristol (Race Six) of 2001 when Andretti finished second.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(10-23-2006)
Bugles and Books for the #43 at LMS: This weekend, Bobby Labonte, will be running the #43 Bugles Dodge at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Labonte has not finished worse than 17th at Lowe's Motor Speedway since 1999. Labonte continues the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories "Race for Books!" this weekend. Labonte has earned over 45,000 books so far this season. For every lap that Labonte completes the rest of the season, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories will donate 43 books to children in need through nonprofit partner First Book. You can log onto www.firstbook.org to see the Bookometer
updated weekly.(Petty Racing PR)(10-11-2006)
"The King" to Serve as Spokesperson for Leading Garden Brands: Central Garden & Pet Company announced that it has entered into a marketing alliance with Petty Marketing Company, LLC; the marketing arm of Petty Enterprises and racing legend Richard Petty. "The King" Richard Petty will initially serve as the spokesman for three of Central's leading lawn & garden brands: AMDRO Fire Ant Bait, Rebel Grass Seed and recently acquiredIRONITE mineral supplement. Petty will appear in TV and radio commercials beginning this fall and in 2007 supporting these premium brands. Petty will also be making personal appearances on behalf of Central Garden & Pet at key trade shows and at NASCAR events nationwide. The partnership with Petty Marketing will also include access to the popular Richard Petty Driving Experience, which Central plans to use in consumer and trade promotions to drive retail sales and build consumer awareness of its lawn and garden brands. More info at centralgardenandpet.com.Central Garden & Pet PR)(10-5-2006)
Labonte Gears Things Up in a Race for BOOKS! Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, has a reason to be excited heading into this weekend's race in Kansas. His seventh place finish last weekend in Dover means he has already helped CheeriosR Spoonfuls of StoriesR donate more than 26,000 books to kids in need all across the country through nonprofit partner First BookR. The "Race for BOOKS!" kicked off two weeks ago in New Hampshire. Labonte was racing towards the top 10 when he was taken out of contention in a wreck. Labonte, however, rebounded for his fifth top-10 finish of the season last weekend and completed all 400 laps. For every lap Labonte completes the rest of the season, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories will donate 43 books in an effort to call attention to the importance of reading and getting books to children. Depending on how many laps Labonte completes, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories could distribute more than 135,000 books to kids as the result of his efforts
As of this fall, Cheerios, through the Spoonfuls of Stories program, will have donated more than $2 million to First Book (www.firstbook.org), and given more than 25 million books to children free inside boxes of Cheerios cereal. For more information on the Race for Books and Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories, see www.cheerios.com.(PR)(10-1-2006)
Andrews son wins Busch East race: Tim Andrews competes in the fledgling Busch East Series sporadically, so it is rare that he gets to share the same track as the Nextel Cup drivers. Those are days the son of Nextel Cup crew chief Paul Andrews [#43-Bobby Labonte] relishes, a chance to open the eyes of some of the top teams in NASCAR. Andrews got an extra-special experience in the Sunoco 150 Busch East race at Dover International Speedway on Friday. He passed former Cup driver Steve Park on lap 148 and held the lead through a green-white-checkered finish to record his first career victory in what turned out to be a 157-mile race.(Delaware News Journal)(9-23-2006)
New car chief for Labonte? hearing that besides a new crew chief, Paul Andrews, Rick Bourgeois is the new car chief for #43-Bobby Labonte.(9-18-2006)
Labonte Races for Books: For every lap #43-Bobby Labonte completes from now until the end of the season Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories will donate 43 books per lap, which will be distributed to children in need, through nonprofit partner First Book. If Labonte completes every lap, a total of more than 135,000 books will be donated through Spoonfuls of Stories.(Petty Racing PR)(9-14-2006)
Labonte and Petty get new Crew Chiefs: In an effort to prepare for the 2007 season, Petty Enterprises announces crew chief changes on both the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge. Veteran Bill Wilburn has been hired to crew chief Kyle Petty and the #45 Dodge team. In addition, championship crew chief Paul Andrews will now handle the same duties for #43-Bobby Labonte. Greg Steadman returns to his position as Director of Competition. The changes are effective immediately.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(9-11-2006)
STP back on the #43 at RIR: #43-Bobby Labonte will head to Richmond sporting the famous STP colors this weekend. It is the second time this season that Labonte has raced the scheme. Labonte also went ‘retro' earlier this season at the Talladega Superspeedway. STP will donate $43 to the Victory Junction Gang Camp for the total laps completed of both the Talladega race and Saturday night's event.(Petty Racing PR), see images of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(9-7-2006)
#43 to run Hamburger Helper scheme at Bristol: Bobby Labonte and the #43 Hamburger Helper Dodge head to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night's Sharpie 500. Labonte will be racing the Hamburger Helper scheme for the only time this season. Labonte will be part of a press conference Friday afternoon at the Bristol Motor Speedway media center to announce a special promotion involving Hamburger Helper. The press conference is scheduled to begin at 2:30pm/et.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(8-22-2006)
Fruity Cheerios Scheme on the #43 at Michigan: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Fruity Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge head to the two-mile Michigan International Speedway for Sunday's GFS Marketplace 400. Labonte will be racing the colorful Fruity Cheerios paint scheme this weekend.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(8-16-2006)
Labonte not worried about Parrott leaving: #43-Bobby Labonte said he didn't expect Petty Enterprises to miss a beat despite the defection of crew chief Todd Parrott to Robert Yates Racing. With Greg Steadman as interim crew chief and executive vice president of race operations Robbie Loomis taking a more hands-on role. Steadman, Petty Enterprises' director of competition, is likely not auditioning for the permanent job of crew chief. "Of course, if Greg goes out and wins two or three races, we'll find a different competition director," Loomis said. "We want some body for the long haul, not a short-term thing," said Labonte, who reaffirmed that he was staying with Petty. "We've got a great base. We've just got to find the right person who will grow with the organization. We don't necessarily have to move forward quickly but we have to move forward very smart on the decisions we make to bring the right race cars to the race track the right setups before we ever get there."(USA Today)(8-12-2006)
Todd Parrott Returns to RYR; Steadman to Crew Chief the #43: Petty Enterprises and Robert Yates Racing jointly announce crew chief Todd Parrott will return to Robert Yates Racing. Greg Steadman, on an interim basis, will take over the crew chief duties on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte effective immediately. Parrott has years of experience at RYR and helped lead the organization to a championship with driver Dale Jarrett in 1999. Steadman is no stranger to the crew chief position. A long-standing employee of Petty Enterprises, Steadman is known as one of the top mechanical minds at the shop. Steadman will work hand-in-hand with Loomis, who will take a more active role on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge.(Petty Enterprises PR)(8-9-2006)
General Mills Extends Partnership with Petty Enterprises: Petty Enterprises announced General Mills will continue their primary sponsorship support of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series. A partner of Petty Enterprises since the summer of 2000, General Mills, and its Cheerios/Betty Crocker brands, will continue to grace the side of the famous "43" driven by 2000 Nextel Cup champion Bobby Labonte. The announcement was made Friday by Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Petty Enterprises, and Bob Welch, Director of Trade Marketing for General Mills. "We are very proud to have General Mills continue their support of our organization," said Loomis in making the announcement. "Their support of Petty Enterprises, the '43' team, and Bobby Labonte make it possible for us to get back into victory lane. That's our number one goal. It's important for us that we do that with General Mills.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(8-4-2006)
#51 Team ceases operations, sponsorship to Petty's UPDATE: been told that the #51 Competitive Edge Motorsports team has ceased operations and have confirmed that Marathon Petroleum Company will become major associate sponsor with Petty Enterprises with the #45 Dodge of Kyle Petty being most involved in the sponsorship as an associate sponsor at most races and primary sponsor of the #45 for a few races with the #43 Dodge of Bobby Labonte featuring the Marathon Petroleum Company logo at some races.(8-1-2006) UPDATE:Marathon Petroleum Company announced that the company's sponsorship in the Nextel Cup series is being moved to a new race team. The new sponsorship will begin with the Allstate 400 race at the Brickyard in Indianapolis. “Marathon is proud to move our sponsorship to the #45 Petty Enterprises team, with driver Kyle Petty,” said Mary Ellen Peters, senior vice president, Marketing. “The team is owned by Richard Petty, the man known as the ‘King of NASCAR.' We believe this move provides a continued presence for Marathon in all of the remaining races this season.” In addition to the Brickyard assosiate sponsorship [Tire KIngdom is the primary at Indy], the #45 car will carry the Marathon Brand as the primary sponsor for four races: Michigan, Bristol, Richmond, and Atlanta. Marathon also will be an associate sponsor on the car for this season's remaining races. “We're grateful that Competitive Edge Motorsports is allowing Marathon Oil to transfer their sponsorship,” said Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge. “We are looking forward to developing a strong partnership with Marathon , starting this weekend at one of the biggest events of the season.”(Petty Racing PR)(8-3-2006)
#43 scheme at Indy - Totino's MEGA Pizza Rolls: #43-Bobby Labonte will be racing a special paint scheme on the side of the famed '43' at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Allstate 400. Labonte will be racing the Totino's MEGA Pizza Rolls Dodge. Totino's MEGA Pizza Rolls are 2X bigger than regular Totino's Pizza Rolls brand pizza snacks. Labonte is one of only five full-time active drivers to have won this race, in 2000.(Petty Racing/Moore Consulting Group PR)(8-1-2006)
Labonte denies RYR rumor: #43-Bobby Labonte said quite emphatically to scratch reports he may be on car owner Robert Yates' list of drivers to try to sign for 2007. Labonte called the Yates' report "a stupid rumor." Yates is in the market for a high-profile driver to run for his two-car team, with Dale Jarrett leaving and with major questions about Elliott Sadler possibly leaving too. Yates will be testing newcomer Stephen Leicht, from Asheville, at Pocono and Indy, though it's unclear if Leight, 19, will even be able to make the field. Leicht is a promising racer, but with little NASCAR experience. However, there is speculation that Yates may go with Leicht in a full Nextel Cup ride next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-17-2006)
The New King of England: Richard Petty, driving his famous 1972 Dodge Charger, wowed the crowds at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Held on the grounds of historic Goodwood House in West Sussex and hosted by the Earl of March, the Goodwood Festival of Speed celebration (July 7-9) brought together the greatest competition cars and drivers from all eras of motorsports. Petty drove his restored 1972 Dodge Charger in the Hillclimb competition on the 1.16-mile course, which is the principal attraction of the Festival of Speed.(Clear!Blue PR)(7-11-2006)
Most Popular scheme on #43 at Chicago: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 ChexMostPopularDriver.com Dodge team head to the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway, located in Joliet, Illinois for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400. Labonte will be racing the "What's Your Mix" Dodge this weekend to help promote the Chex Most Popular Driver website. Labonte and General Mills will be making an announcement this Sunday morning at Chicagoland Speedway(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing PR)(7-5-2006)
Cinnabon featured on the #43 at Daytona: Bobby Labonte will race a specialty-schemed #43 Pillsbury/Cinnabon paint scheme this weekend in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.(Moore Consulting Group/Petty Racing), see an image of the car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(6-28-2006)
Labonte to drive #04 Truck at Michigan: Dodge Motorsports announced that Nextel Cup Driver Bobby Labonte will drive the #4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge in the Con-Way Freight 200 this Saturday at Michigan. It will be Labonte's first Truck Series start since Atlanta last October, and will also mark the first time he has competed in a Dodge Ram.(Bobby Hamilton Racing PR)(6-13-2006)
New Team for d’Hondt: Eddie d’Hondt, recently released as general manager at Robert Yates Racing, has landed at Petty Enterprisers, where he is working as a spotter for #43-Bobby Labonte.(Speed Channel)(6-12-2006)
Labonte to unveil cereal packages: On Friday, May 26 at Speed Street, #43-Bobby Labonte will unveil two limited-edition cereal packages, a Cheerios package featuring Labonte and his family and a Honey Nut Cheerios package featuring Labonte and "The King" Richard Petty. The new packages welcome Labonte and his family to the Cheerios Racing / Petty Enterprises family.(Axiom PR)(5-26-20006)
Go-GURT scheme for Labonte at LMS: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Go-GURT Dodge team head to the
1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway for Saturday night's Nextel All-Star Challenge. Labonte's drive will mark the return of the famed #43 Dodge to the All-Star Challenge. The #43 Dodge last ran the All-Star race in 2000 with John Andretti behind the wheel. Labonte will be supporting the colors of Go-GURT Portable Yogurt. It is the first-ever yogurt in a tube, the perfect snack for on-the-go kids. Labonte will
debut the #43 Go-GURT Portable Yogurt Dodge this weekend. The car will also race during the Coca-Cola 600 the following weekend.(Petty Enterprises/Moore Consulting Group PR)(5-17-2006)
Petty's and Toyota? DENIED: Kyle Petty told Benny Parsons on his nationally syndicated "Fast Talk" radio program [PRN] Monday night that Petty Enterprises would certainly consider switching to Toyota if it made the team more competitive. While Petty said nothing is currently on the horizon with the Japanese manufacturer, PE would be open to doing anything to help the team win.(RacingOne)(5-16-2006) UPDATE: Kyle Petty told Sirius Speedway (MRN/Sirius Satellite Radio) Tuesday that comments attributed to him concerning interest in Toyota were taken out of context. "Benny Parsons asked me if I would be interested in talking to Toyota, if it would benefit the team," said Petty. "I told him that I would never say never, but that we are extremely happy with what we have (with Dodge) and have
no plans to change. We haven't talked to anyone at Toyota, and we don't plan to."(MRN/Sirius Satellite Radio)(5-17-2006)
STP back on #43 at Talladega: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 STP Dodge team head to the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway for Sunday's Aaron's 499. The #43 Dodge will carry a retro STP paint scheme designed to pay tribute to one of the longest sponsorships in history of motorsports. It will be the first time in six years that STP has been the primary sponsor. They will commemorate the event by donating $43 for each lap completed to the Victory Junction Gang Camp.(Petty Racing PR), see image of the #43 STP car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(4-26-2006)
STP back with Petty? UPDATE 2 races: One of the most famous car designs in all of NASCAR history was the #43 STP design driven to victory lane all over the country by Richard Petty. It appears the STP name will once again grace a Petty-owned car as a primary sponsor, this time with another NASCAR champion at the wheel, Bobby Labonte.(CircleTrackPlus) UPDATE: the makers of STP products announced a return to the hood of the legendary #43 car being driven by former Nextel Cup champion, Bobby Labonte. The familiar red, white and blue STP logo will highlight a retro paint scheme designed to pay tribute to one of the longest running sponsorships in the history of stockcar racing and to launch the new STP Oil Stabilizer. STP will be the primary hood sponsor of Labonte's #43 Dodge for the Aaron's 499 at the Talladega Superspeedway on April 30 and the Chevy Rock &
Roll 400 at the Richmond International Raceway on September 9. To commemorate the occasion, the makers of STP products will donate $43 for each lap raced during these two events to the Petty family's charity, Victory Junction Gang Camp (VJGC).(PRN Newswire)(4-7-2006) IMAGE see an image of the car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(4-8-2006)
Labonte to run Intrepid at Calif: #43-Bobby Labonte will drive the 2004 Dodge Intrepid instead of the Charger in next week's Nextel Cup race at California. "Bobby came straight out of the Chevy into the Dodge camp,'' said Labonte's teammate/owner Kyle Petty. "He's not run a downforce Dodge car. So he's going to give us an honest assessment of where the Intrepid is compared to where the Monte Carlo is. For us, we feel it's a great opportunity for us to be able to use a driver of his caliber and say this is what it is.'' All of the Dodge teams are gathering data on the Charger for a test at Kentucky Speedway next month. The first test earlier this month was canceled due to weather, putting the teams further behind. If no solution is found, Dodge owners hope NASCAR will grant them some concessions on the spoiler to create more downforce. #12-Ryan Newman will race the Intrepid in the next five races.(NASCAR.com)(2-19-2006)
Parrott expected back with #43 team after illness: Petty Enterprises competition director Greg Steadman stepped back into his previous role as crew chief for Bobby Labonte last week at Daytona testing because new chief Todd Parrott was recovering from a bacterial infection in a Huntersville, NC, hospital. Parrott was expected to return to Petty Enterprises this week. The #43 team is scheduled to test for Goodyear at Texas Motor Speedway later this month and also will test its intermediate program starting January 30 at Las Vegas. Executive vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis says Petty's immediate goal is to "focus on the moment" and build confidence among the teams.(Sporting News)(1-16-2006)
2005 Past News
Parrott close to a new gig? UPDATE to #43 Petty: Todd Parrott [former RYR crew chief] won't be unemployed for long--he's weighing the options on two crew chief offers and a Toyota research and development role.(Sporting News)(12-5-2005) UPDATE: [1999] Nextel Cup Series champion Todd Parrott has been named crew chief for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team and driver Bobby Labonte. Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Operations and a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion himself, made the announcement. "While few can match him in knowledge and strategy, no one can match Todd Parrott when it comes to the desire to win," Loomis said. "Working together with Paul Andrews (crew chief for Kyle Petty's #45 Dodge and a former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion) and the talent we have here, we feel we have the ingredients to return Petty Enterprises to victory lane." Greg Steadman, who had been serving as crew chief for the #43, has been named Competition Director for Petty Enterprises and is involved with both race teams. "I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be a part of Petty Enterprises," Parrott said. "I've been a fan of Richard Petty since I could talk, and one of the most exciting times of my life is when my dad (Buddy Parrott) was crew chief for Richard. When I see the people who are coming into the organization and how hard everyone is working to get Petty Enterprises back to the top, I can't help but be excited to be a part of that," Parrott continued. "Robbie Loomis, Bobby Labonte . . . these guys are coming here for one reason, and that's to win." Parrott, 41, is a native of Charlotte, N.C. Winner of the 1999 NASCAR Nextel Cup championship with driver Dale Jarrett, Parrott begins his 12th year as a leader of NASCAR race teams in 2006. He grew up in the sport and began working on race cars when just 14 years old, developing into one of the top mechanical and strategy-minded names in motorsports.(Williams Company PR)(12-6-2005)
Petty's opt out of NSL UPDATE:National Sprintcar League officials learned Tuesday (November 22nd) that the Richard Petty Driving Experience, and Richard and Kyle Petty would no longer be a part of the NSL. Citing overwhelming demands in getting a start-up series off the ground, the Petty's informed the NSL of their decision. Despite the loss, the National Sprintcar League is moving forward with plans to race 410 winged sprintcars in 2006.(more at Motorsport.com)(11-29-2005) UPDATE: Richard Petty Driving Experience announced that it has withdrawn its support of the National SprintCar League effective immediately. "We formed this series with the intention of rebuilding and growing winged sprint car racing," said Kyle Petty. "We had a clear vision about how to undertake this. Unfortunately, our vision for the future of sprint car racing was not shared by all of the key stakeholders in the sport. We believe that a prolonged battle over control of the sport is not in the best interest of anyone involved. Hopefully, by stepping aside at this point, there is time for a common vision to emerge. We still believe that sprint car racing can thrive
in the United States and we hope that the tracks, drivers, teams and sanctioning bodies will put their individual interests aside and work towards some common ground to unify this great motor sports platform. We appreciate everyone who supported us in this endeavor."(Richard Petty Driving Experience /Williams Company PR)(11-30-2005)
Chex Mix on the #43 at Homestead: This weekend, Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway for Sunday’s Homestead-Miami 400. Green will be driving a #43 Chex Party Mix Dodge for this season-ending event.(Williams Company)(11-15-2005)
#43 Crew Chief? As for a crew chief for #43-Bobby Labonte next year, Robbie Loomis said the team is looking at a number of people, adding, “God willing, it won’t be me.”(Speed Channel)(11-12-2005)
Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 It's Official: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005) UPDATE 1 Announedment Sched: Petty Enterprises is scheduled to make an announcement on Friday, Nov. 11th at Phoenix International Raceway..........Bobby Labonte driver?(11-10-2005) UPDATE 2: On Friday, November 10th at Phoenix International Raceway, Petty Enterprises will announce that Nextel Cup champion, Bobby Labonte, will drive the #43 Cheerios / Betty Crocker Dodge in 2006. Labonte won the NEXTEL Cup championship in 2000 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, has 21 career NEXTEL Cup victories and claimed the NASCAR Busch Series Championship in 1991. Labonte started racing quarter midgets at the age of five in his hometown of Corpus Christi, TX. His brother is NASCAR champion Terry Labonte.(11-10-2005) OFFICIAL: Bobby Labonte, 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge beginning with the 2006 season, it was announced this morning by Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Operations, Petty Enterprises. Labonte, 41, joins Petty Enterprises from Joe Gibbs Racing where he won 21 Cup races and the 2000 NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship during his 10-year stretch with the team. He will be a teammate to Kyle Petty, and will also work first-hand with Loomis, who is rejoining the organization after a successful championship-winning stint at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Winning in our sport is a learned process," said Loomis. "The heritage of Petty Enterprises, coupled with a talented, successful driver like Bobby Labonte, will lead to some great things. There's a lot of work to be done, but we have some tremendous tools here and we're excited about the future."
"We're bringing some serious firepower to the #43 Cheerios Dodge next year and I am excited about having Bobby Labonte as a teammate," Kyle Petty said. "Bobby knows how to win races and how to win championships, as does Robbie Loomis."
"I'm really pleased to be part of Petty Enterprises," Labonte said. "When I first came into this sport, my heroes were Terry Labonte and Richard Petty. To have the opportunity to drive Richard Petty's #43 car is something I could not have imagined growing up. The #43 knows its way to victory lane, and we'll get it back there. I am looking forward to working with Robbie, Kyle, The King and the entire Petty team. And, I'm excited about working with households names like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, along with the entire General Mills team. I had a great run at Joe Gibbs Racing, and have the utmost respect for that organization and appreciate all they did for me. I am fortunate to be going to another high quality organization in Petty Enterprises," Labonte said.
"Just like Cheerios and Betty Crocker, Bobby Labonte is committed to winning, to family and to community," added General Mills Vice President Laurie Greeno. "We at General Mills are thrilled to have Bobby join the #43 team."(Williams Company)(11-11-2005)
Bobby Labonte to the #43? UPDATE 3 Labonte parts ways with JGR: Bobby Labonte to the #43 Petty Enterprises ride Jeff Green would vacate [for the #0 Chevy].(Sporting News)(10-17-2005) UPDATE: Speed Channel's Bob Dillner reported on Saturday's Speed News that he is hearing Bobby Labonte will go to Petty Enterprises and drive the famed #43 Dodge....while I WAS hearing he would go to Ganassi Racing in the #42, it seems that deal broke down and ALSO hearing Labonte could end up in the #22 Caterpillar Dodge....looks like the Dodge part is a lock.(11-6-2005) UPDATE 2 - Yeley to the #18? #18-Bobby Labonte has refused for several months to talk about his future plans, and he has become increasingly testy when pressed on the issue. Labonte is being actively wooed by both Bill Davis and Kyle Petty for 2006, and Joe Gibbs, Labonte's current car owner, has been told that Labonte won't be back, according to sources. Gibbs has tentatively set a press conference for next week at Phoenix to announce J. J. Yeley as Labonte's replacement, regardless of which direction Labonte takes.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-7-2005) UPDATE 3: Bobby Labonte and Joe Gibbs Racing will conclude an 11-year relationship at the end of the 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series season, Labonte and officials from JGR announced Nov. 7. Labonte’s future plans, as well as a replacement driver for the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet, will be announced at a later date. “I regret to say that this is the final year that I will be at Joe Gibbs Racing,” Labonte said. “One of the things that made this decision so difficult was thinking of all the fans that have supported me at JGR throughout the past 11 years. This relationship has lasted a long time, and I hate that it has to end. Joe Gibbs and his family gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, and I want to thank them, and all the employees at JGR, for 11 years of hard work. I will always cherish the times at JGR, and the only thing that I regret is that we didn’t win more races and or championships. I wish everyone at JGR continued success in the future and I want to thank J.D. (Gibbs, president of JGR) for giving me the chance to be released from my contract early and letting me pursue other opportunities.”(Joe Gibbs Racing)(11-7-2005)
Dominos Should Fall this week: This will be the crucial week for a decision, Roush Racing president Geoff Smith says, in the long-running driver-swap negotiations involving Jack Roush's Kurt Busch, Chip Ganassi's Jamie McMurray, and Roger Penske. If it does happen, McMurray would join Roush [#97], and Busch would join Penske [#2]. "In order for it to work, there has to be a driver for Chip," Smith said. "Ten days ago it wasn't working for Chip, but now it can work, so I presume he's got somebody." That could be Ricky Rudd, who isn't saying what his 2006 plans are, but who is reportedly very close to a decision simply to retire at the end of the season. Or it could be Bobby Labonte. Or Labonte could be headed to Bill Davis, according to sources. If Labonte leaves Chevrolet's Joe Gibbs to join the soon-to-be-Toyota Davis team as Michael Waltrip's teammate, that would be a major pick up by Toyota, expected to join the Nextel Cup tour for the 2007 season. If Davis doesn't get Labonte, he will likely get Dave Blaney, according to sources. Blaney once drove for Davis. Penske officials, saying that Rudd isn't one of their options, agree that this is the week that will tell the tale, and they agree with Smith that the complicated deal will in fact be completed.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-31-2005)
New Goody's Commericals with Stewart: Goody's Headache Powders previewed its new commercials titled "Mr. Petty's Neighborhood" on Friday morning at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In the new spots, Richard Petty welcomes driver Tony Stewart, knocking on his door bearing a casserole from his wife, Linda. As one might expect, everything happens fast in Goody's Country, which Petty explains to the new resident Stewart. "Tony Stewart joining Goody's just makes so much sense," said Darren Singer, vice president of marketing for Goody's. Stewart answered snickers from the audience by saying, "I know what you guys are thinking. Don't worry, that's what I was thinking, too." The new commercials were filmed on Hickswood Drive in Greensboro, N.C. Singer said residents allowed their homes and streets to be used for the two days of shooting and even brought out their lawn chairs to watch the events. The Pettys and Stewart chatted with them and signed autographs - and definitely left their mark. Goody's has been associated with NASCAR and the Petty family for 30 years. The company was an early and major contributor to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Stewart also is a major contributor to the camp for children with life-threatening conditions. Goody's also presented a check for $25,000 on behalf of the Tony Stewart Foundation for the Victory Junction Gang.(PR)(10-29-2005)
Goody's unveils new ad campaign geared toward NASCAR: NASCAR legend Richard Petty has been a long-time resident of Goody's Country, serving as the Goody's Headache Powders spokesperson for nearly 30 years. Tony Stewart has joined Petty and his son Kyle in a new advertising campaign for the "Official Pain Reliever of NASCAR" that includes a commercial depicting the day Stewart moves into "Mr. Petty's Neighborhood" and his appreciation for the speedy pace of life there. The first screening of the commercial will be during a press conference at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 28. Also at this event, as part of its continued support of Victory Junction Gang Camp, Goody's will present a check for $25,000 in Stewart's name to Kyle and Pattie Petty for their camp for seriously ill children and their families.(Williams Company PR)(10-27-2005)
A Petty back in the #43? UPDATE: Jeff Green likely will leave Petty Enterprises' #43 car for a chance to drive the NetZero #0 car, team owner Kyle Petty said Thursday. Petty, in town [CAL]to deliver the keynote address at the High Desert Opportunity business conference, said without securing a sponsor for his own #45 car, he couldn't commit to another driver for the 2006 season. "I really think Jeff's going to the (Net) Zero [#0] car," Petty said. "We've been very honest with Jeff, very honest with everybody we talk to." The problem, Petty said, is that the team hasn't signed a sponsor to replace Georgia Pacific on the #45 car. General Mills still has a contract to sponsor the #43 car. "Since I own the team, I could go drive the 43 if I wanted to," Petty said. Is that a possibility? Could we see Petty back behind the wheel of his father Richard's old car? "Everything's a possibility," Kyle Petty said. "You've got so much on the table." Petty said as a veteran driver, he understood the need to secure a ride when there was an opportunity. "Jeff's 42, 43 years old (actually 43). Everybody wants to sign a 19-year-old to drive their car," Petty said. "If you can find a ride, you better be jumping and getting in it. Don't wait and let me hold you back." The bottom line, Petty said, "If it's good for him, it's good for us."(Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)(10-21-2005) UPDATE: Kyle Petty said Friday that Jeff Green likely will vacate Petty Enterprises' flagship #43 Dodge and take over the #0 Chevrolet owned by Gene Haas. Petty said he and Green talked Tuesday about Green leaving the car he has driven since September, 2003. "I know [Green] has talked to the 0, and he's probably going to go to the 0, and I applaud that for him," Petty said. "It's like I told him, 'When you're my age and you're your age, and everybody's looking for 19-year-olds, if a car opens up, jump in it.'" Petty, 45, said his big hold-up in re-signing Green, 43, was a lack of sponsorship for his own #45 Dodge. Since Georgia Pacific announced that it wasn't returning as that car's backer, the team has been assembling a sponsorship package, but it didn't materialize in time to keep Green. If the sponsorship for the #45 doesn't come through, the team will field only one car full-time and Petty probably would drive it himself [#43].
But he said he hopes that doesn't happen. "I'm extremely confident that within the next four to six weeks we'll have what we want to announce," Petty said, adding that the sponsorship will be tied to fund-raising efforts for the Victory Junction Camp for ill children that the Pettys founded. "That's why we want to release [the sponsorships] all at one time," he said. "We just didn't get things done quick enough to be able to satisfy all of our contractual needs with Jeff."(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(10-22-2005)
Green to the #0? Labonte to the #43? #18? Mike Bliss is the latest driver to learn he's out after the season finale at Homestead. Jeff Green appears to be the top candidate for Bliss' #0 Haas CNC ride. If he gets it, the dominoes really would start to fall. The most curious possible replacement? Bobby Labonte for the Petty Enterprises ride Green would vacate. Labonte, who drives the #18 for Joe Gibbs Racing, has been less than thrilled lately, and his name was mentioned earlier as a candidate for the Penske Racing #2 and Richard Childress Racing #29. Gibbs is auditioning Busch drivers Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley for the #11 Chevrolet. Hamlin finished eighth in Saturday night's crashfest at Charlotte, so give him the nod. But should Labonte leave, it would open the door for both drivers to move up to Cup in 2006.(Sporting News)(10-17-2005) UPDATE: hearing Green has signed with the #0 and that Best Buy could be the full primary sponsor in 2006, not sure what NetZero would do, could follow Bliss to where he ends up, to another team or out of the sport.(10-21-2005)
#43 to run Fan Fest scheme at Lowe's: This weekend, Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge head to the
1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway, located in Concord, N.C., for Saturday night's Charlotte 500. Green, who will be sporting a Petty Fan Fest paint scheme this weekend, finished 11th in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's earlier this season.(Williams Company), not really sure what the Fan Fest thing is about.(10-11-2005) UPDATE: what the scheme is about, #43 sponsor, Cheerios/General Mills held a contest and the are 43 pictures of winners on the #43 Dodge and 45 more on the #45 Dodge that Kyle Petty drives. Have no images...yet.(10-13-2005)
Petty's and Sprint Car Series? UPDATE 3: hearing there is supposed to be a press conference scheduled at Dover to announce the new sprint car league being formed by Petty Enterprises, called the National Sprint Car League?(9-21-2005) UPDATE: Been told Tony Stewart is involved and hearing the Petty family has a financial interest in thsi new series that will go head-to-head with World of Outlaws with a couple of Speedway Motorsports tracks. Also hearing that 12 of the top 17 WoO drivers are going with the new series, including Steve Kinser. Look for an announcement from Dover on Friday.(9-22-2005) UPDATE 2: Sprint car racing's biggest names have split into two separate series for 2006, drivers confirmed Wednesday. The World of Outlaws, owned by DIRT Motorsports, will retain five of its 18 full-time drivers — Altoona's Terry McCarl, Craig Dollansky, Brooke Tatnell, Daryn Pittman and Donny Schatz — and plans to add more for 2006. Danny Lasoski, who drives for Tony Stewart Motorsports, represents one of 13 current Outlaws teams who have signed with the National Sprintcar League for the 2006 season. The group is backed by Petty Enterprises and has lured drivers such as Steve and Kraig Kinser, Jason Meyers and Tim Shaffer. It's not immediately clear how the split would affect Knoxville Raceway, which draws thousands for Outlaws races. Those figures swell to 25,000 per night during the Knoxville Nationals each August - with fans lured by many of the Outlaws drivers. "We saw no light at the end of the tunnel," said Lasoski, a four-time Knoxville Nationals champion. "This is a breath of fresh air for all of us." DIRT Motorsports completed the acquisition of the Outlaws in February of 2004 from founder Ted Johnson. They have yet to secure a title sponsor. Lasoski said he felt a new direction was necessary. He added an announcement is scheduled to be made this weekend at the NASCAR events at Dover, Del. Lasoski's concerns with DIRT included the lack of live television - Outlaws events air on the Outdoor Channel on a tape-delayed basis. He expects the Petty organization to rectify that situation, although no TV package is set yet. Lasoski said he would not run any Outlaws-sanctioned events next season, and was unsure what would happen regarding a possible non-sanctioned 2006 Knoxville Nationals. He added that NASCAR names such as Stewart, Kasey Kahne, the Pettys and Dave Blaney would field cars in the National Sprintcar League next season. This season, the structure of the World of Outlaws series remains unchanged in terms of points and scheduling. The Outlaws' next race is Friday at Jackson, Minn.(Des Moines Register)(9-23-2005) UPDATE 3 - official: Richard Petty Driving Experience, a leader in providing high quality motorsports entertainment, announced the formation of the National SprintCar League. Steve Kinser, 19 - time World of Outlaws series champion, and 11 other current World of Outlaws drivers and teams have joined the newly formed NSL beginning in 2006. The NSL has signed the following twelve current World of Outlaws series drivers and teams to 3-year agreements beginning with the 2006 season: Steve Kinser, Jason Meyers, Kraig Kinser, Danny “The Dude” Lasoski, Tim Shaffer, Paul McMahan, Joey Saldana, Jason Sides, Brian Paulus, Brandon Wimmer, Shane Stewart and Jason Solwold. The series has also received commitments from 3 - time World of Outlaws series champion Sammy Swindell, 16 - time World of Outlaws championship car owner Karl Kinser and long time team owner Dennis Roth to run in 2006. The NSL is making significant progress in organizing the 2006 championship schedule and is in discussions with several corporate partners regarding series sponsorship. In addition, the group is in the process of securing a comprehensive television package for the series. See full press release at nationalsprintcarleague.com.(9-23-2005)
WOW that didn't take long.....Loomis back to Petty in 2006: Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises, today announced the organization's addition of championship-winning crew chief Robbie Loomis as executive vice president of race operations. In his new role, Loomis- will head the day-to-day operations of Level Cross-based Petty Enterprises and its two full-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams -- the #43 Dodges driven by Jeff Green and the #45 Dodges piloted by Petty."We are excited that Robbie will be rejoining Petty Enterprises," Petty said. "Robbie won races as a crew chief here, and then won a lot of races and a championship with Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports. We have great respect for the entire Hendrick organization, and know that Robbie's experience with the Hendrick team has prepared him well for the role he will take on at Petty Enterprises. Robbie Loomis will direct our entire race operation, and we expect his experience and his ability to mold a team to help us get to the next level. Robbie has been a part of our family for a long time, and we're happy to have him come home." Loomis, 41, will leave his position as crew chief of Hendrick Motorsports' #24 Chevrolets. Before rejoining Petty, the Forest City, Fla., native will work as a consultant to Concord-based Hendrick Motorsports as the operation pursues the 2005 NEXTEL Cup championship with the #48 Chevrolets.
"We still have a job to do," said Loomis, who won a Cup title with driver Jeff Gordon in 2001 after coming to Hendrick from Petty Enterprises in 2000. "Our goal is winning that championship with Jimmie (Johnson), Chad (Knaus) and the #48 team. I'm here to support them in any way I possibly can. "Hendrick Motorsports opened my eyes to a whole different level of this industry. The experience has allowed me to see things from a new perspective and learn important lessons about business and life. I'm truly grateful to Rick, Jeff and the 500 people who make Hendrick Motorsports so special. "I was with the Petty family for 11 years before being blessed to work with Jeff and the #24 team. Kyle and Richard (Petty) are giving me an incredible opportunity to come home, back where I started my career, and I' m honored and excited to do that."(Williams Company/Hendrick Motorsports)(9-14-2005)
Wheaties Makes Full $10,750 Donation To First Tee: #43-Jeff Green didn't get where he wanted Sunday night at California Speedway - Victory Lane - but First Tee and the young people it impacts ended up as winners. Green and the team completed all 250 laps of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race. Wheaties is donating the full $10,750 to The First Tee, a national organization dedicated to impacting the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. The donation was made in conjunction with the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, which also benefitted The First Tee. Both events were scheduled for Labor Day weekend. Forty-three dollars were pledged for donation for every lap Green completed in Sunday night's NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race at the two-mile California Speedway. The #43 Dodge sported a special Wheaties paint scheme for the race. The paint scheme featured logos of the PGA Champions Tour and the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.(Williams Company)(9-6-2005)
Green gets his Wheaties: This weekend, Jeff Green and the #43 Wheaties Dodge head to the two-mile California Speedway for Sunday's Sony HD 500. Green's Wheaties Dodge will be racing for a cause this weekend. For each lap that the team completes, Wheaties will donate $43 to "The First Tee," a national organization dedicated to impacting the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. Green hopes to raise nearly $11,000 for the cause; that amount could double if he wins the race. (Williams Company), see image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2005)
Green and Kyle back at PE in 2006: Kyle Petty and Jeff Green will both return as the drivers of the #43 and #45 cars next year, Petty confirmed Saturday. Petty, 45, said he is not sure how much longer he will keep racing, but he doesn’t see his retirement any time in the immediate future. The son of NASCAR legend, Richard Petty, still loves to drive. "No 9-year-old kid goes to bed at night dreaming about signing autographs at Target," Petty said. "You dream about driving a racecar. As long as I still love driving a racecar, I can put up with the other stuff."(Bristol Herald Courier)(8-28-2005)
Petty's to lose Dodge? UPDATE Denied: Petty Enterprises may have more to worry about than replacing Georgia-Pacific as sponsor of Kyle Petty's #45. Word is that Dodge may have played out its history hand in backing the Pettys, with results that have scarcely improved since Dodge's debut in 2001.(Speed Channel) UPDATE: sources with the team have vehemently denied that Dodge is leaving the team and the report is completely untrue.(8-23-2005)
Marlin to the #43? Contrary to the belief held by many, Sterling Marlin will not replace Dave Blaney in the Richard Childress Racing-owned #07 Chevrolet in 2006. On the surface, that move made sense, as the sponsor of the #07 is Tennessee-based Jack Daniels Whiskey, and Marlin is one of Tennessee's favorite sons. But it's not happening. [Yahoo] originally heard Marlin was heading to the #0 Chevy to replace Mike Bliss, but banter now has Marlin going to Petty Enterprises and the #43 to replace Jeff Green, as Marlin and his father Coo Coo have been longtime friends of the Petty family. Green isn't necessarily happy at Petty, anyway, as that team isn't giving him a car good enough to show off his talents. As for the #07 in '06, Blaney's not going anywhere – he's a lock to stay in the car for next season, providing a good buffer to teammates Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. It doesn't hurt that Blaney is one of team owner Richard Childress' favorite people in racing.(Yahoo Sports)(7-25-2005)
Petty engineers travel to high-tech wind tunnel in Germany As the ever-expanding engineering and technical side of
NASCAR Nextel Cup racing continues to grow, Petty Enterprises took a huge step to the forefront of wind tunnel testing this week. Accepting an invitation from Dodge Motorsports, Petty Enterprises spent this week in Stuttgart, Germany, at one of the world's state-of-the-art wind tunnels. The wind tunnel in Stuttgart, Germany is equipped with a rare and unique "Rolling Road" wind tunnel system. Cars travel on a belt and can simulate different pitches and angles. Used by Mercedes, Petty Enterprises hopes the facility will provide them with unmatched information. "The 'Rolling Road' wind tunnel can actually give us better, more realistic data
comparable to on-track conditions," stated Petty Enterprises General Manager Jerry Freeze. "We're hoping to use this data and compare it to the 'static' wind tunnels we use here in the States." Petty Enterprises has two main objectives while in Germany, but is keeping in mind the ultimate goal. "First, we are hoping to learn the tunnel and see how we can take advantage of it," continued Freeze. "Secondly, we want to try different adjustments to the car and gather the data. We are here to win too. The Dodge Charger is a completely new car this season. We want to continue to learn as much about this car as quickly as possible to get us in victory lane. This is a great opportunity for us." Petty Enterprises, which fields the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Jeff Green and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge driven by Kyle Petty, shipped their cars overseas a month ago. The cars were shipped in large
containers.(Williams Company)(6-23-2005)
Bugles for Green: This weekend, Jeff Green steps behind the wheel of the specialty-schemed #43 Bugles Dodge for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway.(Williams Company)(5-25-2005)
Mikey and Green spar most of the race: #15-Michael Waltrip and #43-Jeff Green were called to the office after Waltrip clearly spun Green out, bringing caution on Lap 207. Waltrip and Green apparently have a running disagreement, with Waltrip accusing Green of jabbing at him earlier in the race [a lap 8 wreck took Waltrip out of contention], and with the two also having a clash at Martinsville. Waltrip insisted he was not sure what caused brought on the unpleasantness. "They said we should not be around each other," he said after his meeting with the officials. "That'll be good with me, because the only two times I've had him behind me he's spun me out. It's unfortunate to have to deal with stuff like this."
"I'm baffled. I was running down the back straightaway on the first lap of green and he hit me. The sad part is he doesn't have to pay any price and I get my car tore all to pieces. It's cool with me. If NASCAR says stay away from each other or you'll regret it, then that's good." Waltrip was penalized one lap for rough driving after spinning Green out. Green left the meeting quickly and did not comment.(Speed Channel)(5-8-2005)
New Petty Book: A large, diverse collection of Richard Petty photographs has been released. Richard Petty: Images of the King ($29.95, MBI Publishing) is a 256-page work compiled by Ben Blake and Dick Conway. Blake wrote the text and Conway supplied most of the more than 250 photographs, many of which are rare and have never been published. ''Sorting through all my Petty stuff brought back a lot of memories,'' said Conway, whose photos have appeared in numerous racing books and publications. ''One of my favorite shots is of some of Richard's old junked race cars that I found sitting out in the woods behind his house. There, rusting away in the weeds and bushes, were some of the most famous race cars in the world. For some reason that image really appealed to me.'' The book is available through bookstores.(Tennessean)(4-20-2005)
Sad News: Longtime STP public relations representative Harvey Duck passed away Tuesday, March 22nd. He was 80 years old. Duck was the long-time Public Relations Rep for STP.
Richard Petty's comments: "Harvey was one of the original PR guys in motorsports, and especially in NASCAR racing. He came to STP from a big Chicago newspaper, and there hadn't been much of that at all for race teams or sponsors. Harvey knew the sport and he knew the media. A lot of the things people are doing today in PR started with guys like Harvey Duck. Add in the fact he was a pretty nice guy, and he was fun to have around. We've missed him since he retired, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
More info as it is found. Arrangements: The viewing will be at Volusia Memorial Funeral Home, 548 N. Nova Road, Ormond Beach, Florida 32174 -- telephone 386.673.5373. Hours will be 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 25th. Funeral will be 10 a.m. in the Chapel at the same location.
Donations can be made in Harvey's name to Victory Junction Gang Camp.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to Lexy Duck at 262 Amberwood Ct. Ormond Beach, Florida 32174.(3-23-2005)
13,975 new books donated First through Spoonfuls Of Stories: Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team didn't have the type of finish they had hoped Sunday, but Atlanta children still had a big win. Green ran into handling problems, completed 321 laps of 325] and finished 28th in the race. Cheerios Spoonfuls Of Stories and First Book, a national non-profit organization, had agreed to donate 43 books to Atlanta children through the new Atlanta-area First Book chapter for every lap Green completed in the race. Cheerios and First Book made the maximum donation anyway - 13,975 new books. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. Racing audiences shared in the excitement by cheering on the #43
Dodge, which sported a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race.(Williams Company), see an image of the car on my #43 Teams Schemes page.(3-21-2005)
Green races for books: For most drivers in Sunday's race, the "magic number" is either 325 (the number of laps they need to run to complete 500 miles) or one (the spot they would like to finish). Jeff Green, who drives Richard Petty's #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, adds another number to that - 13,975. That's the number of books that will be donated to Atlanta kids by Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories if he can complete every lap of the race. "Our goal is to win the race, plain and simple. That's what we look to do every week," said Green. "When you add in the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, though, it takes on a whole new dimension. This race team still wants to win, but we have a whole new incentive for doing it."
For each lap completed by Green and the #43 car Sunday, Cheerios and First book, a national children's literacy organization, will donate 43 children's books to Atlanta kids through the new Atlanta-area chapter of First Book. If Green completes all of the laps, that will be 13,975 books. "This Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program is one of the best programs I've ever been involved with," said Green, who drives the #43 Dodge. "We want to win the race more than anything, but knowing we're part of a program helping kids read makes Atlanta a special race no matter what," he said. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. Racing audiences will get to share in the excitement by cheering on
the #43 Dodge, which will be sporting a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race. Over the past three years, through the Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has donated $1.5 million to First Book, and has distributed more than 15 million books to children across the country.(Williams Company/Petty Racing), see an image of the car on my #43 Teams Schemes page.(3-19-2005)
Times have changed: Richard Petty never thought he’d see the day when he promoted Nicorette nicotine gum, a product designed to help people stop smoking. “Not after spending 33 years with Winston,” Petty said of the cigarette company that was NASCAR’s primary sponsor until last season. “Times have changed. Circumstances change.” Petty’s involvement with Nicorette is part of a program in which five NASCAR fans were selected to be a part of the Winner’s Circle quit-smoking campaign. The public can follow their progress over the next 12 weeks by logging onto www.quit.com. Those who are successful will get to spend a day and a half learning to drive a stock car at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.(The State)(3-19-2005)
Green races for books: For most drivers in Sunday's race, the "magic number" is either 325 (the number of laps they need to run to complete 500 miles) or one (the spot they would like to finish). Jeff Green, who drives Richard Petty's #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, adds another number to that - 13,975. That's the number of books that will be donated to Atlanta kids by Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories if he can complete every lap of the race. "Our goal is to win the race, plain and simple. That's what we look to do every week," said Green. "When you add in the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, though, it takes on a whole new dimension. This race team still wants to win, but we have a whole new incentive for doing it."
For each lap completed by Green and the #43 car Sunday, Cheerios and First book, a national children's literacy organization, will donate 43 children's books to Atlanta kids through the new Atlanta-area chapter of First Book. If Green completes all of the laps, that will be 13,975 books. "This Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program is one of the best programs I've ever been involved with," said Green, who drives the #43 Dodge. "We want to win the race more than anything, but knowing we're part of a program helping kids read makes Atlanta a special race no matter what," he said. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. Racing audiences will get to share in the excitement by cheering on
the #43 Dodge, which will be sporting a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race. Over the past three years, through the Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has donated $1.5 million to First Book, and has distributed more than 15 million books to children across the country.(Williams Company/Petty Racing)(3-19-2005)
The King, Wheties and Vitamins: General Mills and Leiner Health products announced the launch of Wheaties and Total nutritional supplement products, produced under license from General Mills. Wheaties and Total cereals have long been on consumers' breakfast tables, and now they can enhance their diets with multivitamins from these trusted brands. These four new vitamin products are part of an extension of the Wheaties and Total brands. The Wheaties Multivitamins provide health-minded individuals with 100% or more of 17 essential vitamins and minerals; in addition Wheaties Daily Performance Vitamin Packs offer consumers a convenient daily nutritional system specifically formulated to enhance energy. Total Multivitamins contain important daily nutrients essential for an active and healthy lifestyle, and Total High Potency Daily Vitamin Packs are ideal for consumers looking for additional support for their bones, joints, eyes and heart health as well as help with overall fitness.
In conjunction with the new Wheaties and Total branded products, General Mills and Leiner also announced the launch of Vitaminreminders.com. This interactive website is another tool to help Americans get and stay healthy. Vitaminreminders.com offers consumers a daily video image alert from a sports legend reminding them to take their Wheaties and Total vitamins. In turn, consumers can develop and maintain a system for incorporating vitamins into their daily routine.
The site features legendary sports champions, including "The King" of racing Richard Petty, hall-of-fame baseball player Ozzie Smith, and U.S. soccer star Brandi Chastain. Individuals simply select their favorite sports legend and designate a schedule to receive their video image reminder. Based on that information, a video image message appears on the consumer's PC prompting them to take their Wheaties and Total vitamins. This convenient and innovative tool infuses excitement into staying healthy.(Business Wire)(3-5-2005)
The King to be honored: Richard Petty, who won seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, will be inaugurated into the Goodyear Legends of Daytona on Friday. Legends of Daytona is a new attraction at Daytona International Speedway that honors stock car, sports car and motorcycle racers for their Daytona accomplishments.(NASCAR Scene)(2-16-2005)
Fittipaldi to run stock cars in Brazil: After two unsuccessful seasons in NASCAR, former Champ Car and Formula 1 driver Christian Fittipaldi has decided to return to Brazil to race stock cars. Fittipaldi had been looking for work since his deal with NASCAR's Petty Enterprises collapsed because of a lack of sponsorship. "For various reasons I didn't have the success I was hoping for," Christian Fittipaldi told Radio Jovem Pan on Saturday. "But I'm glad I got the opportunity in Brazil, where everybody knows stock car racing is growing rapidly." Fittipaldi, nephew of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, started 16 races in NASCAR, failing to finish better than 24th. The 34-year-old Brazilian signed a contract to drive for team Avallone Motorsport beginning in May.(ESPN.com/AP)(1-29-2005)
2004 Past News
Petty switches Engines? UPDATE 2: hearing that Petty Enterprises [PE], with drivers #45-Kyle Petty and #43-Jeff Green, will run Arrington Engines the rest of 2004 after Talladega and will supposedly have Evernham engines in 2005. Currently PE uses Mike Ege engines.(10-1-2004) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises will have a new engine supplier for 2005, Kyle Petty confirmed Saturday, but it is unclear who will build engines for Petty and Jeff Green next season. Mike Ege Racing Engines, which has built engines for the Pettys since 2002, will not return next year. "We're at that time in the season where we need to be making a change," Petty said. "We've talked about it for the last three or four months with Mike Ege Racing Engines, and it's come to a point where it's time to make a move. Next year, we'll do something different." The Dodges of Petty and Green will use Ege engines in this weekend's EA Sports 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and Ege has the option of staying with Petty Enterprises the rest of this year. "We've left that option up to him, if he chose to continue it or if he chose not to," Petty said. "We'll go from there. We have his stuff in down here." But who will be in the #43 and #45 in 2005? Petty said rumors about a switch to Evernham Engines or Arrington Engines are simply rumors. "There are rumors about everything, man," Petty said. "There are rumors I'm going to retire. What are you gonna do? That's why they're called rumors." The team won't return to building its own engines, as it did from 1949-2001. "We talked about it three or four months ago, whether we wanted to open our stuff back up," Petty said. "We made a decision at this point in time not to go down that road. If we were two or three years further down the road, then, yeah, we'd probably look at it. But right now, no."(NASCAR.com)(10-3-2004) UPDATE 2a: been told Petty Enterprises #43-Jeff Green and #45-Kyle Petty will NOT run Mike Ege Racing Engines at Kansas, but have not heard what engines will be run. UPDATE 2b: Ray Evernham says he hasn't signed any agreements with Petty Enterprises, but he is talking with them and some other teams about providing engines in 2005.(NASCAR Scene print)(10-8-2004) UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises will begin using Evernham Motorsports engines beginning with testing for the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. The organization fields the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of driver
Jeff Green and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge of driver Kyle
Petty. Petty Enterprises is the winningest organization in major
league motorsports.
"We are constantly looking for ways to improve our performance and to
run better as a team," said Petty, who is also CEO of Petty
Enterprises, "We at Petty Enterprises worked very closely with
Evernham Motorsports to develop the Dodge program. Ray has been very
gracious in his comments about the role of Petty Enterprises in that
effort. We have continued to work closely with Evernham and with Dodge
on many aspects of our program since then, and we see this alliance in
the engine program as a natural evolution of our relationship.
"Evernham Motorsports has really moved into the forefront in regards
to Dodge engine development and we're excited to be part of that,"
Petty continued. "We've made some big strides with our chassis and
bodies, so this was obviously the next step."
In its fourth year of operation, Evernham Motorsports has moved to the
elite among NASCAR teams. The organization, which has one driver in
the Chase For The Championship and a second 12th in the NASCAR Nextel
Cup standings while leading Rookie of the Year, has 13 poles, five
race wins, 45 top fives and 81 top 10s.
"We have been working with Kyle and Petty Enterprises on behalf of
Dodge the past four years, and they have a solid organization. The
chassis are pretty much where they want them to be," Evernham said.
"We feel we can help them on the horsepower side as well, and help
them continue to build their program. We're all very excited at
working even more closely with Petty Enterprises in 2005."(Williams Company PR)(11-18-2004)
Bugles for Jeff Green at Atlanta: This weekend Jeff Green and the #43 Bugles Dodge team head into the 1.54-mile Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for Sunday's Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Green started the race back in March in the 18th spot and finished 19th. This is one of the final four races of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season on one of the fastest tracks on the circuit. Green will be driving a #43 Bugles-schemed Dodge this weekend. Some thoughts of #43 Bulges Dodge driver Jeff Green heading into Atlanta: "We've got Bugles on the hood and sides of the car this weekend. We're going pretty fast, but you won't be able to miss the bright colors of this Bugles car. It stands out and it's a cool car just to look at. I'll just be fortunate enough to drive it this weekend. We're hoping we have a good run with this #43 Bugles Dodge."(Williams Company PR) see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Paint Schemes page or 2004 Cup Schemes Gallery.(10-26-2004)
STP and the Petty's Richard and Kyle Petty will be making an announcement at Lowe's Motor Speedway Media Conference Room on Friday [Oct 15] at 3:30 pm. They will be announcing that long time sponsor STP and AutoZone will help raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, and host a special STP Family Weekend.(10-15-2004) UPDATE: Long time Richard Petty sponsor STP has teamed up with AutoZone to announce a donation for up to $50,000 to the Petty Family's Victory Junction Gang Camp. The donation, which is being made in celebration of STP's 50th Anniversary, will allow STP and AutoZone to host a special "Family Weekend," for children with a chronic or life-threatening illness, sometime in the Spring of 2005. Kyle and Richard Petty were on hand to help kick-off STP's 50th Anniversary celebration in grand style, when they unveiled a special STP "Future's Car" which will be the pace car in Kyle Petty's Ride to Victory II charity ride. The Ride to Victory will take place on Sunday, October 17 leaving the Lowe's Motor Speedway and concluding at the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. The STP future's car and coinciding donation are two highlights of STP's golden anniversary celebration. Money will be raised, in part, through sales of STP products at AutoZone stores during the month of November. For every bottle of STP sold at AutoZone stores in November, 50 cents will be donated to The Victory Junction Gang Camp, up to a goal of $50,000. Additionally, consumers who purchase two bottles of STP products at AutoZone will also be able to mail away and receive their choice of three limited edition STP/Petty die cast cars:
· 1972 STP Car (Petty's first #43 STP car victory)
· 1984 STP Car (Petty's final Victory)
· 2004 STP Car (Pace car for Ride to Victory II)
STP's 50 years of business have been synonymous with NASCAR racing. In 1972 STP began making headlines in the racing world with the historic sponsorship of Petty and the No. 43 car. In 1979, Richard won his seventh NASCAR title, which put him in a class of his own, and also etched STP as an icon in the racing world. The STP logo returned to the #43 Dodge this season as an associate sponsor and will remain on the Jeff Green's #43 Dodge car throughout the 2005.(Ketchum for STP PR)(10-16-2004)
Green, Petty team to donate books...per lap UPDATE: Cheerios and First Book, a national children's literacy organization, will donate 43 children's books to a Kansas City area local chapter of First Book for each lap completed by Petty Enterprises' Jeff Green and the #43 Dodge at Kansas Speedway Cup race. Should Green finish in the top 10, Cheerios will double their donation. In that case, the local Kansas City First Book chapter would receive nearly 23,000 books for needy families. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. The #43 Dodge will be sporting a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race. To kick off the weekend, Cheerios hosted children from Kansas City at two separate events. Green appeared at the Thornberry Unit of the Kansas City Boys & Girls Clubs on Thursday, Oct. 7, meeting the children and reading to them. In addition, children from Claude Huyck Elementary School came to Kansas Speedway Friday morning, Oct. 8, for a breakfast and story with Jeff Green. The children will then had the opportunity to watch practice from the grandstand. Over the past two years, through its Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has donated $1 million to First Book, and has distributed more than 10 million books to children across the country.(10-9-2004) UPDATE: Cheerios and First Book made it a storybook finish at Kansas in Sunday's NASCAR NEXTEL race. The two had pledged to donate books to kids in low-income families in the Kansas City area depending on how many laps Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios team completed in Sunday's race. At 43 books per lap completed, that total came to 11,266. A top-10 finish would have
doubled that pledge. Cheerios and First Book, a national children's literacy program, will still make the full donation, though - 22,962 books - the total that was promised if Green had completed all 267 laps and finished in the top 10. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children.(Williams Company PR)(10-11-2004)
A healthier Cheerio: Honey Nut Cheerios [Cheerios sponsors the #43 Dodge and Jeff Green] will be giving someone that opportunity and encouraging people to live a healthier lifestyle in the process. The "heart healthy" person who can best answer the question, "How I Lowered My Cholesterol" will appear on a special-edition Honey Nut Cheerios box, which will be unveiled in February at Daytona. Search entrants will submit stories that detail how they have lowered their cholesterol and made a commitment to a healthier lifestyle at www.honeynutcheerios.com.(Alan Taylor Communications PR)(10-2-2004)
Wells Fargo Re-Ups with Petty and expands sponsorship: Wells Fargo Financial announced today it has renewed and expanded its sponsorship of Petty Enterprises in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. For 2005, the sponsorship will increase to include driver Kyle Petty and his #45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge and driver Jeff Green and his #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge. Wells Fargo Financial, the North American consumer finance subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Company, is continuing and growing the sponsorship as a result of its highly successful three-year partnership with Petty Enterprises.
Petty Enterprises is unique in its ability to bring added value to a Nextel Cup sponsorship. "We are very happy with our relationship with Kyle and the entire Petty Enterprises team and excited to now be affiliated with Jeff Green and the celebrated #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge. Wells Fargo Financial is proud to be involved with one of the most celebrated names in all of NASCAR and in the fastest growing spectator sport in America," said Tom Gibbons, Director of Corporate Sponsorships.
"We're very pleased to have Wells Fargo Financial continue its sponsorship of Petty Enterprises," said Kyle Petty. "We believe they
are the premier financial services company in the U.S. and an excellent partner with our other top-quality sponsors, like General Mills, Georgia-Pacific and Coca-Cola."
The sponsorship has provided significant benefit and impact to Wells Fargo Financial's business lines through client/dealer incentives and entertainment, customer promotions, driver appearances, show car appearances and employee incentives. NASCAR's popularity exceeds the NBA, NHL and MLB combined and averages more than 190,000 fans attending each event and more than 7 million viewers per race. Over 80 million Americans call themselves fans of the sport. More info on Wells Fargo at financial.wellsfargo.com.(Williams Company PR)(9-20-2004)
The King Helps ESPN Celebrate: Richard Petty was invited to help celebrate ESPN'S Silver Anniversary on Tuesday night Sept. 7, and attended the "ESPN 25 Party" at the ESPN Zone in New York City. To commemorate each year ESPN has been on the air, the cable sports network profiled a nationally-prominent athlete by a significant year in his career. Petty represented the
year 1984, the year he captured his record 200th NASCAR Nextel Cup victory at the Daytona International Speedway. Petty was to be joined by other athletes as well as ESPN"s top on-air talent from the past 25 years.(Williams Company PR)(9-7-2004)
Changes at Petty Enterprises: Jeff Green and Kyle Petty will have new crew chiefs, and both teams have seen crew changes which begin immediately. Petty made the announcement today. Three crew members, including crew chief Greg Steadman, will move to the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of driver Jeff Green this week. The move was precipitated by former crew chief Gary Putman leaving Petty Enterprises by mutual agreement. "I'm very grateful for the opportunity Richard Petty gave me at Petty Enterprises, and I am looking forward to the future too," Putnam said. "We both agreed we needed to try something different, so I am moving on to look for other opportunities."
Steadman, car chief David Hyder and race engineer David Hoelger move from the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge of Petty to Green's #43. While engineer Garth Finley, considered one of the top in his field on road course setup, will handle crew chief responsibilities at the Watkins Glen, N.Y., race this week for the #45, a permanent crew chief will be named next week. Ironically, it is the third straight year Finley has served as an interim crew chief at the Watkins Glen race.
"We really appreciate the effort Gary and all of the guys have given us. These changes will be good for everyone," Petty said. "Greg Steadman has worked with the #43 guys before and has done very well there, and we have some exciting things happening with the #45 too. We are looking forward to the future."(Williams Company PR) AND Crew chief Gary Putnam and car chief Wayne Orme, both from the #43 Cheerios Dodge, were released on Monday. Ten-year Petty Enterprises veteran Greg Steadman returns to lead the #43 along with car chief David Hyder, race engineer David Hoelger and team engineer Adam Stevens. Driver Jeff Green is 34th in the Nextel Cup point standings, which is last among drivers who have competed in all 21 races this year. Team manager Jerry Freeze says that Petty Enterprises was looking for a one-team approach with two race teams that could work constructively with one another. "For us we felt like we had nothing to lose with two cars that were behind 30th in points," Freeze says. "We were nowhere near where we wanted to be, and we didn't feel the people we had were making the best of the resources that were available to the them. We wanted to bring people in that could grow with the program."
Multimatic engineer Garth Finley will assume the crew chief duties for the #45 Georgia Pacific/Brawny Dodge this weekend at Watkins Glen. The 34-year-old Albuquerque, N.M.- native was also interim crew chief during his three-year stint at Robert Yates Racing. Bill Henderson, who is currently car chief on the #10 Nextel Cup team, is expected to be named crew chief next week.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(8-11-2004)
Special Scheme for the #43 at Indy: Supporting General Mills’ Box Tops for Education, this weekend Jeff Green will be driving the #43 Cheerios/Box Tops for Education Dodge in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.(Williams Company PR), note: any local Mooresville need any? I have some to drop off to you.(8-7-2004)
New Petty Site: Petty Enterprises has unveiled its newly-designed Internet web site at www.pettyracing.com. Animink, Inc., which has created websites, cartoon animation and 3D animation for almost six years, designed and is handling the new web site. The company is now based in Huntersville, N.C., and has designed sites for other NASCAR drivers, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, and the John Boy and Billy nationally-syndicated radio show. "We're really pleased with Animink and the new design of www.pettyracing.com," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "They have done a tremendous job, and I know the fans are going to love it." The Petty Racing site was recreated to better connect with race fans, and cater to those who already have a passion for motorsports and the Petty family. There are dialup and broadband versions. Both versions have audio and video clips, galleries and other downloadable features. The broadband version includes full motion-video, as well as music that changes as the user surfs the site. The motion and flow of the site is as unique as it is attractive.(Williams Company PR)(8-3-2004)
Jeff Green fastest overall at Indy testing: A total of 38 drivers combined to turn 6,284 laps around the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway during six days of testing this month for the 11th annual Brickyard 400 on Aug. 8. That’s 15,710 miles of testing, nearly the same distance from Indianapolis to Auckland, New Zealand – and back. In fact, each driver averaged 165 laps – five laps more than the actual race distance – during testing July 6-7, July 12-13 and July 19-20 at Indianapolis. The top three drivers in testing this month - Jeff Green, Brian Vickers and Jason Leffler - have combined to complete just three full NASCAR NEXTEL Cup seasons. Green has raced two full seasons, Leffler one, while Vickers is a rookie after capturing the NASCAR Busch Series title in 2003. Green was fastest overall at 181.641 mph in the #43 Cheerios Dodge on July 7, while Vickers was second at 181.554 in the #25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet on July 13. Leffler rounded out the top three at 180.787 in the #60 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet on July 13.(IMS PR/Site), see all the speeds at brickyard400.com.(7-22-2004)
Fake Petty making the rounds: Earlier this year at Dover we had a small problem arise. On Saturday during the time when they were trying to get the Busch race started (or the track dry) there was a gentleman who visited the grandstands who was impersonating Richard Petty. The real Richard Petty was in New Jersey that day making an appearance for a sponsor and not at the track. Petty Enterprises was made aware of this imposter when they received a call from another teams' rep stating that Richard was in the grandstands and they actually thought it was him. This guy apparently had the look because he fooled many fans into thinking he was the real deal. The imposter even went as far as to sign autographs for almost two hours. He was signing the name "Richard Petty" but the signature is not even close to the actual. The 'fake' King even had a security escort with him during his 'autograph session'. Apparently this guy has fooled the fans, the track and even the security or police into thinking that he was Richard. Petty Enterprises wants to make the fans aware that this man was not Richard Petty...for one thing, Petty never visits the grandstands and is usually in the infield or garage area. The fake Richard Petty is a few years younger then the real Richard Petty, who just turned 67. There have been some reports of other sightenings. Richard Petty prides himself in being good to his fans and the fans of this sport. Petty Enterprises do not want is for this imposter to give Richard a bad name.(PE)(7-7-2004)
20th Anniversary Of Petty's 200th: During pre-race ceremonies for the Pepsi 400, the 20th anniversary of Richard Petty's 200th NASCAR victory will be celebrated with Petty taking the checkered flag in his famous #43 Pontiac. Petty, NASCAR's all-time wins leader, will also receive several special gifts and awards as Daytona International Speedway recreates a landmark moment in the history of NASCAR. Petty, driving his famous #43 STP Pontiac, captured his 200th and final NASCAR victory in the 1984 Pepsi Firecracker 400, all with the late President Ronald Reagan in attendance. Petty nipped Cale Yarborough at the start/finish line to take the white flag and the yellow flag to secure the milestone victory.(DIS PR)(6-29-2004)
Green, Petty Team Complete All 110 Laps - means...a lot of books: Petty Enterprises and Cheerios made it a storybook finish at Infineon Raceway in Sunday's Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Nextel Cup race. By completing all 110 laps of Sunday's race, Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios Dodge team earned a donation of 4,730 books to families in the San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento areas. Cheerios had pledged a 10,000-book bonus if Green finished in the top 10. "Because of the effort Jeff and the Cheerios Dodge guys had all day, we want to go ahead and donate the bonus anyway," said Greg Zimprich, a spokesman for Cheerios. So, a total of 14,730 books will be donated by Cheerios and First Books, a national children's literacy program. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. Over the past two years, through its Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has donated $1 million to First Book, and has distributed more than 10 million books to children across the country.(Williams Company)(6-28-2004)
One for the Books at Infineon Raceway: Petty Enterprises is promising a storybook finish to the June 27 NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.. That's because Cheerios and First Book, a national children's literacy organization, will donate 43 children's books for each lap completed by Petty Enterprises' Jeff Green and the #43 Dodge, which carry the Cheerios and Betty Crocker colors. "If Jeff completes all 110 scheduled laps, we'll donate 4,730 books to area children who need them," said Greg Zimprich, a spokesman for Cheerios. "But we'd like to sweeten the pot: if Jeff finishes in the top 10, we'll donate 10,000 more books - for a total of almost 15,000 books." The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for
their children. "Growing up with my two brothers, we enjoyed books of all kinds, and I want other kids to have that same opportunity," said Green. "I'm happy to know that this race is one for the books." NASCAR audiences will get to share in the excitement by cheering on the #43 Dodge, which will be sporting a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race. After the race, the books will be donated to programs serving needy children in San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento, Calif. To kick off the weekend, Cheerios hosted 50 children from the Boys and Girls Club, Valley of the Moon, in Sonoma, on Friday morning, June 25 for
a breakfast and story time at the speedway. Green read The Racecar Alphabet, after which the children had the opportunity to watch practice from the grandstand. Over the past two years, through its Spoonfuls of Stories program, Cheerios has donated $1 million to First Book, and has distributed more than 10 million books to children across the country.(Williams Company PR)(6-27-2004)
Petty Power Down: [#43-Jeff] Green seems to be just the steadying influence that Petty Enterprises, his current team, has needed. He's a nose-to-the-grindstone guy who doesn't mince words. Green's words this week are aimed to the engine department. Goodyear's new tires are putting a premium on low-end RPM, to get up quicker off the corners. That should be particularly evident at places such as Sears Point, a road course. "We've been qualifying good the last couple of weeks, although we haven't been racing very good," Green said. "We've got to work on our cars to get them handling better for the long runs. I think our big holdup now is our motor program. The guys are turning more RPMs on other teams; our guys are working really hard to get our motors where we can turn more RPMs. I think that's what shows during the race - when the tires start falling off, you start getting down lower in RPMs. Those guys who are running more gear than I am, it really shows."(Winston Salem Journal)(6-11-2004)
Jeff Green on the tube: The television show NASCAR Outdoors will feature #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver Jeff Green when it airs nationally Friday, June 11, at 8:00pm/et. It runs on the Outdoor Life Network. Green taped the show earlier this year. For re-air times/dates, see my TV Listings page.(6-11-2004)
Petty Honor: Richard Petty is one of five who will be honored as a national father of the year by the National Father's Day Committee in June, with former basketball star Isiah Thomas; former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda; Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Ellis Marsalis Jr., patriarch of a noted musical family.(Charlotte Observer)(5-23-2004)
Green testing at Nashville: Jeff Green, #43 Petty Enterprises NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Car, will test at the Nashville Superspeedway on Monday, May 17.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(5-16-2004)
Lynch to visit with 'The King': Jessica Lynch, the former U.S. Army supply clerk who was wounded and rescued last year during the Iraq war, is tentatively scheduled to visit patients at the Duke Children's Hospital next week. The self-described "country girl" from Wirt County, W.Va., will travel across the Piedmont to promote her Jessica Lynch Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps the children of soldiers who either have served in the military or been killed in the line of duty. Lynch created the foundation using the proceeds from a $1 million book deal for the story of her capture and rescue. She also is expected to attend book signings next week for former New York Times reporter Rick Bragg, who wrote her biography, "I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story." Lynch also will spend part of next week's visit to North Carolina with her NASCAR "hero" Richard Petty. A spokeswoman for the Duke Children's Hospital confirmed that Lynch would visit patients on the morning of April 14.(Herald-Sun)(4-8-2004)
The King in SI - LINK: Richard Petty was the scheduled "essayist" in this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, the national sports weekly. It runs as a full page in the magazine. The magazine has been running stories surrounding each of the 50 states and their sports and sports heritage over the past year. A top sports celebrity from the state was chosen to write a full-page essay. Petty's appears this week. Petty is NASCAR's winningest Nextel Cup driver with nearly twice as many race victories as any other, and the winner of a record seven national driving championships.(Williams Company PR)(3-11-2004)
See the story on the SI site: NASCAR's King - The racing legend on how stock cars sped to the forefront in his home state by Richard Petty.(3-11-2004)
#43 hopes to be 'Lucky' at Vegas: Driver Jeff Green knows a few extra breaks here and there would sure come in handy when the NASCAR Nextel Cup series reaches the 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week. “If there’s any place that a little extra luck could make the difference, it’s Las Vegas,” the Owensboro, Ky., native said. “There couldn’t be a better place for us to run the Lucky Charms Dodge and we’re hoping it’ll give us the edge we’re looking for on the track.” Green will drive the #43 Lucky Charms Dodge throughout the Las Vegas weekend for Petty Enterprises. Lucky Charms is among the popular cereal brands made by the 43 car’s primary sponsor General Mills. “Maybe this will give us a little extra advantage,” he laughed. “All I know is that winning at Las Vegas would, for sure, be ‘magically delicious.’” Prominently featuring Lucky the Leprechaun on the hood, sides and rear, the Sam Bass-designed Lucky Charms Dodge has a red background with Lucky Charms rainbow colors as accents. The design also showcases the cereal’s famed marshmallows and trademark rainbow. “Having some of the Lucky Charms luck rub off on us would be great, and having Lucky the Leprechaun on the car close to St. Patrick’s Day can’t hurt either,” Green laughed. “This #43 team has been moving forward this season,” Green said. “We’ve seen some pretty good moments at Daytona and Rockingham, and we think we’re going to be pretty good at Las Vegas.”(Williams Company PR), see images of the car on my #43 Team Paint Scheme Page or 2004 Cup Paint Scheme page.(2-26-2004)
STP Returns to the #43: History was repeated today at Daytona International Speedway when Richard Petty announced that his long-time sponsor, STP, will join Cheerios and Betty Crocker on the hood of the famed #43 Dodge for one race this season. The unveiling of the new paint scheme kicks off a celebration of Petty family anniversaries by sponsors General Mills and STP. The Cheerios/STP #43 Dodge will race at the Subway 400 in Rockingham, NC on Feb. 22. For the Pettys, a family steeped in NASCAR tradition, 2004 marks numerous monumental racing anniversaries. It is the golden anniversary of patriarch Lee Petty's first championship; the 45th anniversary of Lee Petty's win of the inaugural Daytona 500; the 40th anniversaries of Richard Petty's first Daytona 500 win and first series championship; and the 20th anniversary of Richard's record-setting 200th and last win. Long-time sponsor STP is also celebrating a key milestone as 2004 marks its 50th anniversary as a pioneer in the fuel and oil additive category. The STP logo, which will remain on the car throughout the 2004 season as an associate sponsor, began making headlines in 1972 with the historic sponsorship of Petty and the #43 car. In 1979, Richard won his seventh NASCAR title, which put him in a class of his own, and also etched STP as an icon in the racing world. General Mills, sponsor of Petty Enterprises' #43 car since 2000, returns as the primary sponsor in 2004 through its Cheerios and Betty Crocker brands.
Outside of the special paint scheme, to recognize this historic year for the Petty family, General Mills brings a unique opportunity to race fans - a series of collectible "Salute to Petty" die-cast cars representing Petty family racecars past and present. The special collection features 21 different die-cast cars, 16 from Hot Wheels, including replicas of the 1957 Pontiac GTO, 1964 Plymouth Belvedere, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda, 1974 Dodge Charger, 1984 Pontiac Grand Prix, 2004 Dodge Intrepid and more. For a limited time, consumers can find die-cast cars free in or near specially marked packages of General Mills brands including Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Wheaties, Honey Nut Chex, Pop Secret, Old El Paso, Betty Crocker, Bugles and Pillsbury Grands!.(STP PR) see an image of the #43 Dodge on my #43 Team Paint Scheme page(2-11-2004)
"The King" to Unveil Fresh Look For #43 Dodge: Long Time Sponsor STP and Current Primary Sponsor General Mills Join Forces to Salute Historic Petty Anniversaries During 2004 Season. History will repeat itself as seven-time Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty will join current Petty Enterprises driver Jeff Green to unveil a special paint scheme for the No. 43 Dodge. The unveiling kicks off a celebration of Petty family anniversaries by team sponsors General Mills and STP. 2004 will mark 20 years since Petty claimed his record-breaking 200th victory and seventh Daytona 500. This year also marks the 50th year anniversary of STP.
NASCAR Legend, Richard Petty and current #43 Dodge driver Jeff Green will unveil the #43 Dodge to be driven at Rockingham in the Subway 400 on February 21, 2004.
" Q & A with Richard Petty and Jeff Green
" Interview opportunities with Richard Petty and Jeff Green
" First time photo opportunity of special #43 Dodge
Wednesday, February 11, 2004 at Daytona International Speedway.(PR)(2-5-2004)
Jeff Green to sit OUT of the Bud Shootout: When young Richard Petty began his racing career some five decades ago, his mother fretted about her son getting involved in a wild and reckless sport that was just a hiccup removed from moonshine running. Petty tried to ease his mother's concern by promising her that his race team never would have anything to do with alcohol. That 50-year-old promise will keep #43-Jeff Green out of the Feb. 7 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Green won last year's Daytona 500 pole, making him eligible for the Shootout. The race matches the previous season's pole-winners, plus past Shootout champions. But there's a catch. In order to qualify for the Shootout, a driver's car must carry a small Budweiser decal during the season. Petty refuses to permit any beer advertising on his cars. That means his driver is not eligible for the lucrative Bud Shootout. While Petty is adamant about no beer decals on his cars, over the years he has competed in beer-sponsored races like the Budweiser 400 and Miller 400. Petty's response: he has no control over who sponsors a race, but he does have control over who sponsors his cars. With Green sitting out, the Bud Shootout will consist of 21 drivers.(Tennessean), note: Green could still run the race if he runs another car and if, of course, the Petty's ok that.(1-29-2004)
2003 News
Green signed? UPDATE: hearing Jeff Green has signed with Petty Enterprises to drive the #43 Cheerios Dodge in 2004.(12-1-2003) UPDATE: Picking up where he left off at the end of 2003, Jeff Green will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge in 2004 for Petty Enterprises. Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises, made the announcement today. The 41-year-old Green, a native of Owensboro, Ky., first climbed behind the wheel of the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge at the tough one-mile Dover (Del.) International Speedway, and knocked down a 16th-place finish. The fact he and the ‘Helping Hands’ crew were able to come together so quickly was not lost on Petty Enterprises, or the rest of the Winston Cup garage. Green finished the season with Petty Enterprises, developing a rapport with crew chief Gary Putnam and the rest of the team, and helping develop strong morale. “We just kind of clicked,” Green said. “Gary and those guys have a lot of knowledge and experience, and we communicated well from the very beginning. Having those races together this past season should help us a lot as we start 2004. I am excited to be part of Petty Enterprises, to drive the famous number 43, but most of all, to be working with some very talented people.” Petty said he was excited as well.
“As Jeff spent more time in the car, and as he and Gary and the Cheerios guys worked together, it started to become pretty obvious he was the best choice we could make for a driver,” Petty said. “He knows how to win races and he knows how to win championships. We feel we can give him the people and equipment he needs to be successful, and we’re looking forward to a great relationship.”
“We are thrilled with Petty Enterprises’ decision to put Jeff Green behind the wheel of the #43 in 2004,” said Laurie Greeno, Vice President of Motorsports for General Mills. “We are excited to work with Jeff and are confident that he’ll be a good ambassador for Cheerios, Betty Crocker and other great General Mills brands featured on the #43 throughout the year.” Green goes into the 2004 season-opening Daytona 500 as the defending pole award winner, and is eligible to compete in the Bud Shootout of pole winners from the 2003 season [no word what car he will drive as Petty cars do not carry the Budweiser sticker]. He has completed two full seasons of NASCAR Cup racing, notching four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes over the past two years, as well as winning $5.2 million.(Williams Company)(12-2-2003)
Both Hmiel's to Petty Enterprises? or Green? or Benson? UPDATE: A combination deal might land Steve Hmiel, technical director for Dale Earnhardt Inc., and his son Shane Hmiel, a Busch Series driver, at Petty Enterprises in 2004. Steve worked for the Pettys early in his Winston Cup career. Shane was supposed to drive the #43 Dodge in the Pepsi 400 in July at Daytona but failed to qualify. Jeff Green has run well recently in the #43 and also is a candidate to drive it. Johnny Benson, who will be released from the #10, might be in the mix because of his previous relationship with General Mills, the primary sponsor for the 43 car. "We're still looking, we're still evaluating, and we're still working in that direction whether it's Benson, Jeff Gordon, the guy sitting in the third row of the grandstands or Jeff Green," says Kyle Petty, the team's general manager. Petty says Christian Fittipaldi will drive the team's #44 if a sponsor is secured for next season.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003) UPDATE: Kyle Petty wants to put Shane Hmiel in a Petty Enterprises car as soon as possible. When that would be, he doesn't know. Hmiel's father, Steve, said he is optimistic Shane will have the suspension lifted by the time NASCAR testing begins at Daytona in January so Shane can sign with a team for next season.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read via BGNRacing.com)(11-13-2003) UPDATE 2: NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said the sanctioning body has made no decision "when or if" Busch Series competitor Shane Hmiel will be reinstated. Hmiel was suspended indefinitely in September for a violation of NASCAR's substance-abuse policy. He was eighth in series points at the time. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of speculation that car owners in different series were trying to hire Hmiel to drive for their teams. Hunter said Hmiel had been following the procedures and plans set forth by NASCAR president Mike Helton for his reinstatement.(ThatsRacin.com)(11-18-2003)
Chex on the #43 at Homestead: #43-Jeff Green will have a special paint scheme on the #43 Dodge, a specially-painted Chex look, predominantly Petty Blue scheme and trademark ‘43’.(Williams Company/Petty Racing)(11-13-2003)
Green in the #43 in 2004? UPDATE: hearing that current #43 Petty Enterprises driver, Jeff Green, has a contract in hand to drive the 43 next year and the team is waiting for his decision.(11-6-2003) UPDATE: hearing that Green may not return to the #43 and head back to the Busch Series and run in the #10 ppc Motorsports Ford that Scott Riggs is vacating. Word is that Johnny Besnon could end up in the #43.(11-10-2003)
Pop Secret Makes Donation: As events surrounding the final Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway get underway, Pop Secret representatives today announced a donation of 50,000 bonus Box Tops for Education to L.J. Bell Elementary School in Rockingham. The donation is a symbol of appreciation from Pop Secret to the Rockingham community for its enthusiasm surrounding the Pop Secret 400 since 1999. Box Tops for Education is a school fund-raising program of General Mills in which both Pop Secret and L.J. Bell Elementary School participate. Pop Secret selected L.J. Bell Elementary School as the donation recipient because it was the Rockingham school that earned the most money through Box Tops for Education during the 2002-2003 school year. To redeem the 50,000 bonus Box Tops, L.J. Bell representatives need simply to submit the certificate presented to them from Pop Secret along with the other Box Tops they have collected. The school will then receive the cash value of the 50,000 bonus Box Tops plus the cash value for any other Box Tops they submit, assuming the value of those Box Tops fall within the program guidelines.(Williams Company PR)(11-8-2003)
The King and the Blue Angels: Seven-time Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty may think he knows fast. Long-time sponsor STP wants to make sure of it. Petty is gearing up to test his mettle with a supersonic jet ride courtesy of the elite U.S. Navy Blue Angels. Video footage of Petty’s sound barrier-breaking experience with the Blue Angels will appear as part of the pre-race activities for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, November 2. Just like he did during his racing days, Petty will again be traveling at warp speeds. This time however, he did it at 20,000 feet in the air, in a two-seat Navy Blue Angel F/A-18-Hornet. Petty seems excited for his latest challenge, even though he’ll be trading in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses for aviator shades and flight helmet.
“In all of my years of driving, I’ve never experienced anything like a ride in an F/A-18 fighter jet,” Petty said. “I know what quality ingredients like jet fuel can do on the ground, that’s why I have put STP in my trucks tank for so long.”
STP uses jet fuel as a carrier fluid for active ingredients in all of its fuel additives. Jet fuel is highly regulated and thoroughly tested to meet the demanding standards of military jets and commercial aircraft. It is high standards like these that help STP deliver unmatched consistency during the manufacturing process for all of its products. The partnership between Richard Petty and STP, now in its 32nd year, is the longest running sponsorship in sports history. Beginning in 1972, STP and Richard Petty teamed up to win a NASCAR record 200 races. Petty, who stepped out of his legendary #43 STP car for the final time in 1992 still maintains an active sponsorship with STP. In fact, Petty and STP recently agreed to extend their record sponsorship into 2004. “STP is very fortunate to have a sponsorship with a living legend like Richard Petty,” said Dan Dahlgren, Vice President/Category Manager, STP. “Since Richard is already a master of the road, we felt that putting him up in the sky would elevate ‘The King’ to a whole new level.”
At the end of the PR it has: This year, Petty Enterprises will field two NASCAR Winston Cup teams: Jeff Green’s #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Intrepid, Kyle Petty’s #45 Georgia- Pacific Brawny Dodge Intrepid. In addition, Christian Fittipaldi, driving the #44 Petty Blue Dodge Intrepid, will run a limited schedule in Winston Cup, Busch and ARCA for 2004.(STP PR)(10-24-2003)
Both Hmiels to Petty Enterprises? or Green? or Benson? UPDATE: A combination deal might land Steve Hmiel, technical director for Dale Earnhardt Inc., and his son Shane Hmiel, a Busch Series driver, at Petty Enterprises in 2004. Steve worked for the Pettys early in his Winston Cup career. Shane was supposed to drive the #43 Dodge in the Pepsi 400 in July at Daytona but failed to qualify. Jeff Green has run well recently in the #43 and also is a candidate to drive it. Johnny Benson, who will be released from the #10, might be in the mix because of his previous relationship with General Mills, the primary sponsor for the 43 car. "We're still looking, we're still evaluating, and we're still working in that direction whether it's Benson, Jeff Gordon, the guy sitting in the third row of the grandstands or Jeff Green," says Kyle Petty, the team's general manager. Petty says Christian Fittipaldi will drive the team's #44 if a sponsor is secured for next season.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(10-20-2003) UPDATE: Kyle Petty wants to put Shane Hmiel in a Petty Enterprises car as soon as possible. When that would be, he doesn't know. Hmiel's father, Steve, said he is optimistic Shane will have the suspension lifted by the time NASCAR testing begins at Daytona in January so Shane can sign with a team for next season.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read via BGNRacing.com)(11-13-2003)
Greg Steadman Takes Helm Of #45 Dodge Veteran to lead G-P team for rest of season: Veteran Greg Steadman will serve as crew chief of the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge for the final two races of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup season. Steadman, who has previously served as crew chief of the #43 and #44 Dodges at Petty Enterprises, had been serving as shop foreman. “Greg has done a great job in the shop but he realizes we need him back on the road,” said Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 and CEO of Petty Enterprises. “As a crew chief with both the #43 and #44, he did a tremendous job, and is a great leader. We are fortunate to have him available. “We have not been able to build on our improvement in 2002. We feel Greg can help us get back on the right track,” Petty added.(Williams Company PR)(11-4-2003)
Goody for Petty: Seven-time Winston Cup champion Richard Petty has signed an agreement to continue endorsing GlaxoSmithKline's Goody's Headache Powders through 2005, with an option for two more years, the Sports Business Daily reports. Petty will continue to appear in electronic and print ads for the company. Financial terms were not disclosed.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(10-18-2003)
Green stays in the #43 for Kansas, Fittipaldi in the #44; possibly longer: Jeff Green will be behind the wheel of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge again this week when the NASCAR Winston Cup Series heads to the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. And he will be in the car on a race-to-race basis the rest of the season. Following two steady runs in the #43, Green has been named driver of the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge on a race-to-race basis. Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises, made the announcement. Christian Fittipaldi will drive the #44 Bugles Dodge in the races already scheduled for 2003. “Jeff has done a good job for us the past few weeks, and we are excited to have him in the car at Kansas,” Petty said. “His winning attitude, the way he has quickly adapted to Petty Enterprises and the way he has been readily accepted by the guys on the team has already shown on the race track. Jeff’s history as a winner is already showing. Christian also has some good results this year, including qualifying seventh at Michigan and running well in several races,” Petty continued. “He has done an amazing job jumping in for us this year earlier than we had planned. Christian is a big part of our program going forward. We already had Christian scheduled for a few more #44 Bugles races the remainder of this season, and keeping the #43 team together with one driver should help us finish strong,” Petty added.
“I am really excited to be able to continue what we’ve started,” said Green. “I’ve started to get to know the ‘Helping Hand’ crew some over the past two weeks, and they’ve gotten to know me. We’re starting to get a pretty good relationship going, and that’s going to help us as we move on to Kansas and, hopefully, on down the line.”(Williams Company PR)(10-2-2003)
#43 Jackman gets tossed in the pits, but seems OK: During caution 3 pit stops, the #43 and #38 got together, sending the #43 jackman, Archie Kennedy about 10 feet, after being stunned and helped up, he walked over to the pitwall and sat down and was talking to Richard Petty [owner of the #43], pretty scary looking. Kennedy was chekced by parametics and is alert and says he is ok. He was put on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital to be checked out.(9-28-2003) UPDATE: Pit road was nearly as chaotic. Several fender-benders fractured the fronts of these aerodynamic-sensitive cars, including that of Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Green's spinning car hit jackman Archie Kennedy, who was treated and released from the infield care center.(Roanoke Times Dispatch)(9-29-2003)
Petty Enterprises safe with Dodge: DaimlerChrysler officials denied reports that Petty Enterprises was losing its top-tier status with Dodge. Although there have been concerns regarding the performance of the Nos. 43 and 45 cars this season, Dodge is committed to honoring the remaining years on Petty's contract.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(9-24-2003)
Green in the #43 at Talladega and Lowes: Jeff Green will be in Petty Enterprises' #43 Cheerios Dodge two more times this season, a team spokesman confirmed Saturday. Green will be behind the wheel of the #43 next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and Oct. 11 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Green is driving the car this weekend because regular driver Christian Fittipaldi was slated to drive the #44 in a sponsor deal reached before the Petty's released John Andretti.(NASCAR.com)(9-21-2003)
Jeff Green in the #43 at Dover; Fittipaldi in the #44 UPDATE 2: Jeff Green, who has wheeled cars this year for Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt Inc., will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of Petty Enterprises for this race. Christian Fittipaldi, who normally drives the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, will drive the #44 Bugles Dodge this weekend for the MBNA America 400 Cup race at the one-mile Dover (Del.) International Speedway. “There isn’t any doubt Jeff Green can drive a race car, and he can drive it well,” said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. “Having the opportunity to have him behind the wheel of the #43 this week is great for Petty Enterprises, for General Mills and for our entire program. Jeff will do a super job for us.”(Petty Racing/Williams Company PR)(9-15-2003) UPDATE: have heard nothing [yet] about Green NOT driving the #43 at Dover and Fittipaldi going back in it since the #44 team didn't have enough race attempts/owners points to make the field at Dover since qulaidying has been canceled due to Hurrican Isabel. UPDATE 2: been told that Green will stay in the #43 Dodge and race it Sunday.(9-17-2003)
Special Paint on the #43 at Talladega: Bringing the excitement of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the popular animated TV show and trading card game, to NASCAR, Cheerios/Betty Crocker Racing has partnered with Petty Enterprises and 4Kids Entertainment to create a special Yu-Gi-Oh! paint scheme for the #43 Dodge. The #43 Yu-Gi-Oh Cheerios Dodge is scheduled to race at Talladega Superspeedway on Sept. 28. The Yu-Gi-Oh! paint scheme, created by celebrated motorsports designer Sam Bass, will look dramatically different than the yellow and “Petty blue” paint scheme typically seen on the No. 43 Dodge. The special design features a blue background that covers the entire car with the main character from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yami Yugi, and the well-known Yu-Gi-Oh! logo displayed prominently on the hood. The rear quarter panel on the driver’s side features one of Yami Yugi’s main Duel Monsters rivals, Kaiba, with the other rear quarter panel featuring Yami Yugi himself. The back of the car features the phrase known to Yu-Gi-Oh! enthusiasts nationwide, “Let’s Duel!”(Williams Company PR) - who will drive the #43 at Talladega? I am hearing it will be Busch Series driver Shane Hmeil, who will also run the car at Dover and Lowe's as Christian Fittipaldi, the regular driver is committed to run the #44 Bugles Dodge for PE.(9-11-2003)
The King does a nice thing: Richard Petty did a nice thing Saturday. Typically, he didn't say anything about it, choosing not to draw attention to himself. Petty dispatched his jet to carry a teen-ager and his mother from Charlotte to their home near Minneapolis. The boy was critically injured in an Aug. 30 highway crash that killed his father on I-77 near Charlotte. Jeff and Kyle Erickson had spent the last summer weekend at their vacation home bear Boone, N.C. Jeff was driving Kyle to Douglas Airport, where Kyle would return to start his senior year in high school. Jeff's wife was flying in for a week with her husband near Boone. Jeff was killed and Kyle badly hurt when an SUV cross the median and hit their rental car. Petty knew the Ericksons through their long-time support of the annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. "Good people, really, really good people," he said of the father and son. "It's something I wanted to do for them. The family will be having a hard time with this for a while."(Daily Press)(9-7-2003)
The King Honored: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) honored champion racecar driver Richard Petty for his support of veterans and VA activities. "VA is honored to recognize Richard Petty, admired by millions as the longtime king of stock car racing, for his support of programs benefiting veterans," VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert H. Roswell said.. Roswell presented Petty with the Secretary's Award in recognition of his contributions to VA activities. Petty has allowed the use of his name and likeness in flyers and posters promoting sales events at VA canteens, the stores and food services operating in VA medical centers to serve veteran patients, visitors, volunteers and caregivers.. In addition, Petty will be a special guest at upcoming VA rehabilitation events that promote accomplishments of disabled veterans through sports and the arts. Before he retired as a driver at the end of the 1992 season, Petty earned seven wins in the Daytona 500, seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships and a record 200 career race victories.. He owns Petty Enterprises, which fields two NASCAR Winston Cup teams, and continues an active participation in the sport. While not a veteran himself, he has credited veterans for the freedom that has allowed him to pursue a career in auto racing.. In addition to his support for the VA canteens and special events, he said he hopes to visit VA facilities when possible to boost veterans' spirits.(Williams Company PR)(9-6-2003)
Special Scheme for the #43, starting at Bristol: Christian Fittipaldi will be driving a special Cheerios Heart Health Dodge for the three races beginning with Saturday night's event at Bristol. The car is being used as the kickoff to a special consumer promotion by Cheerios Racing, which will bring a race fan closer to the sport than ever before.(Williams Company PR) AND A marriage proposal on the No. 43 car? It’s possible with a new sweepstakes announced today by Petty Enterprises and Cheerios Racing. To celebrate more than 60 years as a heart healthy breakfast favorite, the Cheerios #43 car is offering auto racing fans an opportunity to win space on the hood of the car as the official engine sponsor. The contest is called the “Tune Your Engine Sweepstakes.” The term “engine” is used analogously with “heart,” which serves as the body’s “engine.” Instant Winner Sweepstakes details are now featured on Cheerios boxes in grocery stores in the Southeastern and Southwestern United States. Each of the three Grand Prize winners will be awarded space on the car for their names, their sweetheart’s name, their kid’s name, the name of their favorite charity or whatever they choose that will fit in the space provided and is appropriate. The Cheerios No. 43 car will feature a new design to kick-off the sweepstakes. The design change will include a giant heart on the car’s hood and big red heart behind the “43” to replace the usual red oval. The new heart health Cheerios car design will be introduced to fans at the August 23 race in Bristol, Tenn. As official engine sponsors, the grand prize winners of the Tune Your Engine Sweepstakes will have their engine sponsorship decal appear on the car at races in the spring of 2004. The three total grand prize packages include a trip for two to a race in the spring of 2004 or autumn of 2004 (the complete sweepstakes details appear on Cheerios packages). Ten first prizes will include one of the engine’s pistons that has been used in an actual race and mounted in a display box. Fifty second prizes of an autographed 1:24 die cast No. 43 car are also included in the sweepstakes. Instant Winner Sweepstakes certificates will be placed inside specially marked Cheerios boxes or entries can be made without purchase through the mail (sweepstakes details appear on Cheerios packages).(8-21-2003)
No Truck race for Fittipaldi: Due to sponsor conflicts [Dodge/Ford?] Christian Fittipaldi will not drive in the Truck Series race. Johnny Sauter will drive the #9 Ford in the Truck Series race and joins Kevin Harvick and Ted Musgrave as drivers doing the Triple, driving in the Cup, Busch and Truck Series races.(8-20-2003)
Popcorn colors: hearing the #43-Christian Fittipaldi will have the Pop Secret colors [as the #43 normally does for this race] at Rockingham's final November race, in the Pop Secret 400 [which goes to California in 2004](6-23-2003) IMAGE: See an image of the scheme at 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Car #'s 24-99.(8-19-2003)
Easy Dinner Scheme: The #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge will run a Dinner Made Easy scheme at Lowe's Motor Speedway under the lights in October, no idea who will drive since Fittipaldi will be in the #44 Bugles Dodge at that race. See an image of the scheme at 2003 Winston Cup Paint Schemes - Car #'s 24-99.(8-19-2003)
Changes coming at Petty Enterprises:......However, outsiders say that the problems are not so much technical as managerial, and [Kyle] Petty agrees: 'So we're getting ready to make a structural change in the next couple of weeks. I'm starting to give some of it to other people, so I can focus on just the driving and the business.' So will Fittipaldi be in that car again next year? There is speculation that Jeremy Mayfield may get a Petty ride. Petty said: 'Our plan is for Christian to be in that car next year, and that's the plan we've laid out for General Mills. However, if all of sudden Tony Stewart, for example, comes knocking at the door, then he's either going to get my seat or Christian's. 'Barring unforeseen circumstances, Christian will be in that car. But I won't give you a definitive, because I don't think there are any definitives in racing any more ... except we're Petty Enterprises and we're going to be here for a while.'(see full story and many quotes at the Winston Salem Journal)(8-17-2003)
Fittipaldi To Do Double-Duty at Bristol: Petty Enterprises has announced that Christian Fittipaldi will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Fittipaldi will drive the #9 Bugles/Wells Fargo Financial Ford for Ballew Motorsports. He is in his first season on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and will be seeking to gain experience on the high-banked short track that will transfer to his #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for the Winston Cup Event. Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty suggested the idea to help Fittipaldi gain race experience on the track before the Winston Cup race three nights later. Fittipaldi is excited about the opportunity to run two races at Bristol next week.. He last pulled double-duty at Pocono in July, entering the ARCA and Winston Cup events.. For the ARCA race he qualified third and was running in the top five before losing an engine.(Williams Company PR)(8-14-2003)
PE's Ray Hudson finishes the Appalachian Trail, raises $45k for VJGC: Not many people can boast that they hiked 2,172 miles, through 14 different states all in one attempt.. Ray Hudson can say just that, and that he raised over $45,000 for his favorite charity. Ray Hudson, a shop fabricator at Petty Enterprises, hiked the entire 2,172-mile Appalachian Trail starting in Springer Mountain, GA on March 1.. Hudson finished his hike on July 21, 143 days since he began.. His inspiration for this incredible hike was to raise funds for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. On August 11th at 4:00 pm Ray attended a huge welcome home bash and celebrated his very own Ray Hudson Day. The town of Randleman generously named August 11th Ray Hudson Day.. Over 100 individuals who donated to Ray's hike joined Richard and Kyle Petty at the Petty Enterprises Fab Shop in Thomasville.. A check in the amount of $45,000 from Ray's hike was presented to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. "My goal was somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000. I just can't believe that I raised $45,000, I had no idea. This is amazing, thank you", said Ray Hudson. Kyle Petty was just as shocked at the amount raised, " Ray we are so proud of you.. By living out your dream you helped us to build our dream of Victory Junction". For more information, visit www.victoryjunction.org.(The Victory Junction Gang PR)(8-13-2003)
Maxwell to drop the hammer in the #43 at Watkins Glen UPDATE: Toronto sports car driver Scott Maxwell has been signed to drive the #43 Cheerios Dodge for Petty Enterprises at the NASCAR Winston Cup race at Watkins Glen Aug. 10. The low-key Maxwell, who has a long and distinguished career in the sports car racing world, already has tested in the legendary #43 machine at Virginia International Speedway. Another test is planned for Thursday at Road Atlanta. Maxwell's championship pedigree includes winning titles in Formula Vee (1984), Ontario Formula Ford 1600 (1985 and 1986), Showroom Stock (1992 and 1993) and GARRA Cup GSI (2002). The highlight for Maxwell's career, however, came at Le Mans in 2000 when he took victory in the LMP 675 class for Multimatic Motorsports with John Graham and Greg Wilkins. Maxwell's other major sports car triumphs include winning the LMP 675 class at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 2001 as well as the Daytona Prototype victory at this year's Daytona 24 Hour.(Toronto Sun), more info about Maxwell, see his bio at the panozmotorsports.com site.(7-29-2003) AND see more at Inside Track News.(7-30-2003)
Parrott to PE? maybe Roush? UPDATE 3 looks like neither: Sources in the garage say former Robert Yates Racing crew chief Todd Parrott could be coming out of retirement and headed for Petty Enterprises -- if the Pettys can afford the seven-figure price tag it would take to retain him.(more 'Dish' at Sporting News)(7-21-2003) UPDATE: Earlier this year, Todd Parrott was released as director of competition at Robert Yates Racing. Earlier this week, there was a report that Parrott may wind up with Petty Enterprises, but a source told me Friday that Parrott could wind up at Roush Racing. We'll keep you posted on that.(Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR)(7-26-2003) UPDATE 2: Crew chief Todd Parrott is shopping for a job, and two places he's applied are Petty Enterprises and Roush Racing. But sources say that Parrott won't be offered a job with Roush. 'Todd came to me, and I have talked with him,' Jack Roush said, without further explanation.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-28-2003) UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises has talked to Todd Parrott about its General Manager's job, but Kyle Petty says Parrott will not be joining the team. Petty continues to look for a GM for the team.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to view)(8-1-2003)
Shakeup at PE? Richard Petty is not happy with the shape of things at Petty Enterprises [#43, #44, #45], and a shakeup may be coming.(Winston Salem Journal), see above story.(7-28-2003)
Hamilton back to Petty in 2004? the KFNS.com site reports: Among the Cup rides speculated to be available next year is the famed 43 car [Petty Enterprises], where [Bobby] Hamilton scored the first win of his career in Phoenix during that '96 season. His name has come up as a replacement for John Andretti for 2004 (an ironic twist, since that's how Hamilton got the ride in the first place) and Hamilton said he would not be against the idea. "My name has been in that (car) since forever, only because I was the fortunate one to be in it when the race team was as great as it was and I was able to have success," he said. "I got labeled as the guy who gave it success and that wasn't the case. You know as well as I do, Dale Jarrett can win races, but he ain't winning right now…are you going to sit there and tell me that man forgot how to drive overnight? I was just the fortunate one who got labeled as being the successor at Petty Enterprises, when it was Petty Enterprises that made me successful. Now, would I drive it again or not? I don't know," he continued. "If they were to call or if they were interested, yeah, I'd sit down and talk to them, because I think the world of the family, but it would just be a business decision to be made at that time. My priority is what I'm doing right now and that's to win a championship."(KFNS.com)(7-24-2003)
Fittipaldi to race ARCA too at Pocono: Christian Fittipaldi will compete in the ARCA series at Pocono Raceway next weekend [the Saturday race, there are two as the June race was rained out and postponed to July 25th]. The car will be prepared by his Petty Enterprises team. The Brazilian, who joined Winston Cup full time last month as the replacement for John Andretti in the #43 Dodge, will be racing in ARCA for the first time this season.(Richmond Times Dispatch) - actully Fittipaldi ran the ARCA race at Daytona in Feb 2003, starting 7th and finishing 10th, other drivers who have run in Cup this season running in one of both of the ARCA races include: #9-Hideo Fukuyama [both races] and #77-Casey Mears [both, pole for the make up]. Also former Cup driver Greg Sacks is entered to run Saturdays ARCA event.(7-21-2003)
Petty Not Changing Engine Builders: Kyle Petty said Friday he had no intention of removing Mike Ege Racing Engines as the engine builder for Petty Enterprises, despite his scathing statements last week at Daytona. Petty said he went public with his criticism of Ege because private efforts to get Ege's attention went unheeded. Petty said Ege's company responded by working 72 straight hours to bring better engines to Chicago. Petty practiced well, posting the 20th-best speed. But he and Fittipaldi still needed provisionals to make the field.(NASCAR.com)(7-12-2003)
Petty: Engines to Blame UPDATE: Why did two Petty Enterprises cars [#43 and #44] miss the Pepsi 400 at Daytona? What went wrong? Simple, Kyle Petty said. The engines weren't up to snuff. "It's the way things go, especially at a restrictor-plate race," Petty said. "Somewhere, we've gotten behind on our engines, and we just ain't caught up. It's been showing everywhere we've been, but it really showed up here. Mike's engines have been really, really good, but these are the same cars that we ran here before. We lost ground this time. You can't say it's got a lot to do with the cars. I've got to put all this on our engine department." Petty Enterprises engines are built by Mike Ege Racing Engines, a company started before the 2002 season to exclusive construct engines for the Pettys. Ege came from Robert Yates Racing, long known as one of the best engine-building companies in NASCAR. But Ege hasn't gained any horsepower on restrictor-plate engines. That doesn't sound too bad, but when you consider everyone else is gaining a few horsepower, the Pettys slide backwards.(NASCAR.com)(7-4-2003) UPDATE: After two of the team's three cars failed to qualify for the Pepsi 400, car owner and driver Kyle Petty was seen holding engine builder Mike Ege against the chain-linked fence in the garage area. Petty said Ege will continue to build engines for the team and that the two had a confrontation after time trials.(Florida Times Union)(7-5-2003)
Hmiel in the #43 at Daytona: Shane Hmiel, the 23-year-old hard-charger whose #48 Innovative Motorsports team has been a major player in the Busch Series, will drive the Daytona race for Petty Enterprises in the #43 Berry Burst Cheerios Dodge in the July 5 400-mile Winston Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Christian Fittipaldi, who has been driving the #43, will move to the #44 Bugles Dodge for this race. “We are very excited to have a young talent like Shane Hmiel drive the #43 for us at Daytona,” said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. “George deBidart and Innovative Motorsports were very gracious in allowing us to ‘borrow’ Shane for this event. They have a tremendous program there, so I know Shane will be used to what he sees on the Winston Cup side of the fence.” Hmiel will be driving a special paint scheme carrying the Berry Burst Cheerios colors. Normally, the #43 carries the Cheerios and Betty Crocker paint scheme.[see image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery] “Daytona and Petty are some pretty special names, and I know Cheerios is especially excited since this is one of their Berry Burst races,” Hmiel said. “I’m really excited at this opportunity, and I am so glad George deBidart and Kyle Petty could work this out.” Hmiel is currently 11th in the NASCAR Busch Series points, notching two top-five finishes and five top-10s in his 16 starts this season.(Williams Company PR)(6-24-2003)
Popcorn colors: hearing the #43-Christian Fittipaldi will have the Pop Secret colors [as the #43 normally does for this race] at Rockingham's final November race, in the Pop Secret 400 [which goes to California in 2004](6-23-2003)
Mayfield to Petty? So this weekend rookie Christian Fittipaldi is in the Petty car that Andretti drove the last five years, and Andretti is looking for a job. And Petty is hearing speculation that Jeremy Mayfield may be on his list as a driver. Mayfield's year and a half with car owner Ray Evernham has been very disappointing.(Winston Salem Journal); Mayfield has also been rumored to the #1 DEI car.(6-14-2003)
No Rookie of the Year for Fittipaldi: Despite being inserted in Petty Enterprises #43 Cheerios Dodge with 22 races remaining in the season, Christian Fittipaldi will not run for rookie of the year. According to NASCAR officials at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, a driver needs to declare his intent to run for the award and then compete in at least eight of the first 20 races. Since 14 races have been completed and Fittipaldi was not registered for the program in the two races he competed in earlier this season, he is ineligible.(NASCAR.com)(6-13-2003)
New Petty Museum: Already one of the most popular attractions in Randolph [NC] County's $6.3 million annual tourist trade, the Richard Petty Museum opened with little fanfare three weeks ago at its new location. All of the work should be completed there next month. Started in a storage room at the shop, the 15-year-old museum has grown into Randolph County's answer to Elvis Presley's Graceland. "We just needed a bigger place," Richard Petty said, getting up off the floor where he helped workers position a heavy glass display case. "And we needed the room at the shop." Petty said the 12,000 square feet looked a lot bigger when it was empty. He estimated that it would hold only about half of the family's memorabilia. "We knew how much room we had; we just didn't know we had this much stuff." David Caughron, executive director of the Randleman Chamber of Commerce, has been so eager for the museum's arrival that he spent several afternoons working there. He's excited about the shot in the arm that the museum will give the city's Oct. 18 fall street festival, NASCAR Day. Although the museum focuses primarily on Richard Petty's 35-year career, exhibits include Lynda Petty's doll collection and the 1998 Pontiac that the late Adam Petty drove when he won his first -- and last -- super speedway race. Don't ask Doris Gammons, the museum's executive director, how many items have been added to the museum. "We're putting it out so fast, I can't even tell," she said.(News and Record), more info on the museum at the Petty Racing site.(6-13-2003)
Andretti out Fittipaldi in the #43: Christian Fittipaldi will drive the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for most of the rest of this season, beginning with this weekend’s 400-mile race at Michigan Speedway. Petty Enterprises announced this morning Fittipaldi would replace John Andretti, who has driven for the team since 1998. "Christian Fittipaldi has shown, every time he has gotten in a Winston Cup car, including Phoenix, Texas and Daytona, that he has the talent to drive these cars and help us get to the front," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "We look forward to showing everyone what Christian can do week in and week out." A driver to be determined will drive the #43 in the three races Fittipaldi drives the #44 Bugles Dodge, and his one race under the New York Yankees pinstripes colors. "This decision was finalized this week. We then informed General Mills of what we were going to do, and we are moving forward," Petty said. Fittipaldi, one of the top young names in Formula One and CART racing before moving to Petty Enterprises, will be starting his fourth NASCAR Winston Cup race this week. He ran in October’s race at Phoenix, as well as the season-opening Daytona 500 and April’s 500-miler at Texas Motor Speedway. "We appreciate what John has done for us," said Richard Petty. "We had some successes, won some poles and won a race but we feel like where we are right now it’s time for a change for Petty Enterprises and for John. "Speed and Fittipaldi go together," he continued. "He knows how to run fast, and he knows how to race fast. We feel he is going to do a great job for Petty Enterprises and for Cheerios and Betty Crocker."(Williams Company PR), no word on Andretti's plans.(6-10-2003)
Nationally Televised Food Fight For Andretti: They aren’t giving anything away yet but John Andretti, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, and Martha Jane Bonkemeyer, assistant to legendary Richard Petty, competed in the national television show Food Fight Monday, June 2, at a Charlotte restaurant. The contest? Cooking, under strict guidelines, against two members of a Reggae band, while a television crew taped it all. From shopping to presentation, the two teams each had $20 and two hours to out cook, out razz and out-plate their competition. Local experts such as food writers, cooking school instructors, and home economics teachers judged the raucous cooking contest and determined which reaped prizes. Andretti and Bonkemeyer competed together as a team, going in with no knowledge of what dish would be required and only with some information gleaned from background that comes from an association with General Mills. Food Fight is broadcast nationally by the Food Network. An air date has not yet been scheduled [the show normally air's Thursdays at 10pm and Friday at 1:00am]. Hosted by J.D. Roberto, Food Fight pits two teams that have nothing in common but their love of good food against each other in a take-no-prisoners competition. This half-hour series features match-ups like Hell's Angels vs. soccer moms, and grandmas vs. construction workers in a show that's one part "Beat the Clock" and one part "Iron Chef." Casting calls were held in Chicago, Tampa, New York, Dallas, Nashville, San Francisco, Boston, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh throughout 2002 and early 2003. Teams are presented with a regional specialty, which is the focus of the dish. Petty Enterprises is the only race team featured this season. The show will air in prime time on the Food Network. Domestically, the show reaches approximately 75 million households. The show also airs in Canada, and parts of England as well.(Williams Company)(6-3-2003)
Woman wins breakfast with the King: Marie Mullins, 38, is one of two national winners who will be having breakfast Thursday with NASCAR legendary driver-owner Richard Petty in his hometown of Level Cross, NC. "It was a total shock," Mullins said. "I really didn't think it was possible to win." Mullins won the Pillsbury Grands! Biscuit contest after submitting an entry before December. She said she saw the contest advertised in a Port Charlotte [FL] Publix. She was notified in a March 5 letter that she had won the contest, which allows her to treat three guests -- sons Christopher, Michael and Timothy -- to breakfast with the 65-year-old champion, nicknamed "The King" by his peers during a driving career that ended after the 1992 season. Then they will tour Petty Enterprises and the Petty Museum. According to the itinerary provided by Pillsbury, Mullins said, a limousine is scheduled to pick up her and the boys from the hotel at 6 a.m. for the 7:45 a.m. breakfast. "From what I understand, his (Petty's) whole team is going to be there," she said. "The boys are going absolutely crazy over it." Mullins used some of the $1,000 in spending money she received to spring for an airplane ticket to fly husband Sid to North Carolina to enjoy the family vacation as well. All will attend The Winston at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday, which she said includes a tour of the pit before the race. The five regularly watch races on television and have their favorites: Richard Petty's son, Kyle, and John Andretti, both drivers for Petty Enterprises. Andretti drives the #43 Dodge car owned by Richard Petty.(See full story at the Sun Herald)(5-13-2003)
Robby Gordon responds:John Andretti made some comments last weekend that showed he wasn't happy about his cousin, IRL team owner/driver Michael Andretti, selecting Robby Gordon to replace Dario Franchitti in the Indy 500.
John thought Michael would select him to drive for the injured Franchitti, but John hasn't driven in the Indy 500 since 1994 when he became the first person to complete the double of the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. "I'll be there that week and I'll qualify the car, because he [Gordon] will be in the hospital by then," John Andretti told Speed Channel. Gordon responded to John's comment: "All I want to say is I never would wish one of my fellow competitors get hurt so I could get a ride." Andretti realizes sponsor considerations were a factor in the selection of Gordon. Motorola, the sponsor on Franchitti's car, supplies cell phones for Cingular Wireless, the sponsor of Gordon's Winston Cup car.(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to read)(5-1-2003)
New Rigs for Petty's: Freightliner Trucks has presented five spanking-new Freightliner Coronado heavy-duty trucks to Petty Enterprises. Three of the Coronado trucks are assigned to Petty Enterprises race teams, hauling Dodge Intrepid R/T racecars and equipment to NASCAR's Winston Cup races nationwide. The other two will see duty at various tracks around the country where Petty crews conduct tests on their cars and equipment. According to Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Freightliner Trucks, the trucks are being furnished as part of a sponsorship agreement with Petty Enterprises. Each Coronado is accessorized and custom-painted with the distinctive graphics of the individual sponsors of Kyle Petty's #45 Georgia Pacific Dodge, John Andretti's #43 General Mills Dodge and Christian Fittapaldi's #44 Dodge. Freightliner Trucks is a division of Freightliner LLC, headquartered in Portland, Ore. Freightliner Trucks produces and markets Class 5-8 trucks and is a company of DaimlerChrysler.(Truckinginfo.com)(4-29-2003)
Andretti, Petty Set Donation At California: John Andretti and the #43 Dodge team did more than run a race for themselves and their fans Sunday at the two-mile California Speedway. By completing all 250 laps in Sunday’s NASCAR Winston Cup event, 10,750 new books will now be donated by First Book and Cheerios to children in the greater Los Angeles area. Through the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, 43 books were donated for every lap Andretti completed Sunday to children participating in Boys and Girls Club of Fontana, Sivaland Head Start and The Agape House, also both in Fontana, and in LA’s BEST, an after-school program serving children in the city of Los Angeles. The goal of the donation was to drive home Cheerios’ commitment to childhood literacy.(Williams Company PR)(4-28-2003)
Odd Andretti Comment: John Andretti flipped idly through a newspaper, not really wanting to talk about his cousin Michael's decision to appoint Robby Gordon as substitute driver in Andretti Green's #27 cars for this year's Indianapolis 500. Andretti, son of Aldo Andretti (Mario's twin brother) and cousin of team owner/driver Michael Andretti, who will retire from driving after the 400, expressed off-the-record bitterness toward his cousin's choice. "I'll be there that Wednesday, and I'll qualify the car, because [Gordon] will be in the hospital by then," John Andretti said. See the full story at Speed Channel: John Andretti Puzzled by Gordon Decision(4-27-2003)
One Andretti to run, one to test and maybe qualify for the Indy 500, another to get a ride? Michael Andretti still hasn't announced who will replace Dario Franchitti next month at the Indianapolis 500. But he has a backup replacement plan for his other injured driver. He's bringing in the old man. Mario Andretti, arguably the most versatile racer of all time, will step out of the past and into Tony Kanaan's 7-Eleven Dallara/Honda for testing Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Kanaan, who suffered a broken left arm earlier this month in Japan, might not be able to practice May 4 or later qualify for the Indy 500. Dr. Terry Trammell did say Tuesday that Kanaan should be well enough to run the race May 25. The Andrettis already have agreed to Mario qualifying the car for Kanaan if Kanaan is unable to. It is unlikely -- even if Mario qualifies and the 28-year-old Brazilian can't run the race -- that Mario would run at Indy. Mario won the 1969 Indy 500 but has not competed at the Speedway since 1994, the year he retired from championship car racing after a 30-year career. But Andretti did compete at LeMans until 2000 and said he doesn't believe he would be in over his head for the qualifying run. The oldest driver to qualify at Indy is A.J. Foyt, who was 57 in his 1992 finale. "Yeah, dad and I predict that A.J. will be in a car by Thursday," Michael Andretti said, laughing. "I'm afraid poor Anthony (Foyt IV) will be out of his ride." It's a role reversal that amazes John Andretti, a full-time NASCAR driver who is hoping to assume Franchitti's Indy ride. Robby Gordon also is a strong possibility to replace Franchitti, suffered a broken back in a motorcycle accident and will be out until July. "Nothing my uncle does surprises me, but to think that he's going to be driving for Michael is pretty neat," he said. "I'd love to join them because it's Michael's last race and he's got a great team. Heck, I'd even drive for nothing." Michael Andretti already has announced that the Indy 500 will be his final race before focusing solely on ownership.(ESPN)(4-23-2003)
Andretti and the #43 helping childhood literacy: John Andretti and the #43 Dodge, which normally carries the Cheerios and Betty Crocker colors, will have something different for Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup race at the two-mile California Speedway. The team will be driving home Cheerios commitment to childhood literacy, with the #43 Dodge carrying that message on the car for the only event in the Los Angeles area. For each of the 250 scheduled laps Andretti competes in the race, Cheerios and First Book, a national children's literacy organization, will donate 43 books per lap to children in need in the Fontana, Calif., and Los Angeles area. "As a father myself, I know the importance of reading and the critical role it plays in children wanting to learn," said Andretti. He and his wife Nancy have three children, two in elementary school. "Having their own book makes a big difference in a child wanting to read. This program is incredible and I am behind it 100 percent," he added. "We're going for the maximum." As many as 10,750 books would be donated by First Book and Cheerios if Andretti completes all 500 miles of the race. The books are slated to go to children participating in Boys and Girls Club of Fontana, Sivaland Head Start and The Agape House, also both in Fontana, and in LA's Best, an after-school program in Los Angeles. To kick off the weekend, Cheerios and California Speedway will host 400-500 children from the Fontana Unified School District Friday morning at the speedway. After being served breakfast, the children will be read to by Andretti, will receive a book of their own from Cheerios, and then have the opportunity to watch practice and qualifying. Just as Cheerios helps fuel kids for the day, reading gives them the power to succeed in life. With that in mind, Cheerios is making a significant commitment to childhood literacy through the Spoonfuls of Stories program. Andretti and Petty Enterprises are partnering in this effort for one race by encouraging children to read more, and by reaching out to help others. More info at www.cheerios.com/familyfun/spoonfuls.asp and www.firstbook.org.(Williams Company)(4-22-2003)
Indy 500 Looks Doubtful for Andretti: A new set of Indy Racing League rules probably will prevent John Andretti from competing in the Indianapolis 500 next month. The driver of the #43 Cheerios Dodge for Petty Enterprises wanted to race against his cousin Michael, who will be driving in his final Indy 500. "Right now, the IRL basically is in a state of transition in that they've got new engine programs, chassis and a lot of new teams, too," said Andretti, the first driver to race the 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in 1994. "The biggest issue is, is there going to be enough equipment? . . . It doesn't look strong [for attempting the race], but the possibility is still there."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-13-2003)
Andretti helps out: On March 26, NASCAR driver John Andretti made a special appearance at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and delighted the children there undergoing treatment for pediatric cancer and other life-threatening childhood diseases. The appearance included a $30,000 check presentation to Target House. Andretti raised the money by meeting a challenge - for each lap completed in the EA Sports 500 in Talladega, Ala., on October 6, 2002, General Mills pledged to donate money to Target House. Andretti not only completed the race, but also placed in the top 20.(Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors)(4-8-2003)
Andretti and Gordon may miss the Indy 500: John Andretti and Robby Gordon announced several weeks ago their intention to compete in this year's Indianapolis 500. But both are being reminded of the significant gap between planning and doing. It takes money to bridge that gap, and neither is having luck finding it. The two Winston Cup regulars said this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway that time is quickly running out on hopes of pulling double duty May 25, racing in both the Indy 500 in the day and the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C., that night. It is particularly disappointing for Andretti, an Indianapolis native who wanted to return to the 500 in what cousin Michael Andretti has said will be his last race. John Andretti was counting on General Mills, his Winston Cup sponsor, to fund his Indy program, but the company now is telling him that given the economy and world situation, it is inclined to wait a year. He hasn't given up and even has talked to one potential sponsor about a package deal for himself and another open-wheeler turned stock car driver, Petty Enterprises teammate Christian Fittipaldi. One thing he won't do is ask his cousin, in his first year as an Indy Racing League team owner, for help. Michael already has plans to run four cars at Indy. "He's got his hands full," John Andretti said of his cousin. "I don't want to be the guy he comes up to afterward and says, 'I lost because of you,' because he split up one of his pit crews to help me out." Complicating matters for Gordon and Andretti is the IRL has all new cars this season with few extras available. But Gordon said all he has to do is turn on CNN to see the real problem. "It's hard to find money when there's a war going on," Gordon said. "I don't have a deal and I don't see one opening up."(Indianapolis Star)(4-1-2003)
Andretti still looking to do Coke 600/Indy 500 double: John Andretti still has no firm plans to run in the Indianapolis 500 this season and by his estimation, time is running out. Andretti wants to return to Indy, where he last raced in 1994 when he did both the 500 and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He'd like to make it happen this year so he can compete one last time against his cousin, Michael, who is retiring after the May 25th race. But he doesn't have a sponsorship deal in place and running at Indy is contingent on him putting a package together that includes partners from his Winston Cup team at Petty Enterprises. "I'd say at one time it was 60-40 that I'd run Indy and now the chances are more like 50-50," he said. "It's looking more likely that it will happen next year instead of this year." Andretti has not driven an Indy car since 1994, and although he's confident he hasn't forgotten any of the nuances, he wants to have a deal in place in time for him to test the car at the end of April. "There's a lot of last-minute deals that go on with the Indy 500 and I've certainly been involved in my share of them," he said. "But I'd like to test the car, get in it and get an idea of what I've got."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(3-23-2003)
The Why We Call Richard Petty "The King" Fact of the Week by Fox Sports: On Labor Day of 1967, Richard Petty won the Southern 500 at Darlington. It was his third victory on the 1.375-mile oval and his second Darlington win of the season. The win was also the third of what would become a 10-race winning streak and ultimately a 27-win season. By the time 1967 was over, NASCAR sportswriters labeled Petty "The King" ... and he's been The King ever since.(FoxSports)(3-14-2003)
Halfway to Rusty: #43-John Andretti will reach a milestone at Rockingham, set to make his 300th career Winston Cup start.(2-19-2003)
#43 Berry Scheme UPDATE: John Andretti is scheduled to run a Cheerios Berry Scheme at the Winston Open and Coca Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May, this is a very cool looking scheme, see the Paint Scheme Gallery for an image.(2-5-2003) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises and sponsor Cheerios joined forces Thursday morning, Feb. 13, prior to the "Great American Race" to unveil a special paint scheme for the legendary #43. The paint scheme celebrates Berry Burst Cheerios, the first-ever pairing of wholesome Cheerios with great tasting real berries right in the box. Petty Enterprises and sponsor Cheerios will race the new paint scheme in July, when the NASCAR Winston Cup teams come back to the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. The two new products - Berry Burst Cheerios Strawberry (with real sliced strawberries) and Berry Burst Cheerios Triple Berry (with real sliced strawberries, whole blueberries and.whole raspberries) - provide the taste and experience of fresh fruit through the process of freeze-drying. The #43 Berry Burst Cheerios Dodge will have John Andretti behind the wheel in the July race at Daytona.(Williams Company PR)(2-18-2003)
Update on the Petty movie: If all goes well, Disney's movie on Richard Petty and the Petty family should be filmed this year and be in theatres sometime in 2004, said Bill Scott, executive vice president at Petty Enterprises. Disney got involved in November. Dennis Quaid originally was set to play Lee Petty but now is expected to play Richard. Scripts are being rewritten to include more of the Petty family story than just the relationship between Lee and Richard. "This has been a project that has been ongoing; I personally have been working on this for four years," Scott said. "I really believe it's going to happen this year." Scott said he's not sure where filming will take place but says he'd "be surprised" if it was done outside North Carolina "based on our conversations."(Roanoke Times)(2-8-2003)
Andretti gets OK to run double - Indy 500 and Coca Cola 600: John Andretti has received permission from Petty Enterprises to return for the first time since 1994, when he became the first to run both races on the same day. This year's race is particularly significant to Andretti because his cousin, Michael, has said it will be his last. "I want to be in that race against Michael," John said. "The thing we've always said about the Andrettis is, 'He who gets hurt last, wins.' Well, Michael always lost because he always got hurt, and I want to give him one last chance."(Indianapolis Star)(2-7-2003)
#43 Berry Scheme: John Andretti is scheduled to run a Cheerios Berry Scheme at the Winston Open and Coca Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in May, this is a very cool looking scheme, see it on my Paint Scheme Gallery for the images.(2-5-2003)
Petty Experience News UPDATE: A participant at the Richard Petty Driving Experience was driving a car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and had a heart attack over the weekend. The car crashed, but the coroner ruled it was the heart attack that killed him. Condolences out to the family, no more info at this time.(2-4-2003) UPDATE: A man in town for a business convention died of natural causes while driving at a racing school named for Richard Petty. Philip Jerome Malarkey's death at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was attributed to coronary atherosclerosis, a common cause of heart attacks, the coroner's office said Tuesday. Malarkey, 58, of Arnold, MD, paid several thousand dollars to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. After classroom instruction, Malarkey became unconscious while driving a race car similar to those used in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, said Brad Mark, driving school general manager. Mark called Malarkey's death the first in 13 years at the race driving school. The maximum speed for the cars is about 160 mph, but Malarkey was not traveling at top speed when he became unconscious and his car scraped the wall on the 1 1/2-mile oval, officials said. His car did not hit any other vehicles.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(2-5-2003)
New Cereral - Petty 43s: Having built a legend racing on ovals, Richard Petty understands that things eventually come full circle. That list will soon include cereal, as the seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion goes from having his face on the Breakfast of Champions to having his own breakfast. General Mills on Tuesday will introduce Richard Petty 43s, a sweet rice-and-corn cereal shaped in 4s and 3s in honor of his No. 43 stock car. "I've had my face on a Wheaties box, but this is a whole new ballgame for me," Petty said. "It tastes pretty good, though I'm a little prejudiced." The limited-edition cereal features two collectible metallic designs of NASCAR's winningest driver (200 wins). One has Petty with his 1970 Plymouth Superbird, the other with his 1984 Pontiac Grand Prix. The packages form a mural of his storied career. General Mills also will donate $43,000 to the Petty family's Victory Junction Gang Camp, due to open next year in North Carolina.(USA Today)(2-4-2003)
Andretti Testing in FL: hearing that #43-John Andretti will be testing at USA International Speedway in Lakeland Fl, on Tuesday February 4th and Wednesday February 5th.(2-4-2003)
General Mills Offers A Dozen Different Die Cast Cars: To celebrate the kick-off of the 2003 racing season, General Mills offers fans of Petty Enterprises and die cast collectors a one-of-a-kind opportunity to collect 12 different 1:64 scale paint schemes on the various Petty Enterprises-owned Dodge racecars. Starting in February and continuing for a limited time, consumers will be able to get the cars free with certain General Mills purchases in grocery stores nationwide. Fans will find the die cast cars either inside or alongside General Mills products including select cereals, snacks, meals, baking products and refrigerated baked goods. Fans will find one die cast car free inside specially marked packages of five participating General Mills cereals. Brands and their featured paint schemes include: Cheerios and the 2003 Cheerios/Betty Crocker #43; Honey Nut Cheerios and the 2001 Honey Nut Cheerios #43; Wheaties and the 2000 Wheaties #43; Honey Nut Chex and the 2002 Chex Party Mix #43; and Cinnamon Toast Crunch and the 2002 Sprint #45. In the snacks aisle, fans will find the 2002 Pop Secret #43 available with purchases of Pop Secret microwave popcorn and the 2002 Georgia-Pacific #44 available with purchases of Chex Mix, Gardetto's and Bugles snacks. The Meals category is cooking up three different die cast car offers - including a never-seen-before fantasy paint scheme. The 1998 Betty Crocker paint scheme makes its first appearance on the #43 through this promotion and will be available with purchases of Betty Crocker Complete Meals, Betty Crocker Specialty Potatoes and Betty Crocker Bowl Appétit! rice or pasta. Consumers can help themselves to a free 2001 Hamburger Helper #43 with purchases of Hamburger Helper Oven Favorites dinners. And, new to the Cheerios/Betty Crocker Racing family is the fantasy Old El Paso #43 available free with an Old El Paso brand purchase. Betty Crocker Baking Products races into the action with an exclusive paint scheme never previously offered nationally as a 1:64 die cast. With the purchase of Betty Crocker baking products including participating flavors of SuperMoist cake mix, select Betty Crocker brownie mixes and ready-to-spread frostings, consumers will be able to get the 2002 Box Tops for Education #43, a replica of the paint scheme that ran on track in August 2002 during the Brickyard 400. Racing excitement zooms into the refrigerated baked goods area with a special Pillsbury Grands! multi-pack and die cast offer. For a limited time only, consumers will find three packages of Grands! Buttermilk Biscuits packaged with the 2002 Grands! Biscuits #43 paint scheme on a 1:64 die cast car. Though the 2002 Grands! paint scheme has previously been available as a free mail-in offer, this is the first time the car will be available in grocery stores.(Elevation Motorsports PR)(1-28-2003)
Petty to be Honored: Richard Petty and The News-Journal's motorsports editor Godwin Kelly will headline the Living Legends of Auto Racing's 11th annual awards banquet at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 12, at the Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach. Petty will be presented with the LLOAR's Distinguished Driver award, while Kelly will receive the Russ Moyer Media Award. Banquet seating is $40 per person and tickets are available only in advance. For information contact Carol Peoples at (386) 441-3246.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-9-2003)
Pemberton leaves Petty Enterprises? UPDATE yes: it was reported on Sunday's LTN Network radio show that Robin Pemberton has left Petty Enterprises at Team Manager.(1-6-2003) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises will further restructure its competitive setup, as part of the earlier announcements regarding its two full-time NASCAR Winston Cup teams and the Winston Cup-Busch-ARCA team of driver Christian Fittipaldi. As part of that structuring, Robin Pemberton will not return in 2003. "We really appreciate the knowledge and experience Robin brought to our race teams, and wish him nothing but the best as he continues his career," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "We know he will be successful in anything he does, and we will continue working to bring that same type of success to all of our teams."(Williams Company)(1-6-2003)
2002 News
Some #43 schemes in 2003: General Mills [Cheerios manufacturer] has the Hamburger Helper scheme, the Betty Crocker scheme and the new schemes are Old El Paso and LeSueur Peas for 2003 on the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge with John Andretti driving. Not sure yet when these schemes will run, no word on if a Pop Secret scheme will run at Rockingham as it has the past 4-5 years.(12-27-2002)
New Crew Chief for Andretti? UPDATE, yes and Andretti is signed, plus Thomas to Gibbs: hearing that Gary Putnam, crew chief from the #44 Petty Dodge is being moved over to crew chief the #43 and John Andretti while Brandon Thomas, who was the #43 crew chief is being moved over to head their engineering department.(12-12-2002) UPDATE: A new look to a traditionally winning team will grace the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for 2003. With driver John Andretti back behind the wheel, Gary Putnam will take over as crew chief for the team. The 32-year-old Putnam began serving as a NASCAR Winston Cup crew chief for the first time just last year, taking the reins of the then-#44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge. "Having John and Gary signed and raring to go gives us all a great feeling about 2003," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "John is a tremendous talent and has proven he knows how to win," Petty said. "I don’t know of anyone in the sport with as great a desire to excel. What he brings to our team on the track and what he brings to General Mills and Petty Enterprises off the track is fantastic. Gary has proven himself not only highly knowledgeable but a true leader," Petty continued. "We’re excited not just with what he has shown us so far but with his tremendous potential. John is excited and all of us at Petty Enterprises are excited with what he can do for us." Andretti, 39, is a NASCAR Winston Cup race winner beginning his fifth full season as driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge. He is one of only two drivers in motorsports history with victories in major league Indy car, major league road racing and major NASCAR Winston Cup oval victories. A native of Nazareth, Pa., who grew up in Indianapolis, Ind., he resides in the Mooresville, NC, area. Putnam, a native New Englander, began his career in NASCAR’s Featherlite Modified Series, and has been involved in NASCAR Winston Cup racing since 1996. He worked as a mechanic and car chief for several top teams before moving to Petty Enterprises last season. Born in Hartford, Ct., Putnam resides in Concord, NC.(Williams Co PR) and hearing Brandon Thomas has left Petty Enterprises and is now working for Joe Gibbs Racing, not sure in what capacity.(12-14-2002)
Sad News: Charles B. "CB" Lee, a veteran of NASCAR Winston Cup racing and most recently with Petty Enterprises, passed away Tuesday night at his home. Lee, 57, had been a mechanic at Petty Enterprises since 1999. A Texas native, Lee originally worked with A.J. Foyt’s Indy car team in the 1970's and early 80's, moving to North Carolina to work on stock cars with Foyt. When Foyt first left stock car racing in the late 80's, Lee moved to Stavola Brothers Racing, and also worked for Bobby Allison Motorsports and Bahari Racing. It was at Bahari he met Doug Hewitt and Gary Putnam, Hewitt bringing Lee to Petty Enterprises.
He is survived with his wife, Trudy, a son, Charles, Jr., 22, and daughter Megan, 14. The family lives in Asheboro. A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 14, at Hartsell Funeral Home, 460 Branchview Dr. NE, Concord, N.C.(Williams Co PR)(12-12-2002)
The King and Kyle Honored: Kyle Petty, son of NASCARs other seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, Richard Petty, accepted the Buddy Shuman Award on his father's behalf. The Buddy Shuman Award, a lifetime achievement type of honor, is named for the late Shuman, a NASCAR driver who died in a hotel fire in 1955. Jay Burkhart, vice president of marketing for Federal Mogul, presented the award. Kyle Petty said the inclement weather hitting much of the nation this week kept his father back home in North Carolina. "You know ˜The King"," Kyle said. "He's a man of few words, but here's what he did say: ˜If it's gonna snow, I'd rather be snowed in at home, than in New York City."
Kyle then returned to the stage several minutes later to receive the True Value Person of the Year Award from Pamela Lieberman, president and CEO of True Serve Corporation. Petty, Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader and Ricky Craven were the four nominees for the award, which recognizes drivers who have excelled in humanitarian efforts. Kyle earned high marks in that area, with his annual Kyle Petty Charity (motorcycle) Ride Across America, and the ongoing establishment of the Victory Junction Gang Camp for seriously ill children among his charitable venture.(NASCAR PR)(12-5-2002)
Andretti still not signed UPDATE: John Andretti still has not signed the contract offer Petty Enterprises gave him months ago, but the organization is certain the driver will be back in 2003. "There are a couple of issues that still need to be resolved, but as far as we're concerned, he is the driver of the No. 43," chief executive officer Kyle Petty said. "We have a verbal agreement, just no signature." Andretti, one of the few remaining free agents, was less committal. "Anything is possible," he said, smiling. "Who knows what will happen?" Petty said there was no issue over Andretti's participation in the Indianapolis 500, a race the company forbid him to compete in this year. Andretti, the first of three drivers to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, wants to do the double again and was disappointed he was not allowed. "As far as we're concerned, he can run the Indy 500 every year," Petty said. "We said no this year because the issue came up 30 days beforehand and there wasn't enough time. As long as he plans on it in advance, he can run it and we'd love to partner up and help his efforts."(CNNSI/AP)(11-17-2002) UPDATE: Minor contract details are holding up John Andretti signing for a sixth season with Petty Enterprises. Team officials discounted rumors of the Indianapolis native pursuing the Ganassi Racing vacancy created by the firing of Jimmy Spencer.(Indianapolis Star)(11-18-2002)
Andretti still not signed: John Andretti still has not signed the contract offer Petty Enterprises gave him months ago, but the organization is certain the driver will be back in 2003. "There are a couple of issues that still need to be resolved, but as far as we're concerned, he is the driver of the No. 43," chief executive officer Kyle Petty said. "We have a verbal agreement, just no signature." Andretti, one of the few remaining free agents, was less committal. "Anything is possible," he said, smiling. "Who knows what will happen?" Petty said there was no issue over Andretti's participation in the Indianapolis 500, a race the company forbid him to compete in this year. Andretti, the first of three drivers to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, wants to do the double again and was disappointed he was not allowed. "As far as we're concerned, he can run the Indy 500 every year," Petty said. "We said no this year because the issue came up 30 days beforehand and there wasn't enough time. As long as he plans on it in advance, he can run it and we'd love to partner up and help his efforts."(CNNSI/AP)(11-17-2002)
Hamilton to BAM? hearing Bobby Hamilton could end up in the #49 BAM Racing Dodge in 2003, other rumors have Hamilton in the #41 Target Dodge and if John Andretti goes to the #41 (but is supposedly close to re-signing with the #43) Hamilton coiuld end up in the #43 Dodge.(11-13-2002)
512 NASCAR Laps Bring Thousands of Books to Phoenix Children: Because of the laps completed by #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driver John Andretti in Sunday's Cup race and by #6 Pepsi Dodge driver Wally Dallenbach in Saturday's BGN race, a total of 22,016 books have been donated to First Book-Phoenix/Scottsdale. Cheerios, through the Spoonfuls of Stories program, in conjunction with Simon & Schuster, donated 43 books for each lap Dallenbach and Andretti completed over the Phoenix weekend. They completed all 512 possible laps (200 Saturday; 312 Sunday). Families can get more books into the hands of children in need by using the First Book donation forms on Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories boxes. All of the donations given to Spoonfuls of Stories will go to purchase new children's books, with the books going back to the communities where the donations were made. Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories race donation is part of a broader commitment to children’s literacy that includes putting more than five million books inside Cheerios boxes, donating $500,00 to First Book, and featuring a First Book donation forms on 60 million boxes of Cheerios.. First Book is a national nonprofit that provides new books to children of low-income families.(Williams Company PR)(11-11-2002)
Andretti, Dallenbach, Petty Team For Key Program: Drivers John Andretti and Wally Dallenbach will be racing hard to win - and to help young readers win, too - this weekend at Phoenix. Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories, serving as an associate sponsor for Dallenbach's BGN #6 team and Andretti's #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Cup team, will donate 43 books for each lap the two drivers complete in NASCAR events at Phoenix this week. The donated books will go to First Book-Phoenix/Scottsdale. At 43 books per lap, that means that Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories, in conjunction with Simon & Schuster, will donate as many as 22,016 new children’s books if both drivers complete each lap in their respective races. First Book, a national nonprofit which provides new books to children from low-income families, will distribute the donated books to children in need in the Greater Phoenix area. Nationally, as many as 61 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories race donation is part of a broader commitment to children’s literacy that includes putting more than five million books inside boxes of Cheerios. Families can help Cheerios get even more books to children in their own communities using the First Book donation form found on Cheerios boxes.(Williams Company PR)(11-7-2002)
Andretti and Fittipaldi stuff: #43-John Andretti hasn't signed a contract with Petty Enterprises for 2003, but Kyle Petty says: "He told me he was going to do our deal, so it's just a matter of time." Petty is optimistic about new driver Christian Fittipaldi, who will make his Winston Cup debut this weekend at Phoenix in the #44. Petty says Fittipaldi's test times there last week were competitive with other teams'.(Sporting News)(11-4-2002)
#43 special scheme at the Rock: General Mills’ Pop Secret Popcorn. The popcorn is the title sponsor for Sunday’s Pop Secret 400 at the 1.017-mile North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. John Andretti will be driving a specially-painted #43 Pop Secret Dodge for this weekend’s race. General Mills and its cereals and snack foods have sponsored Petty Enterprises and the #43 team since the summer of 2000.(Willams Company PR)(10-31-2002)
Sad News: Mary Stofflet, grandmother of John Andretti, has passed away. Arrangements are being handled by George Bensing Funeral Home in Mooretown, PA. The viewing is scheduled tonight from 7-9 p.m., and the funeral Thursday, Oct. 31, at 1:00pm/et. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be sent to: Salem United Church of Christ, 2218 Community Drive,
Bath, PA. 18014.(10-30-2002)
Andretti Signed? by Petty UPDATE: Car owner Kyle Petty said John Andretti has a contract to sign to remain with Petty Enterprises. "We've pretty much agreed to most everything we're going to agree to," Petty said. "We're just going through formalities." ... (Roanoke Times)(10-20-2002) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises CEO Kyle Petty said a contract is nearly completed to keep John Andretti with the team next season. "We've agreed to everything," Petty said. "We just haven't sat down and put it on paper."(NASCAR.com)(10-26-2002)
The King at an AFB: NASCAR legend Richard Petty visited Seymour Johnson Air Force Base to eat lunch and visit with Tech-Sergeant Stephen Peterson. Peterson won the grand prize in TNT’s “Win the King” Sweepstakes. Petty also signed a go-cart replica of his famous number 43 car for the on-base Thunder-Trakz Raceway. After lunch, Petty and Peterson toured the base, which gave Petty the chance to meet a lot of airmen. TNT’s camera crew shot footage of the visit. It will air November 3rd during NASCAR’s Winston Cup Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham. Peterson and his family also won tickets to the race.(News 14 Carloina)(10-25-2002)
Andretti back to the #43 in 2003? confirmed...sort of: while watching the race coverage at Kansas on NBC, it was mentioned that John Andretti had agreed to drive the #43 Dodge in 2003, just need the signed contract to make it official.(9-30-2002)
Andretti Close to re-signing with Petty, including Indy 500 UPDATE: #45-Kyle Petty said that the team is close to signing #43-John Andretti to a contract extension and Andretti would be allowed to attempt to drive in the Indianapolis 500 next May. "It's one of those deals where you're 99.9 percent," sure it will happen, Petty said of the contract extension. "It's just nobody's name is on a piece of paper." Petty said he has no problems letting Andretti run in the Indy 500 next year. The problem this year, Petty said, was that Andretti asked on such short notice and did not allow the Petty sponsors to possibly put together a sponsorship package for that race. Andretti said he's hopeful that his cousin, Michael Andretti, will have an extra car for him next May. Michael Andretti, who bought into an Indy car team, will run three cars in the Indy Racing League next year.(Roanoke Times)(9-21-2002) UPDATE: John Andretti knows where and for whom he plans to race in 2003 — has known, in fact, for some time — but he's not telling. ''I've made up my mind,'' he said Saturday following ''Happy Hour,'' practice at Dover. ''But I haven't signed anything yet. The ball's not in my court now. I actually made up my mind a little bit ago and I'm just waiting on a response. 'It's not really going to be up to me and, in my mind, it's never been up to me. The formal announcement comes from the team and from the sponsors, so I'm just a participant. They're just waiting to do that, they're just waiting to get everything sewed up.''(Morning Call)(9-23-2002)
Andretti and Petty test at Dover: #43-John Andretti, who was testing a Petty Dodge at Dover on Tuesday and Wednesday, isn't saying yet what that decision will be. He was careful to give no real hint of his plans in an interview with The Associated Press. "Any driver announcement is up to the team and the sponsor,'' Andretti said. "I'll let them take care of that when the time comes. It would be easier to leave than it is to stay and work on things and make them better,'' he added. "But I believe in the Petty organization. I'm extremely close (to a decision).'' #45-Kyle Petty, who runs the team based in Randleman, N.C., and is Andretti's teammate, also was in Dover for the test.(ESPN/AP)(9-12-2002)
Petty to announce Andretti's signing...today? UPDATE NO: Kyle Petty has a news conference set for today [doesn't say where or what time], and it is widely expected that he will announce that John Andretti has signed a new contract. Andretti's future has been the subject of much debate the last few weeks, with several other teams vying for his services. What Andretti has wanted most out of a new contract is the OK to run in the Indy 500 in May.(Winston Salem Journal) UPDATE: There is no press conference with Petty Enterprises scheduled today, and none is anticipated.(9-9-2002) UPDATE 2: Kyle Petty may have answered one of the key lingering questions involving Winston Cup racing's 2003 lineup during an appearance at a Charlotte church Monday evening. Petty, answering a question at Hickory Grove Baptist Church where he took part in a program featuring Oliver North as the key speaker, said John Andretti has agreed to stay with Petty Enterprises as driver of the No. 43 Dodges. A team spokesman on Tuesday said that Petty's remarks did not constitute an official announcement that Andretti will return, and that nothing has been signed to that effect. Petty said Saturday at Richmond International Raceway that he hoped Andretti would return but that his family's team was still waiting on a decision. One possible option if Andretti decided to leave the team went away over the weekend when Chip Ganassi announced he had hired Jamie McMurray to drive for his third team with the Chevron/Texaco sponsorship.(ThatsRacin.com)(9-11-2002)
Andretti leaving Petty? UPDATE 2: With Ricky Rudd out of the picture, Winston Cup team owner Chip Ganassi continues to look for a third driver for a new car that will begin competition for the team next season. John Andretti said he was leaving Petty Enterprises at the end of this season to pursue another ride and may ultimately end up with Ganassi. Andretti would love to return to the Indianapolis 500 and that is something that Ganassi would give him. Andretti reportedly met with Ganassi this week.(FoxSports/SportsTicker)(9-3-2002) UPDATE: John Andretti said he is leaving Petty Enterprises at the end of this season to pursue other options, and his best option may be a third Winston Cup car for Chip Ganassi's team. Andretti has made it clear he wants to compete again in the Indy 500, and that easily could be arranged through Ganassi's IRL team. Kyle Petty will reveal his team's plans for 2003 on Saturday at Richmond. It's expected that Petty will have two cars next year instead of three, but Christian Fittipaldi probably will run a third Petty car in selected Winston Cup races while competing full time in the Busch series.(Dallas Morning News)(9-5-2002) UPDATE 2: John Andretti told MRN Radio in an interview Friday at Richmond that no decisions had been made regarding his plans for next year, and that he had not talked to any reporters about definite plans. Apparently, some people are writing some things without bothering to ask Andretti.(9-6-2002) UPDATE 3: John Andretti is vigorously denying stories on the Internet after the Darlington, S.C. event that had Andretti leaving Petty Racing. Andretti said he never said more than a “Hi, How are you?” to the reporter who first broke the story. That’s not to say that Andretti has a signed deal with Petty at this time, but rather he’s still working on next year’s plans in general. Andretti said to TFR, “I’m more worried about this week’s race than next year.”(Ford Racing)(9-7-2002)
The #24 almost went to Petty: Jeff Gordon's car number, 24, is the one sought by the late Lee Petty when he began competing in NASCAR in the late 1940s. "But the number was already taken, so Daddy just reversed it to 42," Richard recalls. That's how the whole Petty 40 series began, with Richard getting 43, then Kyle 44 and Adam 45, until Adam's death in 2000. Kyle now drives 45 to help keep his son's memory alive. Had Lee gotten his preference, Richard likely would have made the number 25 legendary. Gordon's number now? Well, 43 might have been available, in that there would have been no mystique attached to it.(Orlando Sentinel)(9-5-2002)
Petty Enterprises to two cars in 2003? UPDATE denied and more on Andretti: The Buzz has learned that Petty Enterprises may be making a sponsor switch between the #44 and #45 Dodge teams. Sprint has already announced they would not be returning to the #45 of Kyle Petty after this year. With current sponsor Georgia Pacific still signed on with Petty, the team may move the sponsor from the #44, currently being driven by Jerry Nadeau, to the #45 for the 2003 season. With Christian Fittipaldi coming aboard next year in Busch and ARCA competition, Petty Enterprises may not put a driver in the #44 at all and utilize the shop space and resources for Fittipaldi. An announcement is expected to be made in Richmond next week if a sponsor switch is going to be made.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(8-28-2002) UPDATE:PRN's Garage Pass radio show reports that Kyle Petty said Petty Enterprises will have three Cup teams in 2003, contrary to reports and that they need three teams to make it work. Petty also said the main question is if John Andretti will return in 2003 to the #43. Andretti has a contract in hand from Petty but has not decided on his 2003 plans yet.(8-31-2002) UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises is waiting to see what John Andretti decides to do for next season. Andretti's contract is up at the end of this season, and he has been wooed by Rick Hendrick and Chip Ganassi, according to team sources. It is not clear when Andretti might have to make a decision.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-2-2002)
Andretti's Plans? Now that Ricky Rudd has signed his deal, the focus in the Winston Cup garage turns to car owner Chip Ganassi, who is looking for a new driver for his planned third team. Ganassi says he's looking for youth, noting that Sterling Marlin and Jimmy Spencer are both well into their 40s. One obvious man to keep an eye on is Jason Leffler, who drove for Ganassi last year as a rookie before being pushed back to the Truck series, where he has been a hot driver this season. Another man is John Andretti, who drives for Kyle Petty but who has expressed a strong desire to add the Indy 500 to his schedule, something Ganassi can easily do. Andretti reportedly met with Ganassi this week. Andretti was pressed hard here yesterday by the media but he offered no clues as to what he might do.(Winston Salem Journal)AND Now that Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler have shored up their 2003 plans, the focus turns to John Andretti and whether or not he'll be back with Petty Enterprises. Andretti has been in the #43 Dodge since 1998, but his contract is up at the end of the season. Kyle Petty, who runs the organization, has said they want Andretti back, but no deal has been reached and Andretti said he has spoken to other car owners about opportunities. "I don't play games and I don't run from motorhome to motorhome looking for a deal," Andretti said. "If somebody wants to talk to me, they can call me on the phone." But Andretti sounded as if he's leaning toward sticking with Petty, even though it's possible higher-profile teams like Chip Ganassi Racing could be wooing him. One sticking point in the negotiations is Andretti's desire to run in the Indianapolis 500, which he did in 1994, but Petty refused to let him do this season. Andretti said he's not giving up on his bid to run in the race.(Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(8-24-2002)
It's Up to Andretti: It’s up to John Andretti to decide whether he wants to return to Petty Enterprises next year. Andretti has been contacted by at least two other Winston Cup teams and has yet to decide what he will do next season. Kyle Petty, however, has made it clear that he wants Andretti back in the No. 43 Dodge next season.(Winston Cup Scene - need subscribtion to read)(8-15-2002)
more Petty plans for 2003: Kyle Pettysaid he's returning to drive [in 2003]. Petty, whose team does not have a sponsor for next season, said the team should have an announcement within two months on that issue. Petty said the organization also is searching for sponsorship for Fittipaldi's team. Petty said the team hopes John Andretti will return, and that Jerry Nadeau, the team's other driver for the rest of the season, is unlikely to return because he has other offers.(Roanoke Times)(8-8-2002)
Special Paint Scheme for the #43 at Indy: To rev students and parents up about the upcoming school year, the Cheerios/Betty Crocker #43 Dodge will feature a special Box Tops for Education paint scheme during the Brickyard 400 on August 4 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Box Tops for Education is General Mills' acclaimed school fund-raising program. Through the Box Tops for Education program, eligible schools can earn up to $30,000 per school year. To date, General Mills has contributed nearly $70 million cash back to America's schools through the program. NASCAR Winston Cup driver John Andretti, who will race the Box Tops for Education car, is excited to help promote this celebrated program. "I'm happy to help support Box Tops for Education and raise awareness of General Mills' efforts to help schools earn cash," said Andretti. "Families are such an important part of the NASCAR experience which makes it the perfect place to feature a great program like Box Tops for Education." The special paint scheme features the vibrant Box Tops for Education logo on the hood and TV panel. Additionally, Kroger affirms its commitment to Box Tops for Education through the Kroger Racing logo prominently displayed on the deck lid.
Introduced in 1996, Box Tops for Education is a school fundraising program run by General Mills, Inc. Box Tops for Education is open to any accredited public, private or parochial school, containing any class with students from Kindergarten to 8th grade, in the United States that is organized and primarily operated for education purposes and to any United States military school, containing any class with students from Kindergarten to 8th grade, worldwide. The Box Tops for Education program provides consumers three ways to earn cash for their school: Clip with the original Box Tops for Education; Shop online at the Box Tops for Education Marketplace; Charge with the Box Tops for Education Visa card. For more information about Box Tops for Education, visit boxtops4education.com.(IMG PR)(7-31-2002)
Weis Markets joins the #43 for Pocono: General Mills is proud to announce the sponsors on the #43 Dodge of John Andretti at Pocono will be Cheerios/Weis Markets. Prior to the start, attention will focus on victory circle, General Mills and Weis Markets will honor Ned Chamberlain, who has been a Weis over the road truck driver for 35 years. He will be preasented with a framed Cheerios racing jacket, signed by team owner Richard Petty and John Andretti. The award is for his years of service and the remarkable feat of 1.5 million miles of safe driving. Presenting the award will be Norm Rich, President of Weis Markets. Cheerios is the regular sponsor for the #43.(PR)(7-26-2002)
Another Andretti: Adam Andretti, younger brother of #43-John Andretti and cousin of CART driver Michael Andretti, plans to make his ASA debut at Madison, WI as part of a limited schedule this year. Adam, 23, will drive a car owned by Jerry Wood, of Madison, and team with Wood's son, Chad. He has raced since 1995, progressing through karts, U.S. Formula 3, SCCA endurance racing and the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(7-26-2002)
Andretti to the IRL? UPDATE: If talks between Michael Andretti and Tony George lead to the Championship Auto Racing Teams star starting his own team in the Indy Racing League next year, might he try to lure his cousin, John, back to the open-wheel ranks? "You'd have to ask him that," said a grinning John Andretti, who is in his ninth season on the Winston Cup circuit. "I think he'd be too cheap to pay me."(Indianapolis Star)(7-19-2002) UPDATE: John Andretti is another driver left wondering about his future. He's not sure if he'll be back with Petty Enterprises after his contract expires at the end of the year. Asked when he'll know what he'll be doing next season, Andretti said: "I guess when there's only one seat left and I'm the only driver left, then they'll figure it out." Andretti had a slight disagreement at Petty this season when Kyle Petty refused to let him run in the Indianapolis 500. Andretti wants badly to run that race again, and it could be a reason why he'd leave the Petty's three-car operation. But he said if he did go elsewhere, it would be in NASCAR and not an open-wheel series. "I don't have any plans to leave Winston Cup," Andretti said. "Other people might have plans for me to leave Winston Cup, but I don't. I want to still do the 500. I've never hidden that, but I haven't got to do it since I did it in 1994. I'm not the most impossible guy in the world to deal with. There are things I want, but I can appreciate when you sit down and talk about it, I'd like to think I'm rational, and I try to do the right thing."(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(7-21-2002)
Petty and Andretti: Kyle Petty said Indianapolis native John Andretti has a job driving for Petty Enterprises for as long as he wants it. A contract beyond this year hasn't been completed, Petty said, because if Andretti "can improve his position or wants to, we want to give him an option."(Indianapolis Star)(7-15-2002)
Petty Changes: New crew chiefs were named for two Petty Enterprises NASCAR Winston Cup cars, CEO Kyle Petty announced today. Brandon Thomas has been named crew chief for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge of driver John Andretti, while Greg Steadman moved from that team to become crew chief for the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge of driver Steve Grissom. Bryant Frazier will shift into the role of car chief for the #44. Thomas, a mechanical engineering graduate of Virginia Tech University, has been most recently with Joe Gibbs Racing. From 1999-2001, he was at Penske Racing South working on the #2 car. While at Penske, Thomas worked closely with Robin Pemberton, Petty Enterprises' Vice President and General Manager. "Brandon and I worked well together at Penske" said Pemberton. "I've seen him with a lot of racers, and he will fit in great with our people. His race experience and background will be a big plus for Petty Enterprises."
"This is just another step in continuing our progress at Petty Enterprises," said Petty. "If we take the good people that we have, like Greg Steadman and Bryant Frazier, and add more quality talents like Brandon Thomas, we keep improving all of our teams. We were fortunate that Joe Gibbs and Jimmy Makar were willing to work with us, as they had Brandon under contract. Coach Gibbs kept asking for a first-round draft choice in 2003 to get the deal done, though," Petty quipped. The crew changes are effective for this weekend's race in Pocono.(Williams Company PR)(6-5-2002)
Petty hopes Andretti stays UPDATE: Kyle Petty said on Saturday that he hopes John Andretti returns for a sixth season in the #43 Cheerios Dodge, but also acknowledged that Andretti is exploring other options. "John's been out talking, and that's a fact of life in Winston Cup racing," Petty said, " We want him to stay. We would be remiss to change drivers." Andretti's contract with Petty Enterprises is up at the end of this year. It's been a frustrating season for Andretti, 39, who has scored just three top-20 finishes in 12 races this season and is currently 32nd in points. He was 31st last year. Petty also said that the improvement of the #44 Dodge -- Steve Grissom finished eighth at Richmond, that car's best finish since 2000 -- has sparked interest among other drivers. Petty is also busy solidifying the future of his own #45 Dodge, whose contract with Sprint runs out at the end of the year. Petty's other two cars, the #43 and the #44, are fully sponsored for 2003.(NASCAR.com)(6-1-2002) UPDATE - Andretti says he's not thinking about leaving Petty: Petty Enterprises, concerned driver John Andretti will leave the organization when his contract expires at the end of the year, might not have anything to worry about. Andretti admitted Tuesday he’s not happy with his performance this season, but still believes things can turn around with the Petty organization. "It’s too good of an organization to be where we’re at and it’s – I don’t want to use the word embarrassing – but it’s just not what we’re capable of doing," he said. "I’ve been here for a lot rougher days and I know that everything is coming in the right direction. So I don’t know that I am ready to get off right now because I know things are coming." Poor performances, coupled with the Indy issue, created speculation that Andretti would not be back with Petty at the end of the season. Petty has heard the rumors and said over the weekend he hoped Andretti would not leave the #43 Dodge. Andretti seemed surprised at all the free agency talk. "If I get to January and they stop paying me, I guess I’d get my contract out and read it," he said. "In all honesty, I couldn’t tell you how long I’ve been here and how long the contract was for." He also said while disappointed at not running Indy this year, it would not be a major sticking point to future negotiations with Petty or any other car owner. "I like people to agree to things and not be forced into them, and I’d hate to think I might have to force an issue to do something," he said.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(6-5-2002)
Petty hopes Andretti stays UPDATE: Kyle Petty said on Saturday that he hopes John Andretti returns for a sixth season in the #43 Cheerios Dodge, but also acknowledged that Andretti is exploring other options. "John's been out talking, and that's a fact of life in Winston Cup racing," Petty said, " We want him to stay. We would be remiss to change drivers." Andretti's contract with Petty Enterprises is up at the end of this year. It's been a frustrating season for Andretti, 39, who has scored just three top-20 finishes in 12 races this season and is currently 32nd in points. He was 31st last year. Petty also said that the improvement of the #44 Dodge -- Steve Grissom finished eighth at Richmond, that car's best finish since 2000 -- has sparked interest among other drivers. Petty is also busy solidifying the future of his own #45 Dodge, whose contract with Sprint runs out at the end of the year. Petty's other two cars, the #43 and the #44, are fully sponsored for 2003.(NASCAR.com)(6-1-2002) UPDATE - Andretti says he's not thinking about leaving Petty: Petty Enterprises, concerned driver John Andretti will leave the organization when his contract expires at the end of the year, might not have anything to worry about. Andretti admitted Tuesday he’s not happy with his performance this season, but still believes things can turn around with the Petty organization. "It’s too good of an organization to be where we’re at and it’s – I don’t want to use the word embarrassing – but it’s just not what we’re capable of doing," he said. "I’ve been here for a lot rougher days and I know that everything is coming in the right direction. So I don’t know that I am ready to get off right now because I know things are coming." Poor performances, coupled with the Indy issue, created speculation that Andretti would not be back with Petty at the end of the season. Petty has heard the rumors and said over the weekend he hoped Andretti would not leave the #43 Dodge. Andretti seemed surprised at all the free agency talk. "If I get to January and they stop paying me, I guess I’d get my contract out and read it," he said. "In all honesty, I couldn’t tell you how long I’ve been here and how long the contract was for." He also said while disappointed at not running Indy this year, it would not be a major sticking point to future negotiations with Petty or any other car owner. "I like people to agree to things and not be forced into them, and I’d hate to think I might have to force an issue to do something," he said.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(6-5-2002)
Rudd to the Wood Brothers? Andretti? Elliott Sadler will get his long-sought release from Wood Brothers Racing this week, but won't be leaving until the end of this NASCAR season. Sadler wants to leave the Stuart-based team to pursue a new Winston Cup ride. Some feel that means Dale Earnhardt Inc., which seemingly will fire Steve Park within the next week or so. But there's growing sentiment in the garage that Sadler might join Robert Yates Racing. If that happens, look for RYR driver Ricky Rudd to join the Wood brothers for the last year or so of his career. Team co-owners Eddie and Len Wood have been working with Motorcraft and the Air Force for several weeks.(Daily Press), another rumor floating around has John Andretti going to the Wood Brother's #21 Ford.(5-27-2002)
Andretti a clone? UPDATE 3 image and some Star Wars/Cheerios PR: hearing the #43 Cheerios Dodge and driver John Andretti will sport a special Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones movie scheme in 2002. The movie is scheduled for release in May, been told the scheme will run in The Winston and the Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway(2-5-2002) UPDATE: Got an image of the scheme, check it out on the Paint Schemes page.(2-6-2002) UPDATE 2: Cheerios announces three special edition Star Wars paint schemes and have designed a special paint scheme for Episode I, Episode II and a Trilogy edition. On their site [www.starwars.cheeriosracing.com], folks can check out each new car design, view them from different angles, pick a favorite and compare them with other. Images can be downloaded. Beginning in May in select states, specially marked packages of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Nut Chex and Golden Grahams will be offering a FREE mail in for three collectible 1:64 die cast cars with #43 Cheerios Star Wars special edition paint schemes. Collect all three special edition paint schemes: Episode I, Episode II and the Trilogy car. In conjunction with the FREE mail-in offer, John Andretti will be driving a new, one-time-only Light Side vs. Dark Side Star Wars paint scheme in May at the Lowe's Motor Speedway to commemorate the movie premier.(PR)(3-18-2002) UPDATE 3: Star Wars fans, outfitted as Star Wars storm troopers, stood guard at a Charlotte movie theater today...but they weren't waiting in line for tickets to Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Instead, they helped NASCAR driver John Andretti unveil a special Star Wars paint scheme for the Cheerios #43 Dodge commemorating the May 16 release of the epic film. Andretti will race the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones paint scheme at The Winston on May 18 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 26, both at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. In addition to the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones car, General Mills has created paint schemes representing the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Fans can check out the three different paint schemes and choose their favorite at www.starwars.cheeriosracing.com. Plus, select limited-edition packages of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Nut Chex and Golden Grahams will feature a mail-in offer for all three collectible 1:64 die-cast Star Wars #43 cars. In addition to the NASCAR excitement, General Mills has created a number of fun and exciting limited-edition Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones products. With special-edition products in categories including cereal, yogurt and fruit snacks, innovative packaging and valuable premiums, General Mills is helping kids incorporate the magic of Star Wars into their daily routines. Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones will be in theatres nation-wide May 16 and was written and directed by George Lucas(IMG PR)(5-15-2002)
John Andretti To Aid Easter Seals: John Andretti will get a few new sidekicks before he takes to the track for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 26, and will be meeting them and the public in an appearance in Charlotte on May 22. Andretti will be teaming with Petty Enterprises sponsor Sprint and Easter Seals of North Carolina for Project Connect, which recycles used cellular telephones for money that will be donated to the local Easter Seals chapter. The driver of the #43 Cheerios Pontiac will also be welcoming area YMCA children as his "Sidekicks" for the evening. Children from the YMCA raced in a NASCAR simulator to earn the honors of VIP treatment and the chance to meet Andretti. Andretti will be appearing at the Sprint store at 230 East WT Harris Blvd. from 6-8 p.m. on May 22 and will be meeting and signing autographs for the public as well as for the children. Fans that bring a used phone to donate to the program will receive VIP treatment and placement in the front of the line.(Speed Channel)(5-14-2002)
Special #43 Scheme at Daytona: John Andretti will run a Grands/Pillsbury Dodge at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona in July, see my Paint Scheme Gallery for the two images.(5-2-2002)
Nice Ride to School: A dream came true for 11-year-old Jonathan Greene of Pineville, NC today when NASCAR driver John Andretti drove the #43 Honey Nut Cheerios Dodge Intrepid to Greene's apartment to pick him up for school. Greene won the ride to school in the Honey Nut Cheerios #43 Dodge Intrepid through a General Mills contest held during Speed Street, a NASCAR street festival held every May in Uptown Charlotte. Andretti driving the car was an added surprise. "Hello Mr. Andretti!" Greene exclaimed as he opened the door to welcome the Winston Cup driver. "This is awesome," Greene later said. "This is the best ride to school I have ever had.". Even Andretti was excited about the ride to South Charlotte Middle School. "This is one way to get excited about going to school," Andretti said. "Jonathan and I had a great ride today. The car handled great and we definitely had a lot of horsepower out there. Who knows, this may give Jonathan the bug to become a future Winston Cup Champion."(General Mills PR)(4-30-2002)
More Petty Movie News: Richard Petty and Bill Scott, executive vice president of Petty Enterprises, met Saturday with officials working on a proposed movie about the Petty family. Petty and Scott met at the track with producer Dan Halsted and writer John Warren and went over ideas for the script. Scott said that Warren plans to have a first draft of the script by Memorial Day. Once a script is written, it will be shopped to studios. With actor Dennis Quaid, who is starring in Disney's "The Rookie," set to play Lee Petty, it could make it easier for the script to be picked by a studio. The studio would determine where filming takes place but Halsted liked the idea of filming at least part of the movie in North Carolina, Scott said.(Roanoke Times), see more on the movie at my #43 Team News and Links page.(4-29-2002)
No Indy 500 for Andretti...this year: John Andretti isn't going to do the Indianapolis 500-Coca-Cola 600 double this year, but he makes it clear that's not the way he'd prefer it. "Kyle and I sat down and talked and decided we'd wait and talk about it in the future," Andretti said of Kyle Petty, the CEO of the Petty Enterprises operation that owns Andretti's #43 Dodges. "It's disappointing. ...I'm not learning to deal with it any better, especially when I could almost see it and then it went away. There were some really good opportunities. This is probably going to be one of the most competitive (Indy) 500s they've ever had. ...It would be an unbelievable year to go back." Andretti raced in both events on the same day in 1994, becoming the first to accomplish the Indy-car/stock-car double Tony Stewart did in 1999 and 2001.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-28-2002)
NASCAR/Petty Movie UPDATE: Dennis Quaid is revved up by a film project delving into the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his complicated relationship with his father Lee, who was an up-and-coming driver until he was injured in a crash. ``Any Given Sunday'' producer Dan Halsted has put together the funds to develop a ``Great Santini''-like story of a son trying to measure up to his father. The younger Petty went on to become NASCAR's winningest driver, but had to go a long way to prove himself to Lee, who'll be played by Quaid. The pic will be exec produced by John O'Hurley, John Myrick and Robin Sharp, and they're out to writers right now.(Yahoo Entertainment - thanks Matt)(11-13-2001) UPDATE: The star of "The Rookie" is slated to be father of "The King" of NASCAR in an upcoming movie. Dennis Quaid has pledged to play Lee Petty in an untitled movie chronicling the racing careers of Lee and Richard Petty in the late 1950s and '60s. Richard Petty is NASCAR's all-time winningest driver with 200 victories. The movie will focus on the father-son relationship, as Richard struggles to meet the high expectations Lee had for him. "It's not as much about the grinding of the wheels as it is the relationship of the two best racers in NASCAR," John O'Hurley, executive producer of the upcoming film, said Wednesday in Greensboro. The actor to play Richard Petty hasn't been finalized. The movie has gotten a thumbs-up from Richard Petty and Petty Enterprises, said Bill Scott, executive vice president of Petty Enterprises in Level Cross south of Greensboro. Lee Petty died in April 2000. Scott said he and other Petty officials will talk about the script when they are on the West Coast for the NAPA Auto Parts California 500 race this weekend. "We're working with people we trust," said Scott. "O'Hurley, Quaid - they're obviously some people who have influence to get things done in Hollywood." O'Hurley, who played clothier J. Peterman on the television show "Seinfeld," says producer Dan Halsted ("Any Given Sunday") will produce the Petty movie.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-26-2002)
More Andretti/Indy 500: #43-John Andretti had wanted to talk this week to team owner Kyle Petty more about Andretti driving in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in the same day. Busy schedules kept them apart. Petty said he didn't want Andretti, who drove in both races in 1994, to compete at Indy because of the need to focus on the Winston Cup team. Andretti said he wanted to further discuss the issue. It appears unlikely that Andretti will compete in the Indy 500, although he still has a ride available.(Roanoke Times)(4-14-2002)
Andretti Talking Indy 500 again UPDATE: John Andretti, the first driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, says he'll meet with car owner Kyle Petty next week and ask to drive in both races. Petty said a couple of weeks ago that Andretti wouldn't be driving at Indianapolis so Andretti could focus on his Petty Enterprises ride. Andretti wants to drive the Indy 500 again and admits he has "more than one" opportunity to race there this year. "We're going to sit down and we're going to talk about it," Andretti said of his meeting with Petty. "We're going to talk about this year and kind of clean that up and then see what the future is because I do want to do Indy."(News and Record)(4-6-2002) UPDATE: John Andretti will meet with team owner Kyle Petty this week in hopes of getting permission to try the Indianapolis 500/Coca-Cola 600 double May 26. He'll get the same answer he got earlier this year: no. "We've got Winston Cup races to run, and he's our Winston Cup driver," Petty said Monday. Andretti was the first driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 and the NASCAR Winston Cup race at Charlotte on the same day, in 1994, and is passionate about trying it again. He said he respects the Petty family too much to give them an ultimatum, but his contract is up this season and having permission to run Indy will figure into his decision to re-sign with the team. "Indy's really important to me, and I'm not sure I want to give it up for the rest of my career," said Andretti, nephew of 1969 Indy winner Mario Andretti. "I've easily got some years left in me to get there and win Indy, and I want the opportunity. So we'll have to wait and see what comes out of" the meeting. Petty said he wants Andretti to be able to race at Indy — just not this year, a critical point in the rebuilding process of the once-dominant team. Petty Enterprises made several changes in the offseason, switching to a new engine supplier and hiring Robin Pemberton to take over many of Petty's management responsibilities.(USA Today)(4-9-2002)
Petty inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame: Seven individuals representing racing, design, engineering and bold innovation have been selected for induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame. The Inductee class of 2002 includes Giovanni Agnelli, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Frank McCarthy, Andre and Edouard Michelin, Richard Petty and Owen Skelton.(PRN Newswire)(3-27-2002)
No Indy 500 for Andretti in 2002: #43-John Andretti wants to run in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 this year. His NASCAR bosses are putting a halt to any double-duty plans. "John's not going to do it," Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said Saturday. "We're just not in a position to let John do this at this time. I want John to do it, but we need his focus to be on the Winston Cup cars." That's disappointing news to Andretti, who tried the double in 1994. He's been trying to do the grueling 1,100-miles of racing in the same day ever since and approached Petty on Friday to ask if he could do it this year. "I 100 percent want to do it, so I asked and then I listened for a while," said Andretti, who is hopeful Petty might change his mind. (Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(3-24-2002)
Andretti a clone? UPDATE 2 image and some Star Wars/Cheerios PR: hearing the #43 Cheerios Dodge and driver John Andretti will sport a special Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones movie scheme in 2002. The movie is scheduled for release in May, been told the scheme will run in The Winston and the Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway(2-5-2002) UPDATE: Got an image of the scheme, check it out on my Paint Schemes Gallery.(2-6-2002) UPDATE 2: Cheerios announces three special edition Star Wars paint schemes and have designed a special paint scheme for Episode I, Episode II and a Trilogy edition. On their site [www.starwars.cheeriosracing.com], folks can check out each new car design, view them from different angles, pick a favorite and compare them with other. Images can be downloaded. Beginning in May in select states, specially marked packages of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Nut Chex and Golden Grahams will be offering a FREE mail in for three collectible 1:64 die cast cars with #43 Cheerios Star Wars special edition paint schemes. Collect all three special edition paint schemes: Episode I, Episode II and the Trilogy car. In conjunction with the FREE mail-in offer, John Andretti will be driving a new, one-time-only Light Side vs. Dark Side Star Wars paint scheme in May at the Lowe's Motor Speedway to commemorate the movie premier.(PR)(3-18-2002)
Cheerioes and Reading - special #43 scheme at Atlanta: on Wednesday (March 6th) Cheerios announced a national commitment to childhood literacy. NASCAR driver John Andretti appeared at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta to kick off a major book drive with Cheerios, Petty Enterprises and Kroger stores. The regional effort includes a major book donation to local charities, a book collection effort at Atlanta and Macon area Kroger stores, a free book offer on special-edition racing packages, and the Cheerios Literacy #43, which Andretti will drive in the Atlanta 500 this weekend. Surrounded by children at an after-school celebration, Andretti unveiled the new #43 and read aloud to the children. He also announced that Cheerios and Petty Enterprises will donate 43 new books to the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta and Macon for every lap the #43 completes in this Sunday's Atlanta 500.. If Andretti completes all 325 laps, 13,975 new books will be donated to children in Atlanta and Macon areas. To ensure that the program reaches as many children as possible, a minimum donation of 7,500 new books will be made. Atlanta and Macon area Kroger stores are also lending a hand in the literacy initiative. Now through March 16, book collection bins will be in more than 150 Kroger stores to help collect additional books for area children. Cheerios will donate a new book for every book donated by shoppers at Kroger stores, up to 7,000 books, to double the number of books children receive. All books collected will be distributed to local children's organizations. In addition to the book donation, over 28 million boxes of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios will offer three award-winning children's books. The books, published by Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group, are free with two proofs of purchase and $1.25 for shipping and handling. In select Southeast markets, John Andretti is pictured reading with his family on special-edition packages featuring this offer. As part of the program launch, Cheerios has donated $100,000 to Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the nation's largest children's literacy organization, and will donate an additional 15 cents to RIF for every book redeemed through the on-pack promotion (up to $150,000). With these donations, RIF will help get even more books into the hands of children across the country.(IMG Motorsports PR/Cheerios Racing)(3-8-2002)
Petty and Garfield? UPDATE 2 actually the #43 and Garfield: hearing Kyle Petty will have a special Garfield (cartoon character) scheme in 2002 on the #45 Sprint Dodge but it will not race on the track but be a promotional/show car, such as the #29 Oreo Car was in 2001.(2-5-2002) UPDATE: got a layout image of the car and it'll be used on the #43 Dodge as a promotional tool, an announcement of some sort with Petty Enterprises is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb 12th at Daytona. See my Paint Schemes Gallery for the image(2-6-2002) UPDATE 2: Richard Petty, the seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion, and Paws Inc., the corporation that handles Jim Davis' Garfield series of newspaper comic strips and television cartoons, have announced a two-year licensing agreement that will surpass anything the sport has seen. The announcement was made today at Daytona USA. Petty Enterprises and Paws Inc. will collaborate in a series of souvenir merchandise, specialty cars, events and promotions. Much of the proceeds will go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp for chronically ill children and the Kyle Petty Charity Ride.(Williams Company PR)(2-12-2002)
Richard Petty (right), Garfield and Garfield creator Jim Davis (left) pose by a new Garfield car that was unveiled Tuesday at Daytona
Andretti a clone? UPDATE an image: hearing the #43 Cheerios Dodge and driver John Andretti will sport a special Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones movie scheme in 2002. The movie is scheduled for release in May, been told the scheme will run in The Wintson and thew Coca Cola 600 at Lowes Motor Speedway(2-5-2002) UPDATE: Got an image of the scheme, check it out on my Paint Schemes Gallery(2-6-2002)
PE in the wind: hearing Petty Enterprises [#'s 43,44,45] has a few cars at the N.A.S.A.'s Langley Research Center located in Hampton, VA today testing the a speedway car and a downforce car(1-22-2002)
Andretti testing at Kentucky: #43-John Andretti and Petty Enterprises will test at Kentucky Speedway on Thursday Jan. 24, and Friday Jan. 25.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(1-23-2002)
Lakeland Testing: some teams/drivers tested at Lakeland Speedway in FL this week. John Andretti tested the #43 and #45 Dodges. Eliott Sadler tested the #21 Ford with help from Mark Martin. #10-Johnny Benson was scheduled to test there but had to cancel and rescheduled their test for Feb. 4 and 5. Roush CTS driver Jon Wood spent some time testing with Mark Martin. Wood tested for two days in Lakeland before heading to the mandatory testing sessions at Daytona this weekend(various PR's)(1-19-2002)
Andretti wins charity race: John Andretti won a 15-lap race for charity at New Smyrna Speedway that featured fellow Winston Cup drivers Kyle Petty, Hut Stricklin and Casey Atwood. The "Race For Kids Sake" was ran to help support Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Volusia County. Atwood won last year's event.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-16-2002)
Torch News: Indianapolis 500 champions, Indy Racing League champions, and stars from Indy Racing and the Brickyard 400 will participate in the Olympic Torch relay as it makes its way through Indianapolis on Jan. 7-8. Indy Racing drivers Davey Hamilton and Sarah Fisher are scheduled to carry the torch the evening of Jan. 7 as it arrives in downtown Indianapolis. Eddie Cheever Jr. and Helio Castroneves, the 1998 and 2001 Indianapolis 500 champions, respectively, will join Sam Hornish Jr., the 2001 Indy Racing League champion, in carrying the torch around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval starting a few minutes after 7:00am Jan. 8. Tony Stewart, the 1996-97 Indy Racing League champion and current NASCAR star, will join fellow NASCAR standout and Indianapolis 500 veteran John Andretti, in carrying the torch after it exits the Speedway. Stewart is a native of Columbus, Ind., and Andretti hails from Indianapolis. The event marks the first time the Olympic Torch - which is en route to Salt Lake City for the XIX Winter Olympic Games - will take a lap around the historic 2.5-mile oval. The torch for the 1996 Summer Olympics was brought to the track but did not tour the facility.(IMS PR)(1-7-2002)
2001 News
Pemberton to Petty? UPDATE: rumors have former #2 crew chief, Robin Pemberton going to work for Petty Enterprises in some capcity (team manager, general magaer, consultant - but not as a crew chief) for the 2002 season.(12-7-2001) UPDATE: Robin Pemberton has been named Vice President and General Manager for Petty Enterprises. "Bringing Robin to our race teams is another important move in taking Petty Enterprises to where we want it to be," said CEO Kyle Petty in making the announcement. "One of the winningest crew chiefs in Winston Cup history joining one of the best engine builders with Mike Ege and bringing them together with all three of our race teams under one roof, we think these moves are going to be big for us." Pemberton, whose career began at Petty Enterprises and has served with some of the top names in motorsports as a crew chief - Kyle Petty, Mark Martin, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and, most recently, Rusty Wallace - has 499 career starts and winnings of nearly $25 million. Both are second in NASCAR's modern era. Pemberton.s position continues a series of bold moves made by Petty Enterprises over the past seasons. The first organization to join forces with Dodge for NASCAR Winston Cup racing, Petty Enterprises began an engineering agreement with Elan Technologies of Atlanta, Ga., last Spring; moved all three teams under one roof in Level Cross in the past month; added Mike Ege Racing engines as its exclusive supplier at the beginning of this year; and now has one of the sport's top organizational mechanical minds as Vice President and General Manager.(Williams Company PR)(1-2-2002)
Rolex 24 at Daytona - Robinson in?(no) UPDATE 4 Harvick, Petty, R Gordon, Stewart, Dallenbach, Andretti: hearing Shawna Robinson is going to be driving a second Flis Corvette in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, with Conway and Goad as co-drivers. Supposedly Bam Motorsports is buying the seat time for her.(12-7-2001) UPDATE: hearing Shawna Robinson will NOT drive in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona and that Kevin Harvick could be in the seat now(12-25-2001) UPDATE 2: Flis Motorsports, which claimed 2001 AGT-class driver and car owner championships, will test two Corvettes entered for this year's race. A championship-winning NASCAR driver, whose name will be made public Jan. 2, has signed on to drive in the team's second car(Daytona Beach News Journal)(12-27-2001) UPDATE 3: Kevin Harvick will help kick off Speed Weeks 2002 by driving a Flis Motorsports Corvette during the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Feb. 2-3. Harvick will join the Daytona Beach-based team drivers Rick Carelli, John Metcalf and Dave Liniger, primary sponsor of the Flis Corvette. Carelli, a Truck Series driver [in Harvicks CTS truck] and longtime friend of Harvick, was instrumental in suggesting that the NASCAR star join the team. Harvick joins a growing list of NASCAR drivers who will suit up for this year's 24-hour event at Daytona International Speedway. Kyle Petty [#45 Cup car], whose team finished seventh overall in the 2001 endurance event, is returning for another run and will bring along Petty Enterprises teammate John Andretti [#43], also a sportscar racing veteran. They will drive a Porsche GT3R. Tony Stewart [#20] will drive a Judd-powered Crawford prototype racer. Wally Dallenbach Jr. will drive a Robinson Racing Riley & Scott MkIII, also a prototype. Robby Gordon [#31] is said to be joining Indy Racing League driver Scott Sharp, who announced Wednesday that he will drive for the Jim Matthews Racing team in an Elan-powered Riley & Scott. Sharp, a two-time SCCA Trans-Am champion and 1996 IRL inaugural season co-champion, teamed with Wayne Taylor and Jim Pace to win overall honors in the 1996 Rolex 24 At Daytona.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(12-28-2001) UPDATE 4: Robby Gordon will drive a Jim Matthews Racing R&S Mk III C for the 40th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, according to Bill Riley, vice president of chassis manufacturer Riley & Scott, and Jim Matthews, owner of Jim Matthews Racing. Guy Smith, Jim Matthews and 1996 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Scott Sharp will share driving duties with Gordon.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(12-29-2001)
Pemberton to Petty? rumors have former #2 crew chief, Robin Pemberton going to work for Petty Enterprises in some capcity (team manager, general magaer, consultant - but not as a crew chief) for the 2002 season.(12-7-2001)
Chex car at Atlanta: the #43 Chex Party Mix Dodge will be driven by John Andretti at the NAPA 500 at Atlanta, see an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery(11-15-2001)
NASCAR/Petty Movie: Dennis Quaid is revved up by a film project delving into the story of NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his complicated relationship with his father Lee, who was an up-and-coming driver until he was injured in a crash. ``Any Given Sunday'' producer Dan Halsted has put together the funds to develop a ``Great Santini''-like story of a son trying to measure up to his father. The younger Petty went on to become NASCAR's winningest driver, but had to go a long way to prove himself to Lee, who'll be played by Quaid. The pic will be exec produced by John O'Hurley, John Myrick and Robin Sharp, and they're out to writers right now.(Yahoo Entertainment - thanks Matt)(11-13-2001)
Hewlett to leave PE UPDATE: Doug Hewitt is leaving his position with Petty Enterprises as the head of its Research and Engineering Developmental Program. He is expected to go work for Joe Gibbs Racing as crew chief for Coy Gibbs in the BGN series, Gibbs currently runs in the CTS(truck) series(NASCAR.com Buzz) UPDATE: sources tell me that Gibbs will STAY in the CTS and NOT move up to the BGN series(10-31-2001)
Andretti Staying at PE: #43-John Andretti said he would return to Petty Enterprises next season. He has been the subject of several driver-change rumors this season, in part because of the struggles at Petty. "I made a commitment to Kyle and `The King' (Richard Petty) way back when. They asked me if that was going to be OK, and I told them I'm going to stay," Andretti said. "I believe in the guys on this team. It's a great team and once we can close in on the parts and pieces part of it we'll be in good shape."(That's Racin')(10-27-2001)
The King launches a website: “The King of NASCAR,” Richard Petty, and his crew chiefs brought their best practices for engine maintenance to the world of technology by launching the premiere car care web site, All3Every3.com. The web site is an extension of the “All 3 Every 3” engine maintenance education program, launched by Petty Enterprises earlier this year, which recommends that Americans practice proper engine maintenance by following three easy steps every 3,000 miles: Change Your Oil, Clean Your Fuel Injectors and Check Your Belts, Hoses and Fluids. Built on the heels of the “All 3 Every 3” 13-city tour that Petty and
his crew chiefs are currently supporting, All3Every3.com reinforces the messages of proper engine maintenance and allows the program to reach a wider audience. For more information, visit www.All3Every3.com(10-23-2001)
Special Shoes: Red Wing Shoes has developed a Limited Special Edition Richard Petty Series boot, which will soon be available only at Red Wing dealers and only for a limited time. The boots are embossed with Petty.s likeness and the number 43, and are unique in motorsports. Red Wing Shoes, an associate sponsor on the Petty Enterprises 43 and 45 cars of John Andretti and Kyle Petty, developed the limited edition boot with assistance from Petty(Williams Company)(10-18-2001)
Cup car stolen UPDATE 3 Petty and Yates? new Petty engine supplier: At sometime over the past weekend someone stole an official Winston Cup race car from a race team's parking lot. Investigators are not saying which team owns the car. But they are saying the car is worth $200,000. Investigators say it was locked inside a white trailer when someone pulled up, hooked it up and drove off. The team is expected to announce the theft soon, ask for help finding it, and offer a very substantial reward to get it back.(NBC6.com)(9-28-2001) UPDATE: quite a twist from NASCAR.com's Buzz - The Buzz has learned that the car was stolen from the property of Robert Yates Racing. It wasn’t a Yates car, though, but a dyno chassis car owned by Petty Enterprises. So, what was a Petty car doing at Yates? Well, the two teams may be making some sort of announcement in the next couple of weeks regarding either a joint venture or new ownership of an existing division of Yates. The current ownership of all race teams for both teams will remain the same.(NASCAR.com)(9-29-2001) UPDATE 2: hearing that Yates is helping Petty design heads and is looking at supplying Dodge engines to Pettty next year UPDATE 3: Petty Enterprises will get engines for its 2002 Winston Cup teams (#'s 43,44,45) from a company being spun off of Robert Yates' engine manufacturing business. Mike Ege, general manager and chief engine builder at Robert Yates Engine Manufacturing, has acquired that company and will rename it Mike Ege Racing Engines. That company will supply engines to the three Petty Enterprises Cup teams beginning next season. Ford teams (#'s 7, 11, 26, 32, 66, 90) that had been getting their engines from the subsidiary operation Ege was leading for Yates will start getting their motors directly from Robert Yates Racing, Inc., which also builds the engines for the two Yates-owned Cup teams of drivers Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd(That's Racin')(10-2-2001)
Fire at Petty Enterprises UPDATE 3: hearing there was a fire at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon, been told it was a small in the engine room, more info as it is found UPDATE: FOX8 WGHP reported today that a fire occured at the Petty Enterprises shop, two crewmembers injured, one mechanic was flown to Baptist Hospital in Winston Salem, NC with burns to hands and legs. The other employee was not injured as badly. Appears that gasoline was spilled while preparing the 44 car to load on the hauler, the spill entered a room that contained a hot water heater and ignited. Guil Rand Fire Dept responded(a few readers sent this info)(9-12-2001) UPDATE 2: Two employees were injured at Petty Enterprises Wednesday afternoon when vapors from a fuel spill were ignited in a storage area. The two men were loading a 55-gallon drum of racing fuel onto a truck when the drum was knocked over. One of the caps on the drum was either missing or loose, allowing the fuel to spill. Vapors drifted into an adjacent room where a pressure washer is kept. The vapors were ignited by a flame from the hot water heater that supplies the pressure washer with water. The identities of the two men were unavailable Wednesday night. Randolph County EMS responded to the accident. A helicopter from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center transported one of the men from the complex. Hussey said the man who was airlifted had received injuries to his leg and arm. The fire had been extinguished by the time firefighters arrived at the complex. He said a former Level Cross volunteer firefighter works at Petty Enterprises. Hussey said that man orchestrated the use of fire extinguishers and the cleanup of the spill.(Racing Extra)(9-13-2001) UPDATE 3: A small storage room located at the famed Petty Enterprises race shop caught on fire late Wednesday afternoon leaving two crew men with injuries and burns. The fire was believed to be caused when the two crew men, Mike Root and Rich Parks, were cleaning up a gasoline spill and a flash fire erupted. Root suffered second and third-degree burns to his arms and legs. He was taken to Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem to be treated for his injuries. Root was kept overnight where he remains in stable condition. Parks suffered a laceration to his head and a minor burn to his hands. He drove to High Point Regional Hospital where he was checked and released. The famed A-frame shop at Petty Enterprises suffered minimal damage. "Our thoughts and prayers are both with Mike and Rich this morning," said Kyle Petty, who serves as the CEO of Petty Enterprises. "Things could have been a lot worse than they were, and we.re grateful that both are going to be ok."(Williams Company PR)(9-14-2001)
Watkins Glen Double Duty UPDATE: Kyle Petty and John Andretti are stepping out of their Dodge Intrepid R/Ts at Watkins Glen and into something a little bit sportier - a Porsche GT3R. They will team up with Orbit Racing and compete in the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race Friday night, August 10, one of three races slated during the Global Crossing @ The Glen NASCAR Winston Cup Series weekend August 9-12.(Watkins Glen PR)(7-31-2001) UPDATE: Winning the GT class of the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 were NASCAR Winston Cup Regulars, Kyle Petty and John Andretti in the #45 Orbit racing Porsche. The teammates were involved in a late race incident, but were ruled by Grand-Am officials as the class winners. Petty and Andretti finished 14th overall in the 28 car field(Watkins Glen Site)(8-11-201)
Watkins Glen Double Duty: Kyle Petty and John Andretti are stepping out of their Dodge Intrepid R/Ts at Watkins Glen and into something a little bit sportier - a Porsche GT3R. They will team up with Orbit Racing and compete in the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race Friday night, August 10, one of three races slated during the Global Crossing @ The Glen NASCAR Winston Cup Series weekend August 9-12.(Watkins Glen PR)(7-31-2001)
Petty Enterprises Upgrading: Continuing its effort to upgrade its access to the cutting edge of research and development technologies, Petty Enterprises has begun working with Elan Motorsports Technologies Group for its NASCAR teams. Elan is known for its engineering development, including the company that designed and manufactured the first car to exceed the speed of sound. Petty Enterprises fields three teams in NASCAR Winston Cup competition, as well as a team in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series. "This is another step in bringing our organization closer to where it needs to be," said Kyle Petty, CEO of Petty Enterprises. "We're working hard to make our race teams better in every way. Working together with Elan is a good way to keep that going." The first project involves scale-model cars developed for wind tunnel research. This allows the engineers to try a large variety of subtle changes in a minimal amount of time, to give a multitude of aerodynamic adjustments a chance in the wind tunnel. Other major development projects are also underway. "This is the type of research and development we need," Petty said. "In every NASCAR division these days, hundredths of seconds are making the difference. This is another step in finding those hundredths and tenths that we need to move back to where we want to be." Elan Motorsport Technologies Group is located just north of Atlanta, Ga. Its core business is its motor sport technology center, which provides composites, engineering, engine development, servicing and design, and fabrication facilities(Williams Company of America PR)(7-28-2001)
Magazine Stuff: Nancy and John Andretti are featured in the July 23 edition of Newsweek. The two-and-a-half page spread, which marks the first time a NASCAR-related feature story has been noted on the cover of the prestigious magazine, concerns families in NASCAR racing, and uses Nancy and John, as well as Jarett, Olivia and Amelia, as the example of how families cope with the extraordinary life of travel and competition. The writer was veteran reporter Daniel McGinn. It marks the first time a NASCAR-related feature story has appeared in Newsweek since November, 1999, when the magazine ran a two-page spread on the "Science Of Stock Car Racing," and featured the Mobil 1 Taurus team of Jeremy Mayfield(Williams Company) AND The marketing firm of Body Dynamics Racing Bodies, Inc., is proud to announce, that through their efforts working with America's Most Wanted and fulfilling the request of John Walsh to profile the case of missing intern Chandra Levy on a Winston Cup car has gained notoriety for Melling Racing and their driver Stacy Compton. "Organization of this project was through the efforts of multiple talents," Stated Scott Davis, Media Relations Manager for Body Dynamics, "From Mr. Walsh's Publicist Avery Mann, to the public relations manager of Melling Racing Andrea Pemberton, we all worked together to place Chandra's picture on the car for the Pepsi 400. Which yielded eight calls into the 1-800-CRIME-TV phone bank." The most recent publicity comes from PEOPLE magazine, in the July 23 issue in which the Chandra Levy case in addition to Molly Bish, Amy Bradley and Jill Behrman three other unsolved missing persons cases out of Washington, DC are profiled. In this article an inset photograph of the #92 Melling Race car carrying the picture of Chandra Levy is seen, with a mention that the NASCAR driver Stacy Compton publicized the case in a July 7 race in Daytona Beach, Fla.(Body Dynamics PR)(7-22-2001)
Another Andretti? Preston Countryman has had a lifelong passion about auto racing, and now he's getting an even bigger thrill by participating. First he started driving race cars, then this year he decided to start a NASCAR team. Now he's having five race cars built, he's bought a couple of car carriers and he says he's signed a big-name rookie driver to launch a $1 million effort to win the 2002 Featherlite Southwest Series. Countryman has been in business for 24 years, but his work as a certified public accountant and business consultant doesn't fire him up like his latest venture: building a NASCAR race team around driver Adam Andretti. Now he says he's about to employ one, the 22-year-old nephew of racing legend Mario Andretti, to be his lead driver. The hiring of the younger Andretti couldn't be confirmed by the family, but NASCAR officials did confirm that Countryman has a team owner's license. In addition to Andretti, Countryman said he will have another driver to race in the 2002 Featherlite Southwest Tour, which is a regional stock car racing minor league to the NASCAR Busch series, which is itself the league of up-and-coming race drivers before the championship NASCAR Winston Cup series(Sacramento Business Journal)(6-25-2001)
UPDATE: In just three months, Countryman has had three cars built and a fourth on the way for testing as he sets his sights on competing in the remaining four races in the NASCAR Southwest Featherlite Series, the equivalent of Double-A baseball. Key members of the Countryman team are Aldo Andretti and his son Adam. Aldo, 61, the twin brother of racing legend Mario Andretti and father of NASCAR driver John Andretti, is the official adviser to Countryman. Adam, 22, will be Countryman's driver. Adam and Aldo Andretti recently came to town to view one of the cars and the hauler Countryman had built. Countryman Motorsports is self-funded this year, though Countryman is actively seeking a major sponsor. He budgeted between $500,000 and $750,000 to start his team and is having more cars built for ARCA (American Racing Club of America) and ASA (American Speed Association) races next year that fall between the Southwest Featherlite race dates.(Sacramento Bee)(7-12-2001)
#43 gets some Helper: General Mills and Petty Enterprises announced that John Andretti will race the Hamburger Helper #43 Dodge Intrepid in the Pepsi 400, Saturday night, July 7, at Daytona International Speedway. The red, white and blue Hamburger Helper paint scheme is a Fourth of July salute to America as well as a way to mark Hamburger Helper's 30th Anniversary. Hamburger Helper representatives also announced that the brand will donate $10 for every mile Andretti and his #43 completes in the Pepsi 400 to the Victory Junction Gang Camp started by Kyle and Pattie Petty for children with life-threatening illnesses in Randleman, NC.. "This is a great way to help raise money for the camp," Andretti said.. "I truly understand Kyle and Pattie's efforts with this project and will do what I can on the track to help out." Recently, Hamburger Helper representatives presented Kyle and Pattie Petty with a check for $10,300 for Andretti's performance in the Hamburger Helper No. 43 at The Winston Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In addition to the Hamburger Helper donations, race fans did their part in raising money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp.. Fans donated $1 to paint their handprint on the Hamburger Helper "Helping Hands" Dodge at the Food Lion Speed Street festival during the Coca- Cola 600 weekend.. Race fans and their "Helping Hands" raised $2800 for the camp. The Victory Junction Gang Camp was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam.... It will be a place where children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses and their families can retreat to rejuvenate their minds, bodies and spirits.. The camp will be located in Randleman, North Carolina, and is scheduled to open in Summer 2004(IMG Motorsports PR). See an image of the car on my Paint Schemes Gallery(7-4-2001)
What Happened to at Sears Point? #87-Ron Fellows got wrecked with 10 laps to go and went from the top 10 to a 38th-place finish. Terry Labonte suffered the same kind of sad fate, finishing 36th after some of his best racing of the season because he got mussed up in a Turn 11 dog pile on the next-to-last lap.(That's Racin') AND John Andretti ran 11th entering the final lap but ran out of gas and finished 30th(Richmond Times Dispatch)(6-25-2001)
Andretti to the #96? UPDATE 2 No: Rumor has it that John Andretti could be in for a switch to the #96 Cal Wells Ford. According to the source, Andretti could be headed to Cal Wells' #96 McDonalds Ford in 2002, replacing Andy Houston, who has endured a season full of headaches so far this year, his first in the series(NASCAR.com Buzz)(6-18-2001) UPDATE: sources at PPI Motorsports say that this report is false and that Andy Houston is not going to be replaced as the driver of the #96 Ford(6-19-2001) UPDATE 2: Cal Wells insists rookie Andy Houston's job is not on the line, despite rumblings that things were not going well at the Hickory team. "Yes, I've heard those same rumors, too," Wells said. "In fact, I read where John Andretti was going to drive the car. I talked to John two years ago about possibly driving for me, but he said he was going to drive for Richard Petty, so I backed off, and I have not talked to him since, other than to say 'Hi.' "So there are a lot of rumors going around. But McDonald's is solidly behind us; I was with them on Friday. And they are solidly behind Andy Houston. And it is incumbent on me to provide the right package for Andy, and I haven't done that yet." So, Houston will be in Wells' car the rest of the season? "Absolutely," Wells said. And next year? "I have a five-year contract with him, and he has a one-year contract with me," Wells said. "In other words, I can option him up. And I would certainly option him before our due date, which is sometime in September. I fully expect him to be in the car next year. I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-25-2001)
Melling Racing and Petty Enterprises Team Up: Melling Racing and driver Stacy Compton(#92) have formed a working relationship with Petty Enterprises(#'s 43,44,45) from which both organizations hope to benefit. Compton said it will take a while before the whole plan is in place and results gained. "I'm pretty excited about it. We'll send one of our guys when they go testing, and they'll send one of their guys when we go testing," Compton said. "We're going to go to Chicago on Monday and Tuesday and, hopefully, what we learn there we can let them know and it'll help them."(That's Racin')(6-3-2001)
PE Changes? UPDATE: hearing Petty Enterprises (#'s 43, 44, 45 and #43 CTS team) has parted ways with some of it's engineering staff and that Larry MacReynolds (Fox Broadcaster) is considering working with the team when the Fox part of the TV deal is up after Sears Point(June 24th)(5-29-2001) UPDATE: while hearing there were some personnel changes in the engineering staff are true, the part about Larry MacReynold's coming to PE is not true AND A reorganization within the competitive framework at Petty Enterprises has led to a new position for Chris Hussey and an increased role for Doug Hewitt. Hussey, who serves as crew chief for the #45 Sprint Dodge, will now also be race operations manager for Petty Enterprises, facilitating communications among the three Winston Cup teams, the engine and research and development departments. Doug Hewitt, head of mechanical research and development, will have his role increased. "We are maintaining our system in terms of identical cars and in how we operate each week," said Kyle Petty, who drives the #45 car as well as serving as CEO of Petty Enterprises. "What we are looking to do is put more 'racer' into the decisions of what goes in our cars," Petty said. "A lot of times things look good on paper but don.t always translate into good race cars. We feel Chris, working closely with Doug, Greg Steadman and Bryant Frazier (crew chiefs for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge and the #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge), can put the 'racing' into our race cars. That, coupled with the engineering knowledge and expertise we have, will give us better and more consistent race cars each week." "We're moving forward. We're moving ahead," Petty said. "We're making whatever changes we need to make to be competitive and to run up front."(Williams Company)(5-30-2001)
Another #43 Paint Scheme: General Mills and Petty Enterprises announced that the #43 will feature a Honey Nut Cheerios paint scheme that resembles a bee, with BuzzBee featured on the hood of the #43 Dodge for the Brickyard 400 on August 5, 2001, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway(Business Wire/YahooBiz). See an image on my Paint Scheme Gallery(5-26-2001)
Last #43 Dnq'd? Looks like the last time the #43 Petty Enterprises car has missed the race was at the Slick 50 300 at New Hampshire Intl Speedway on July 10, 1994. Wally Dallenbach was the driver then and missed 6 races that year in the car.(5-25-2001)
Petty's Honored: Kyle and Pattie Petty are this year's recipients of the Racing Angels Award. The award is presented annually at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame induction banquet by Linda Vaughn and sponsor Prolong Super Lubricants. Previous winners of the award are Bill France and the late T. Wayne Robertson. The induction ceremony is slated to be telecast on Speedvision on April 29.(Winston Cup Scene - need subscription to read online)(4-26-2001)
Petty's Crew Chiefs to Embark on Year-Long Trek Across America: A recent survey of ASE-certified Master Auto Technicians revealed that a properly maintained and operated vehicle will run more efficiently, will be safer and will last up to 50 percent longer. Findings such as these, along with the concern that people have gotten out of the habit of taking care of their cars, have prompted NASCAR-legend Richard Petty and his crew chiefs to share with people their best practices for engine maintenance: the `All 3 Every 3' program, which recommends Americans practice proper engine maintenance by simply following these easy steps every 3,000 miles: (1) Change Your Oil (2) Clean Your Fuel Injectors (3) Check Your Belts, Hoses and Fluids. Richard Petty has enlisted the help of his Petty Enterprises' crew chiefs - Greg Steadman, Bryant Frazier, Chris Hussey, and Howard Comstock - in order to educate Americans about the importance of automobile maintenance. From March through November, Petty's crew chiefs will travel across America to introduce the
`All 3 Every 3' program. Tour stops with the crew chiefs will include a brief talk about the maintenance steps involved with the `All 3 Every 3' program, a car care question and answer session and then actual "under the hood" demonstrations and tips. Launching in Greensboro, N.C., the `All 3 Every 3' tour is scheduled to hold car maintenance events in Bristol, Tenn.; Roanoke, Va.; St. Louis, Mo.; Charlotte,
N.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Daytona Beach, Fla.; Lexington, Ky.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Nashville, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta, Ga.(Petty PR)(4-17-2001)
Penalty Rescinded: On April 11, 2001, the National Stock Car Racing Commission heard and considered the appeal of Petty Enterprises. The appeal pertained to a $20,000 penalty issued by NASCAR to Greg Steadman, crew chief of the #43 car following the March 25, 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. In addition to other matters arising from the appeal hearing, the commission considered the issue of non-conformance to rules specifications at the conclusion of a race based on a claim of racing conditions or racing contact. In most cases, a claim of racing conditions or racing contact is not sufficient to reduce or rescind a penalty in the eyes of the Commission. The Commission notes that non-conformance to specifications at the conclusion of a race may occur by design so as to gain an advantage. The Commission recognizes and reaffirms that, per Section 8-7 of the Rule Book, NASCAR Officials have the flexibility to exercise discretion in matters pertaining to racing conditions or racing contact and to evaluate each claim on a case-by-case basis. The commission feels strongly that, unless it can be determined that the non-conformance was directly attributable to racing conditions and to no other plausible explanation, a penalty would have been correct. However, during the appeal hearing the Appellant made a persuasive argument that the only plausible explanation for the height variance at the conclusion of the race was the cracked chassis welds resulting from the conditions of the race. It is extremely unlikely that a cracked chassis would have occurred by design. Further testimony indicated that the resulting height variance did not provide a significant competitive advantage over other competitors. Therefore, it is a unanimous decision of the National Stock Car Racing Commission that the penalty is hereby rescinded(NASCAR PR)(4-11-2001)
#43 Scheme UPDATE: not sure when but hearing the #43 Cheerios car and driver John Andretti will run a 'Helping Hands' scheme sometime this season(4-6-2001) UPDATE: hearing this could be a 'Hamburger Helper' scheme(4-9-2001)
1-2 #21 and #43 and vs: After the historically reminiscent 1-2 finish by the 21 and 43 cars last Sunday a lot of people wrote to ask me when was the last time that happened. I finally broke out the books and a half cup of rock and rye to research it. The best I can tell the last time the 21 and 43 cars finished 1-2 in that order was the 1976 Southern 500. (The 43 and 21 cars finished 1-2 three times that year, most notably in the Daytona 500, with Pearson winning all three races.) The last time the 43 and 21 car finished 1-2 in that order was the June, 1977 Riverside race. ( Petty and Pearson also finished 1-2 in the race previous to Riverside, the World 600.)(SpeedFX - Random Thoughts)(3-30-2001)
#43 Too Low UPDATE Penalty: John Andretti's second-place finish will stand, but there will be a penalty coming to his #43-Petty Enterprises team because his car was found to be lower than the minimum height requirement for a Winston Cup car in postrace inspection. NASCAR spokesperson Danielle Humphrey said the penalty will likely be announced Monday. Andretti's finish is the best for a Dodge so far this season in the manufacturer's return to Winston Cup racing(That's Racin')(3-25-2001) UPDATE: NASCAR officials announced today they have penalized NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chief Greg Steadman for rules violations found in post-race inspection following Sunday's Food City 500 at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Steadman, crew chief for the No. 43 NASCAR Winston Cup Series team, was fined $20,000 and penalized under Section 12-4-T in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book: "...any car found to be under the specified height requirement after the completion of time trials or the race..."(NASCAR PR)(3-28-2001)
Petty tests at Bristol: Petty Enterprises gears up for another day of testing in preparation for the March 25th running of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Food City 500. Not sure which drivers, but from an image there, looks like John Andretti was one(Bristol Motor Speedway Site)(3-8-2001)
Petty Casino Chip: Retired stock car king Richard Petty is being honored by a Las Vegas casino with a special edition betting chip featuring his likeness. Sam's Town Hotel & Gambling Hall, which also sponsored Saturday's Busch Series race in Las Vegas issued the special chips for fans and collectors on Monday(AP/Speed Magazine)(3-4-2001)
No More STP: been asked many times, why is there no STP decals on the Petty Cars? as it was announced last year they would remain as an associate sponsor. Have heard from sources that STP will not be an associate sponsor on the Petty cars (#'s 43,44,45) and there is no sponsorship money being provided to the race team except for payment for Richard Petty to make occasional promotional appearances. Also,the STP name has also been removed from the sponsorship of the Daytona 500(was the Daytona 500 present by STP)(2-14-2001)
Petty and RCR Settle: Petty Enterprises has reached agreement with Richard Childress Racing to buy out the contract of a former RCR employee. The fabricator, Ricky Johnson, had been an RCR employee since May 1999. He signed a contract in February 2000 and resigned Oct. 6, 2000.(That's Racin')(2-9-2001)
Andretti a Spokeman: NASCAR Winston Cup driver and CARQUEST Store Owner John Andretti will be an official spokesman for CARQUEST Auto Parts in 2001. Andretti, driver of the #43 Richard Petty Enterprises Dodge
Intrepid, recently concluded filming a CARQUEST Auto Parts TV advertisement that will debut during the Daytona 500 pre-race show on Fox TV. Andretti will be featured in CARQUEST advertising, along with carry a CARQUEST logo on his driving suit’s sleeve. Andretti is co-owner with Rollie Helmling of a CARQUEST Auto Parts Store in
Vincennes, Indiana. Andretti and Helmling also own the CARQUEST Silver Bullet team, which competes with driver Bud Kaeding in USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series(CARQUEST PR)(2-1-2001)
#43 Testing? hearing that John Andretti was in Lakeland, FL Tuesday, testing the #43 Dodge at USA International Speedway, a 3/4 mile track(1-31-2001)
Dodge and General Mills: In celebration of Dodge's upcoming return to NASCAR Winston Cup racing after a 15-year absence, General Mills is teaming up with Dodge for the "Dodge Countdown to Daytona" promotion. This promotion will give NASCAR fans the first opportunity to collect 1/64-scale die-cast replicas of eight new Dodge Intrepid R/T racecars. The General Mills "Dodge Countdown to Daytona" promotion will run from mid-January through February 2001, and will involve four food categories and more that 40 million packages, making it one of the largest package promotions ever assembled at General Mills. As part of the promotion, over 14 million specially marked packages of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Wheaties and Golden Grahams will feature one of five 1/64-scale Dodge Intrepid R/T die-cast racecars inside. The five replica cars include Bill Elliott's #9, Casey Atwood's #19, John Andretti's No. #43, Kyle Petty's #45 and Stacey Compton's #92 Dodge Intrepid R/T and are featured in a "visible value" window on the package that will allow customers to see which car is inside. Bill Elliott, who will pilot the #9 Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/T in 2001, is featured on the Wheaties package. Consumers will receive one of three "gold edition" 1/64-scale die-cast Petty Enterprises cars when three UPCs from Hamburger Helper packages are redeemed. The Petty Enterprises "gold edition" die-cast cars include John Andretti's #43, Buckshot Jones' #44 and Kyle Petty's #45 Dodge Intrepid R/T. Other General Mills brands involved in the "Dodge Countdown to Daytona" promotion include Betty Crocker desserts, Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn, Chex cereals and Bugles. When three participating Betty Crocker dessert products are purchased, consumers will receive a free 1/64-scale die-cast of Ward Burton's #22 Dodge Intrepid R/T. Consumers will receive a free die-cast replica of Dave Blaney's #93 when two three-count packages of Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn are purchased and a free die-cast of Buckshot Jones' #44 Dodge Intrepid R/T when two participating Bugles packages are purchased. Specially marked packages of Chex cereals will feature collectable trading cards of the Dodge Intrepid R/T drivers(Business Wire)(1-15-2001)
2000 News
Petty Enterprises Changes UPDATE: Rick Mann, head engine builder at Petty Enterprises, left the team after Atlanta to pursue other opportunities. Petty Enterprises continues to search for a replacement for Mann and hopes to have someone in place by January 1. Also the #44 PE Georgia Pacific team hired Mark Tutor to be the crew chief for new driver Buckshot Jones. As for the PE #45 BGN team, plans are still a go for that team, with Steve Grissom behind the wheel of the #45 Chevy, they are still looking for a sponsor for the car(contact info on the Engine Builder job is on my Team Addresses page)(12-8-2000) UPDATE: The new #44 Georgia-Pacific Dodge will enjoy a lot of experience in 2001. Mark Tutor has been hired as crew chief for the team and new driver Buckshot Jones. Tutor, 38, joins Petty Enterprises from Haas-Carter Motorsports, where he spent part of the time as crew chief for retiring legend Darrell Waltrip. A native of Raleigh, N.C., Tutor has worked with such teams as Cale Yarborough Motorsports, Robby Gordon Racing and Loy Allen
Motorsports. The 2001 season will mark Petty Enterprises' 52nd year of racing, evolving from a small A-frame shop in the middle of North Carolina into one of the most successful racing organizations in motorsports history. Combined, the Pettys have won 273 races. For the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season, all three Petty drivers will race Dodges. Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Sprint Dodge, while John Andretti will handle the #43 Cheerios Dodge(Williams Company)(12-13-2000)
Petty Donates: The Richard Petty Driving Experience made a $12,500 donation to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps on Friday(Roanoke Times), Hermie Sadler is driving the car at Atlanta(11-18-2000)
STP Colors one more time UPDATE 2: John Andretti will run the STP colors one last time on the #43 Petty Pontiac at the season finale at Atlanta(RPM 2Night/ESPN2)(6-26-2000) UPDATE: The 2000 Cup season comes to a close this weekend as John Andretti and the #43 Cheerios/STP Pontiac head to Atlanta, driver John Andretti and the team look to end their season on a high note and will do it by carrying the colors of STP for one final time as a tribute to the company’s longtime relationship with Petty Enterprises(Williams Company PR)(11-13-2000) UPDATE 2: John Andretti will have the 1972 STP scheme on the car with a BIG 'STP' symbol on the hood, PLUS it was announced on RPM2Night that STP signed on through 2002 to be an associate sponsor on the #43 Dodge(11-17-2000)
Petty News: Winston Cup Illustrated announced Saturday it has selected the Pettys as the magazine's Persons of the Year. And...Sprint PCS will sponsor Kyle Petty 's charity motorcycle ride. Next year's ride is the seventh annual cross-country trek(Roanoke Times)(11-12-2000)
Andretti and USAC: John Andretti and USAC legend Rollie Helmling are back together this week - but this time it's in Memphis, Tenn. Andretti and Helmling are fielding a car in Sunday's USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series race. Bud Kaeding of Campbell, California will drive for the CARQUEST team, fielded by Andretti-Helmling Automotive Corporation of Indianapolis, Indiana. The 20-year-old is the son of California sprint car legend
Bret Kaeding. Kaeding is the defending USAC Western States Sprint Car champion and is the leading rookie in this season's USAC National Sprint Series, where he is seventh in points. He has already notched a second-place
finish in the Silver Bullet Series, that coming at Springfield, IL, in August in our car. Helmling is a long-time USAC Open Wheel owner, who fielded cars for Andretti 1984-1986 in the USAC Midget Division. Helmling has also
fielded cars for fellow Winston Cup drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader(Williams Co)(10-27-2000)
Andretti to stick with the King: John Andretti has heard rumors that he is leaving the #43 Cheerios/Petty Enterprises team at the end of the 2000 season, but says he is not leaving, but is flattered to get calls from other team owners. Andretti recently renewed his three year contract with team owner Richard Petty(Winston Cup Scene, Vol XXIV, NO 16)(8-18-2000)
Petty Enterprises News UPDATE: On Tuesday, July 18th, there will be a press conference detailing Sprint's 2000-2001 sponsorship plans with Petty Enterprises (#'s 43 Cheerios and #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in Cup; #45 Sprint Chevy in BGN; and #43 Dodge Truck). The announcement will take place at Lowes Motor Speedway at 11:00am/et. See Speedway Illustrated for the announcement at 11am(7-16-2000) UPDATE: big news! Starting with the Sept. 3 Pepsi Southern 500 at Darlington, Kyle Petty, will run only the #45 Sprint Chevy in the BGN series. Steve Grissom, who drives the #43 Dodge Truck for Petty in the CTS series, will drive the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac in the Winston Cup series. For 2001, Kyle Petty will drive the #45 Sprint Dodge in the Winston Cup series. Petty plans to run the #44 Cup team, but will need to find a driver and new sponsor as Hot Wheels will not return in a mutual decision. There are no plans to continue the Petty BGN team, but if Petty Enterprises in unable to land a sponsor for the #44, Petty said the organization could return to the series(Petty Racing Site, NOL, That's Racin' and SpeedVision)(7-18-2000)
Herta to NASCAR? Petty? Since his full-time CART ride for this season evaporated, Bryan Herta has openly stated that he would be open to other racing opportunities. In addition, the 7th Gear site hears that Herta has been spending some time in Charlotte over the past month or two and has even tested a Winston West car. Apparently, he may be working on a deal to get a Busch ride next year with Petty Racing, with hopes of joining John Andretti in the Winston Cup ranks in 2002(7th Gear CART site) AND in part from the Columbus Dispatch: The down time also gave Herta time to lay groundwork for other opportunities. For example, he would not be averse to driving in NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit. A trip to the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend was, Herta said, "an eye- opening experience."(7-4-2000)
John Andretti's Brother UPDATE: been getting a few questions about John Andretti's brother Adam, who John mentioned during an interview at Sears Point on Sunday. Not sure yet what series Adam races in but he was an instructor with the Richard Petty Racing Experience and ran some Karting races in 1999 and is a graduate of the Skip Barber school. UPDATE: RPM 2Night reported it was a Formula 3 race outside of Tulsa, OK. More info, Andretti won the inaugural United States Formula 3 race at the Hallett Motor Racing Circuit on Saturday in Hallett, OK, near Tulsa(Tulsaworld) and a story at SpeedVision(6-26-2000)
Petty/STP Parade: Richard Petty and John Andretti will be in San Francisco on June 21 as the STP #43 Celebration Tour makes a stop there. Starting at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge at Vista Point, Petty, Andretti and the STP #43 car will drive across the bridge, travel along the Embarcadero and pull into Willie Mays Plaza. The parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with the caravan pulling into the plaza at 10:30am. At Willie Mays Plaza, Petty and Andretti will meet and greet guests, answer questions and sign some autographs. The Winston Cup race at Sears Point will be the last race run with STP as the primary sponsor of the #43. Cheerios takes over at Daytona in the Pepsi 400(Sears Point PR) For more info on the STP contest, see my Racing Contest page(6-20-2000)
#43 Assoc: the #43 STP/Cheerios/Betty Crocker Pontiac will feature the Weis Market logo this weekend at Pocono(Scranton Times Leader)(6-15-2000)
Kyle to sub for Andretti UPDATE: Kyle Petty, who Saturday failed to qualify for at Dover for the Cup race in the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac, will stand by in relief for injured teammate John Andretti at Dover Downs. The car has been fitted with Petty's seat. Andretti will run the car until the first caution then Petty will finish out the race(SpeedVision)(6-3-2000) UPDATE: Kyle Petty relieved John Andretti during the first caution and was able to drive the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac to a 13th place finish(6-5-2000)
#43 Relief UPDATE: hearing Tim Fedawa will help out the the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac team and injured driver John Andretti, not sure yet in what capacity(5-31-2000) UPDATE: John Andretti hopes to drive Sunday until the first caution, when he will turn the car over to Tim Fedewa(That's Racin')(6-1-2000)
Andretti Hurt UPDATE: John Andretti, driver of the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac, was transported to University Hospital this morning for a chest X-ray. Greg Steadman, crew chief for Andretti said, "We're still trying to find out John's condition. Todd Bodine ran about 10 laps for us in practice to help us out. We're trying to decide what we're going to do, but we won't know until we get the particulars on John's condition. We're going to be prepared. We've talked to a couple of guys about standing by tomorrow night in case we need them. Either way, we'll be ready to go." See the stories at TachZone and NASCAR Online which reports: John Andretti complained of sharp pain in his ribs and had to be helped from his car during a practice session at Lowe's Motor Speedway (Sat morning) and transported to a nearby hospital for tests UPDATE: Andretti was back at the track before the Busch race started and, while he is pretty sore, he is planning on starting the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac. Andretti cracked a rib in the wreck in the Winston. When he got in the car and started practice, apparently the g-forces broke it the rest of the way. Tim Fedewa will practice the car this afternoon and Andretti will start the race tomorrow with Fedewa relieving(5-27-2000)
Petty Statement and News: The Petty family released the following statement: "On behalf of Kyle, Pattie, Austin, Montgomery Lee, and everyone in the Petty family, we are truly grateful for the outpouring of support, prayers and love we have received over the past few days. This is a very difficult time for all of us but we so appreciate the way our friends and fans from all over the world have expressed their love for
Adam. We thank each and every one of you."(Williams Company) ....AND.... From NASCAR Online: Steve Grissom will replace Kyle Petty in the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac for the Coca Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The naming of Grissom, who drives for Petty Enterprises in the CTS, was a follow-up to the withdrawal of the #44 entry from this weekend's running of The Winston Open(NOL)(5-18-2000)
#43 News: To gear up for their new partnership with John Andretti and Petty Enterprises, Cheerios / Betty Crocker Racing will team up with their other General Mills brands including Pop-Secret, Wheaties, Golden Grahams, Chex for Food Lion Speed Street in downtown Charlotte May 25-27, 2000. The Cheerios / Betty Crocker Racing Family Fun Stop will feature popular samples of General Mills products, show cars, an interactive contest and NASCAR Winston Cup driver appearances. All activities will be located street side and inside Founders Hall at the Bank of America Corporate Center at 100 North Tryon Street in Charlotte. Race fans will be able to join in the countdown to July 1, 2000 when Cheerios and Betty Crocker become the primary sponsor of John Andretti and Petty Enterprises by getting a glimpse of the new #43 Pontiac. Also on display will be John Andretti's special edition Wheaties Pontiac paint scheme that will compete in The Winston on May 20th, three new Pop-Secret paint schemes designed by Sam Bass, Cale Yarborough's 1976 Monte Carlo. See the rest of the story on the Driver Appearance page(5-15-2000)
New Andretti: Another Andretti has joined the fold. Amelia Lois Andretti was born at 9:43 p.m. (EDT), Wednesday, May 10, to John and Nancy Andretti. She was 20 inches at birth, and weighed seven pounds, 14 ounces. Mother Nancy, brother Jarett and sister Olivia were in good health and doing fine. John Andretti drives the STP/Cheerios Pontiac on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit(Williams Company)(5-13-2000)
Rudd/Andretti on the hotseat? SpeedFX is reporting "rumor is that both John Andretti and Ricky Rudd are on thin ice with their respective owners, although no one will confirm anything. According to (SpeedFX) sources, team owner Robert Yates is very disappointed with Rudd's efforts in 2000." "Andretti and Petty Enterprises have had a cooling relationship for some time. With support from General Motors dwindling, and the team focused on making a fresh start with Dodge in 2001, Andretti will probably find himself moved aside in favor of a new driver before year's end."(SpeedFX). Jayski Note: Robert Yates was on RPM2 Night recently and seemed happy with the #28 and thinks they will come around. Rudd is signed to a 2 year deal, and the season is only a little over a 1/4 done. As for John Andretti, he has said he is happy at Petty Enterprises and Kyle Petty has gone out of his way to praise Andretti, who is signed thru 2001 and hasn't even started the full Cheerio's sponsorship in the #43 yet. Guess time will tell(4-28-2000)
Petty Honored: Look for a number of other cars in Sunday's Goody's 500 to join the seven teams that have already committed to running a sticker honoring the memory of Lee Petty, who died this week. Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Sterling Marlin, Kenny Irwin, Elliott Sadler, Kyle Petty and John Andretti have already agreed to run the Petty blue decal, which simply says, "Lee Petty 1914-2000" with his car #42 on it(That's Racin')(4-8-2000)
Sad News: NASCAR Legend Lee Petty passed away this morning. Condolences and thoughts out to the Petty family. AP story at the WRAL site also a story at SpeedVision. A private graveside service for family members only has been scheduled this week. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to the Level Cross United Methodist Church Building Fund, 10142 U.S. Highway Bus. #220 North, Randleman, N.C. 27317.(Williams Company)(4-5-2000) UPDATE: see a nice tribute at the Official Petty Racing Site. Some stat pages at Total Sports: Lee Petty's career stats and Winston Cup's 50-win club. And from a Keystone Marketing PR: Statement by W.C. "Junie" Donlavey RE: Lee Petty - "Lee Petty was one of the finest drivers that ever sat in a race car, and he was one of the true pioneers of the sport. He taught the drivers what it meant to really devote your time and effort to racing because he was very successful at it. He was just a fine fellow and very tough competitor. It was an honor to have known him and to have been a part of the series when he raced in it because it brings back a lot of memories. He was one the first ones to really make racing a career. When he started, he really went at it and made it a full time deal when others were just playing. I always admired him for really putting an effort in it to make the sport what it is today. He was one of the ones that devoted lots and lots of time to making it a true profession."(4-6-2000)
Andretti milestone: #43-John Andretti made his 200th Winston Cup start at Texas in the DirecTV 500(4-2-2000)
Petty Notes: TNN's Raceday reported there was talk of Kyle Petty driving the #45 Sprint Chevy in place of son Adam, who qualified for his first Cup race at Texas, but Kyle said No, that Adam would make his first Cup start and stay in the car. Kyle will be in Adam's pits for the race. Kyle also said the Petty Enterprise's engine department needs to step up and that the cars drive fine but have engine problems(4-2-2000)
Petty Ill UPDATE: Richard Petty is not at the track this weekend as his father Lee has taken a turn for the worse. Lee Petty had an operation for a stomach aneurism back in early February(PRN Qualifying Coverage). Get well Lee(3-31-2000) UPDATE: The elder Petty, 86, had surgery on a stomach aneurysm on Feb. 9 and has not fully recovered. Richard Petty, Lee's son and Adam's grandfather, has stayed back home in North Carolina this weekend while Adam and Kyle are in Texas trying to make Sunday's field(That's Racin')(4-1-2000)
Smithsonian and NASCAR: Richard Petty's stock car has been in the Smithsonian for years, but now NASCAR is getting serious about its history. NASCAR has reached an agreement with the Atlanta History Center and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History to create a 6,000-foot traveling exhibit called Speed and Spirit: NASCAR in America. It will visit the Smithsonian as well as sites in Atlanta and other cities. Plans are being sketched out, and the exhibit will debut in Atlanta sometime in 2002(Business Journal of Charlotte)(3-27-2000)
Wheaties returns...UPDATE 2: hearing John Andretti will run a Wheaties paint scheme at The Winston with the #43 Pontiac. Wheaties is of course made by General Mills, a primary sponsor for the team(3-4-2000) UPDATE On Tuesday, March 14th, Wheaties will unveil a series of limited-edition packages commemorating the careers of four NASCAR legends: Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons. Wheaties also will unveil the #43 Wheaties Pontiac that John Andretti will race in The Winston. The unveiling will be held at the Charlotte Coliseum at 10am/et on Tuesday, March 14(NOL)(3-10-2000) UPDATE 2: General Mills announced a series of limited-edition packages commemorating the careers of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons, four champions of NASCAR. Each package features a photograph of the driver at a significant event in his career. Richard Petty and his driver, John Andretti, unveiled the special Wheaties paint job to be carried by the #43 Petty Enterprises Pontiac at this year's The Winston on May 20(SpeedVision and Williams Company) See an image of the car at the Petty Racing Page(3-14-2000)
Wheaties returns...UPDATE: hearing John Andretti will run a Wheaties paint scheme at The Winston with the #43 Pontiac. Wheaties is of course made by General Mills, a primary sponsor for the team(3-4-2000) -- UPDATE
On Tuesday, March 14th, Wheaties will unveil a series of limited-edition packages commemorating thecareers of four NASCAR legends: Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons. Wheaties also will unveil the #43 Wheaties Pontiac that John Andretti will race in The Winston. The unveiling will be held at the Charlotte Coliseum at 10am/et on Tuesday, March 14(NOL)(3-10-2000)
Petty and Dodge: During an interview on ESPN2's practice coverage, Kyle Petty said that Petty Enterprises has set Monday(2-14) as the deadline for deciding what manufacturer the team will use in 2001(ESPN2)(2-11-2000)
Petty Announcement at Daytona? A media conference is expected to take place in Daytona Beach, Fla., within the next two weeks to announce that Petty Enterprises and its drivers, Kyle Petty and Jeff(um...John) Andretti, will be part of a second Dodge-sponsored team that will be ready for the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup stock car series. A source close to Dodge Motorsports confirmed the rumors that Petty Enterprises and legendary Richard Petty will switch from Pontiac to the Dodge Intrepid when the division of DaimlerChrysler returns to the stock car series next season(Las Vegas Review)(2-11-2000)
Lee Petty Recovering: Three-time national champion Lee Petty is resting comfortably in Moses Cone Hospital following a successful operation for a stomach aneurism. The four-hour operation was performed earlier today. Doctors told the family they are optimistic about a complete recovery. Petty, who turns 86 on March 14, is the founder of Petty Enterprises. He captured three NASCAR Winston Cup championships and won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. His NASCAR career covered three decades, in which he started 429 races and finished in the top five an incredible 228 times and in the top 10 an unbelievable 321 times(Williams Company)(2-9-2000)
STP Out? UPDATE No: Clorox Sales Co., which now owns STP through its automotive division, has cancelled the STP lifetime contract with Richard Petty, according to the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. After the July 4 Daytona race, Petty(#43) no longer will be sponsored by STP. STP also has pulled out as the long-time sponsor of the AARWBA writing-broadcasting contest and has cancelled its Daytona 500 media breakfast(Rockford Register) I had understood that STP would scale down to an associate sponsorship deal -- UPDATE: heard from folks with STP who tell me this is not true, that they will sponsor the #43 Pontiac driven by John Andretti as the primary and scale back to an associate at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona. Also: Season-Long Tour to Celebrate STP/Richard Petty Relationship, will be announced on February 11th -- STP Performance Payoff Allows STP Race Fans to Win Big - the STP #43 Celebration Tour is designed to celebrate Richard Petty and his relationship with STP - the longest-running sponsorship in motorsports history. Press conference and fan session with Richard Petty and John Andretti. Details regarding the STP #43 Celebration Tour. Introduction of the STP Performance Payoff promotion where consumers. Will have the opportunity to win a 2000 Dodge Viper or one of a million and details on how to vote for the best STP/Richard Petty moment(STP PR)(2-8-2000)
Petree Sponsor, UPDATE on Petty: Albertson's Inc., one of the largest food-drug chains in the United States, announced today they will join Andy Petree Racing as the primary sponsor of driver Jack Sprague and the #15 Chevy for a limited BGN. In addition, Albertson's will serve as an associate sponsor on Andy Petree Racing's CUP teams, #55 Square-D/Cooper Lighting Chevy with driver Kenny Wallace and the #33 Oakwood Homes Chevy with driver Joe Nemechek for the 2000 season. #The #15 Albertson's Chevy is scheduled to compete at 10 events on the 2000 BGN schedule, with the debut taking place at Daytona. Sprague will also compete in nine other events in the Albertson's Chevrolet including, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 4, Texas Motor Speedway on April 1, Talladega Superspeedway on April 15, California Speedway on April 29, The Milwaukee Mile on July 2, Nazareth Speedway on July 16, Dover Downs International Speedway on July 16, Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 7 and Phoenix International Raceway on November 4. Sprague will still run the full NASCAR Craftsman truck schedule. While Albertson's sponsorship in the NASCAR Busch Series is limited to 10 races in 2000, their associate sponsorship of the #33 and #55 Winston Cup teams is scheduled for the entire 2000 season. Albertson's will also be an associate sponsor of the #43 Petty Enterprises Pontiac for select Winston Cup events in 2000(IMG Motorsports PR) -- also see the other part of the Petree sponsor deal on my BGN Site(2-2-2000) -- UPDATE/Petty: Albertson's will also be an associate sponsor of the #43 Petty Enterprises Pontiac and driver John Andretti for select Winston Cup events in 2000 with the first event being at Las Vegas. Then Texas, California, Dover in the fall, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami(Albertson's Website)(2-3-2000)
Petty Logo: One of the most familiar logos in motorsports has undergone a change. The familiar Petty Enterprises logo will change as the most successful organization in motorsports begins its second 50 years. Petty Enterprises fields the #43 STP/Cheerios Pontiac and #44 Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac in CUP; the #45 Sprint Chevy in the BGN Series; and the #43 Dodge by Petty in the CTS. "This year at the beginning of our second 50 years, we have brought all four teams - five, if you include Adam's (Petty) Winston Cup cars for some races this season - under one banner, "said Kyle Petty, who heads day-to-day operations of Petty Enterprises as well as driving the Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac. "Last year the Busch team ran as pe2, and the truck team as Richard Petty Motorsports. Now all of our teams and drivers are part of Petty Enterprises. This new logo incorporates four teams and three NASCAR divisions, and is representative of how Petty Enterprises has grown," Petty continued. "People can look at our new logo and realize we are more than just one team in one division. Petty Enterprises is an organization with a wealth of talented drivers, crew members and staff. With our new research and development team and our new sponsorship partnerships, we are looking to move to the forefront in our next 50 years as we did in the first 50. This is the kind of logo any of our sponsors and teams can display with pride on their products and in their marketing programs." The new logo is a striking red and blue design which incorporates the Petty Enterprises name in blue with a red-and-blue swoosh. The modern design will quickly become one of the most recognizable logos in motorsports. To see the logo click here(Williams Comapny)(1-21-2000)
PE hanging Dodge Sheet Metal? "(Ray) Evernham might be leading development along with Chrysler engineers, but Petty Enterprises is doing the actual work. While (Lou) Patane says additional teams will be announced around the time of this February's Daytona race (and drivers after that), sources in Charlotte say the Pettys are reporting to Evernham on the Intrepid's development and that they're over there hanging sheetmetal on frames[at Petty Enterprises]"(Autoweek)(1-20-2000)
Petty Re-news with Pontiac: Dodge may be in Petty Enterprises’ future, but Kyle Petty said that for the upcoming 2000 season, the Randleman, N.C., team will continue to enjoy its relationship with Pontiac. While Petty neve denies talking to Dodge, he says they are a GM team for 2000 and just recently renewed with Pontiac for 2000. He said the future was wide open(seen on the StockCarFans Newsletter from the Kingsport Times-News)(1-20-2000)
Richard Petty to Race? UPDATE 3: goracing.com has learned that seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Richard Petty will return to competition next month - behind the wheel of a Dodge at Daytona, behind the wheel of a factory-backed Dodge Viper. Petty will team with son Kyle and grandson Adam in the Rolex 24 at Daytona on February 5-6goracing.com(1-12-2000) -- UPDATE: I am hearing that there will not be a Petty-driven car in the 24 Hours of Daytona?(1-13-2000) maybe it's best if I do not report on the 24 hours at Daytona stuff. -- UPDATE 2: another story at SpeedVision(1-14-2000) -- UPDATE: Contrary to Internet reports, seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Richard Petty will not team up with his son Kyle and grandson Adam to compete in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on Feb. 5-6.(Speed Magazine)(1-16-2000)
Petty to Dodge UPDATE 3: hearing that Petty Enterprises has decided to switch to the Dodge Intrepid for the 2001 Winston Cup season(12-21-1999) -- UPDATE: from Racer Magazine site - The announcement won't be made until after the first of the year, but Petty Enterprises has signed a deal with Chrysler that would make the entire Petty Winston Cup stable part of the Mopar group for 2001. Chrysler will likely make the formal announcement at the unveiling of the 2001 NASCAR Dodge Intrepid at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, probably on Jan. 11. The team will continue to use Pontiacs for the Cup teams in 2000(Racer Magazine)(12-22-1999) -- UPDATE 2: It is possible that a driver announcement for Ray Evernham's Dodge team could also be announced on 1-11-2000. Evernham expects to have running developmental Intrepids by May, likely powered by higher-compression versions of the Craftsman truck engine, pending development and NASCAR approval of an all-new Winston Cup V-8. Reportedly Pontiac fought to keep the Pettys, but has managed to keep the Joe Gibbs team with drivers Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart in Pontiacs(SpeedVision)(12-23-1999) -- UPDATE 3: no announcement at the Dodge Winston Cup announcment, not sure when it will be made(1-11-2000)
Petty Donation: Seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Richard Petty and No. 44 Hot Wheels Pontiac driver Kyle Petty donated $10,000 to the Boggy Creek Gang at the camp's annual holiday party. The money represents proceeds from the Richard Petty Driving Experience at Daytona USA. For 90 days, every lap driven at the attraction produced 50 cents for the Boggy Creek Gang and the Betty Jane France Speediatrics Center at Halifax Medical Center(Orlando Business Journal)(1-3-2000)
Kyles crew chief UPDATE and #43 Crew Chief: I hear Bobby Leslie will be Kyle Petty's new crew chief for the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac, which as I have reported in the past will have a new look in 2000(12-10-1999) -- UPDATE: Greg Steadman has been promoted to crew chief for the #43 STP Pontiac driven by John Andretti, while Bobby Leslie joins Petty Enterprises to
become crew chief for the #44 Hot Wheels Racing Pontiac driven by Petty. Shane Cook has been named car chief for the #44 and Doug Murph has been named car chief for the #43, both moving up from the same respective teams. Leslie joined Petty Enterprises earlier this year from Roush Racing, where he was Busch Grand National racing's winningest crew chief from 1992-97. He had served as crew chief for Johnny Benson's Cheerios Ford in 1998(Williams Company)(12-13-1999)
New #24 Crew Chief UPDATE: wow, here is a shocker....Hendrick Motorsports announced that #43 crew chief Robbie Loomis has been named crew chief for the #24 DuPont team and driver Jeff Gordon. Brian Whitesell, who took over the crew chief duties when Ray Evernham left at midseason, has been promoted to the position of team manager(NOL), no word on who will take Loomis' place but Doug Hewitt was recently reassigned after being Kyle Petty's crew chief in 1999 on the #44 team. Also see the story at the TNN Motorsports site: Loomis Crewchief, Whitesell Team Manager and from Racer Magazine:
Greg Steadman, Loomis' right-hand man at Petty's the past couple years, is the likely choice to take over #43, Petty insiders say. Kyle Petty's #44 still is seeking a crew chief, following the elevation of Doug Hewitt to project manager. The move came about suddenly, sources said. Richard Petty was headed to San Francisco for the Craftsman Truck Series banquet and could not be reached. Kyle Petty was said to be planning to meet with Petty team members Wednesday. As for Hewitt's status with Petty, sources said he is "indirectly" working on development of a Petty Dodge, "depending on whether that deal goes through." Richard and Kyle Petty have been debating for weeks whether to stay with Pontiac or accept overtures from Dodge for 2001. And a few days ago from That's Racin' it was reported: Petty Enterprises has moved Greg Steadman into crew chief position for Kyle Petty's #44 Hot Wheels Pontiacs. Steadman, who has worked in recent years with Robbie Loomis, crew chief with John Andretti's #43 Pontiacs, replaces Doug Hewitt, who will take another position within Petty Enterprises(12-3) and finally? a Press Release from Hendrick Motorsports(12-7-1999) -- UPDATE: sources tell me that Greg Steadman will assume the crew chief role on the #43 and Petty Enterprises will promote from within for the vacant #44 crew chief job(12-8-1999)
Grissom/Petty? UPDATE: Steve Grissom, who is expected to announce a double Dodge deal in the near future. According to sources close to the situation, Grissom, who has competed fairly regularly on the Winston Cup circuit, will move to the Petty Enterprises truck next season and will become a test driver for the new Intrepids. Kyle Petty says he has made Grissom an offer to drive the #43 CTS entry, but he has yet to sign the deal(SpeedVision)(11-14-1999) -- UPDATE: Many Dodge teams tested Thursday at Lowes Motor Speedway, including Steve Grissom in a Petty Dodge, see full story at the TNN Motorsports Site(12-3-1999)
Petty and Dodge: Richard Petty said Friday he still has not decided whether he will switch his two-car operation from Pontiac to Dodge once the new make comes to Winston Cup in the 2001 season. "Right now, it's in limbo," Petty said. "We're just letting it lay. When we decide what we want to do and they decide what they want to do, we'll make an announcement. But, right now, we're just waiting around."(News and Observer)(11-20-1999)
Grissom/Petty? Steve Grissom, who is expected to announce a double Dodge deal in the near future. According to sources close to the situation, Grissom, who has competed fairly regularly on the Winston Cup circuit, will move to the Petty Enterprises truck next season and will become a test driver for the new Intrepids. Kyle Petty says he has made Grissom an offer to drive the #43 CTS entry, but he has yet to sign the deal(SpeedVision)(11-14-1999)
Petty's to Switch? UPDATE 2: Pontiac officials have been notified that Petty Enterprises will switch its Winston Cup teams to Dodge beginning with the 2001 season, according to a source within the General Motors camp. Another source in the NASCAR garage said Sunday that the Ray Evernham-owned cars are likely to carry the numbers 01 and 19. The 01 car would signify the year of Dodge's return. The 19 is a number Evernham used in his days as a modified driver in New England.(That's Racin')(11-8-1999) -- UPDATE: now an Associated Press(AP) story: Report: Petty Enterprises switching to Dodge in 2001(SpeedNet) -- UPDATE 2: At the top, General Motors and Pontiac say they have heard nothing official from Petty. Pontiac program manager Fred Simmonds and GM Raceshop spokesman Dave Hederich said Monday they had heard nothing official from any of the Pettys. Petty, or others in the Petty group, could not be reached Monday or Tuesday. Dodge officials and spokesmen all were said to be out of their offices. See full story at:(Racer Magazine(11-9-1999)
Petty Press Conference UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises has scheduled a press conference for Nov 11th at the All Star Cafe on Miami's South Beach to discuss the future(Winston Cup Scene)(11-5-1999) -- UPDATE: There's an announcement scheduled for Thursday night in Miami's South Beach involving the Petty family, but sources say it will not have anything to do with any of the Petty Enterprises teams converting to Dodge. The announcement will concern Adam Petty's racing plans - perhaps a five-race Winston Cup deal in 2000 in preparation for a move to the top series in 2001(That's Racin')(11-7-1999) -- UPDATE 2:
"there is a Petty press conference scheduled for this Thursday in Florida, but it's more likely about plans for Kyle's son, Adam, to run five Cup races in 2000. Kyle said that Adam's Busch sponsors – Sprint, Nike and Coca-Cola – are expected to ante up enough money to let Adam get a taste of Winston Cup next year, then run for rookie of the year in 2001(Steve Smith/Racer Magazine)(11-10-1999)
Elder Andretti Passes: Alvise Andretti, the 90-year-old father of Mario and Aldo Andretti and grandfather to Michael, Jeff and John Andretti, died of cancer at his home in Nazareth on Nov. 2.(Racer Mag)(11-4-1999)
Petty Dodge? Gibbs No UPDATE: Insiders say that Richard Petty will return to Chrysler, and he spent a lot of time talking with Dodge executives Saturday in Talladega. Pontiac's Fred Simmons says he's not sure just what Petty may do for the 2001 season, but Petty Enterprises will run Pontiacs again in 2000. Simmons says Joe Gibbs' two-car team is firmly in the GM camp, despite overtures from Chrysler but Gibbs' is committed to General Motors products(PitNow)(10-19-1999) -- UPDATE: but
Petty to Dodge? rumor has it that a three car Petty Cup effort with Dodge will be announced at the SEMA show in Las Vegas(not Phoenix)(10-20-1999)
more Petty and Dodge: It didn't take a lot of investigative reporting to find out that Richard Petty met with representatives of Dodge's new Winston Cup effort on Saturday. That's because their brief meeting was held in the corner of the track's infield media center. Dodge wants to have at least five teams ready for the 2001 Daytona 500. Two of those would be owned by Ray Evernham. There is speculation that Petty Enterprises could field a Dodge Intrepid for Adam Petty in 2001 while leaving John Andretti and, perhaps, Kyle Petty in Pontiacs(That's Racin/Jim Utter)(10-17-1999)
Petty Colors UPDATE: General Mills, STP and NASCAR legend(and team owner) Richard Petty unveiled the new Cheerios/Betty Crocker #43 for the 2000 NASCAR season today(10-9-1999). Cheerios becomes the first new primary sponsor for the car in 29 years, replacing STP(at the Pepsi 400 in July 2000) as the primary sponsor, STP will of course remain with the #43 as a major associate sponsor. John Andretti drives the #43 Pontiac(Image and story at PRN Newswire, thanks JonB) also have the image on my Paint Schemes page(10-9-1999) -- UPDATE: The new design for the 2000 Winston Cup season was unveiled Saturday night in a press conference at Charlotte. Seven-time Winston Cup Richard Petty, owner of the car, helped create the new design, which is a result of a multi-year primary sponsorship agreement announced last month at Darlington. The #43 car, driven by John Andretti, will continue its 29-year association with STP, which will be the car's primary sponsor through the June 2000 Winston Cup race at Sears Point. General Mills will become the #43's primary sponsor at the Daytona race in July(with STP remaining as an associate)(SpeedNet)(10-10-1999)
New Sponsor? UPDATE: hearing Red Wing Shoes may be looking to get into Cup or BGN as a team sponsor? no other details(8-12-1999) -- UPDATE: Petty Enterprises announced that Red Wing shoes has joined the team as an associate sponsor for the Cup cars driven by Kyle Petty and John Andretti and the Grand National car driven by Adam Petty(The Depot)(10-7-1999)
Andretti and Kids: John Andretti met with 22 Albert Harris Elementary School fourth and fifth graders Wednesday at Martinsville Speedway who won the "Why I want to meet John Andretti" contest. The approximately 400 students who attend Albert Harris in Martinsville wrote a story of why they wanted to meet Andretti and the 22 winners got their chance in Martinsville’s Victory Lane. Andretti was at Martinsville for Media Day for the NAPA AutoCare 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on Sunday, October 3. Andretti read some of the stories written by the students. The students presented Andretti with a school shirt and a book containing all of the more than 350 stories written, and pictures drawn by the children(Martinsville Speedway)(9-23-1999)
Petty 2000 Paint: For the first half of 2000, the #43 Petty Pontiac will look much like it does now with General Mills as an associate sponsor with stickers on the car using Cheerios, Popsecret, and Betty Crocker. Beginning with the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, the car switch to the Cheerios/Betty Crocker #43 Pontiac, with STP moving to an associate sponsor. I hear the car is designed and Richard Petty is considering several options right now. The car will be Cheerios yellow, Petty blue, Betty Crocker red, and Popsecret blue in the final paint scheme. The car will be veiled at Charlotte on October 10(9-16-1999)
Petty Announcement UPDATE: Richard Petty and #43 driver John Andretti will have an announcement on Friday in Darlington at 9:40am/et. I hear it will be a sponsorship announcement with Cheerios and STP(9-1-1999) -- UPDATE: hear they may run STP half the season and Cheerios the other half, with the other acting as an associate when not the primary sponsor, anyhow should be interesting(9-2-1999) -- UPDATE-ANNOUNCEMENT: Petty Enterprises owner Richard Petty announced today that STP would continue to serve as the team’s sponsor until next year’s Pepsi 400 at Daytona. From Petty paraphrased: That’s when General Mills will step on board as the team’s primary sponsor. The basic deal for the next two or three years, STP is going to be the primary sponsor for the first part of the season up until Daytona. Then General Mills will come on as a sponsor for the next two or three years after that with General Mills and Cheerios. There will be a lot of promotions going on on all fronts and they are working on the paint schemes. The car is still going to have 43 on the side of it and it’s still going to be blue. It used to be a blue car when I went with STP and then it went half and half. I figure we’ll wind up the same way with... blue and yellow. General Mills will also have a little sticker on our other vehicles, too, Kyle’s car and Adam’s(Hoagland Communications PR)(9-3-1999)
Petty Paint: In celebration of the start of pro football's 1999 season, PLAYERS INC and Petty Enterprises will showcase special NFL player paint schemes on John Andretti's #43 STP Pontiac and Kyle Petty's #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac during the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 to be held on September 11, 1999, at Richmond International Raceway. Some of the greatest NFL stars of all time will visit the Richmond facility to root the offensive ("Playmakers") and defensive ("Gamebreakers") teams to victory. Linebackers Dick Butkus (Hall of Fame, Chicago), Willie Lanier (Hall of Fame, Kansas City) and defensive end L.C. Greenwood (Pittsburgh) will help out in the Petty pit. In the Andretti pit will be running back Tony Dorsett (Hall of Fame, Dallas) and wide receiver Charley Taylor (Hall of Fame, Washington), along with running back Craig "Ironhead" Heyward (Indianapolis). In addition to the Petty's "Gamebreakers" scheme and Andretti's "Playmakers" scheme, Petty and Andretti will wear custom drivers suits and helmets which represent a distinct NFL player flavor. To further celebrate the season kickoff and this special event, PLAYERS INC has developed a unique PLAYERS INC/Team Petty Charity Challenge in which favorite charities of Petty and Andretti will be the benefactors of PLAYERS INC contributions, based on Andretti's and Petty's finishing order in the Richmond race. PLAYERS INC will donate $500,000 to charities nominated by Petty and Andretti if they finish first and second in the Richmond race ($400,000 to 1st place, $100,000 to 2nd place). If John and Kyle do not finish first and second, but one wins the race, his charity will receive $100,000. If neither of the drivers win the racing event, the highest finishing driver's charity will receive $10,000. Andretti has established the Riley's Children's Hospital and Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis as his charity and Petty has named Samaritan's Purse as his charity(Williams Co PR)(9-1-1999)
What happens to Cheerios? (from a Benson story I have posted on the 28th) I have heard they may stay with Roush, I have heard they may go to another team, one rumor has them with...get this....the #43 Petty team, cannot fathom a yellow #43(8-28-1999) -- UPDATE: I am hearing this is not as far fetched as it seems, but the car wouldn't be yellow. Supposedly STP/First Brands/Clorax is looking to scale down it's sponsorship dollars(8-30-1999)
Andretti Signed? UPDATE 2 YES: With Rudd apparently closing in on a new sponsor for his own team, Robert Yates is looking at another driver to take over #28, according to sources close to the situation. That is not expected to be John Andretti, who was to sign a new deal with Richard Petty over the weekend(PitNow)(8-23-1999) -- UPDATE: Andretti has no re-signed with Petty...yet. PitNow is reporting that "John Andretti is expected to make it official next week that he'll be back with Richard Petty next season". I hear Andretti is still in the running for the #28 Texaco ride -- UPDATE 2 but... Around the garage: John Andretti has signed a three-year contract with Petty Enterprises that will keep him with the team through 2002(Times-Dispatch) -- UPDATE 2: NOL has a story up: Andretti to stay with Petty through 2002, so those Andretti to the #28 rumors are history(8-28-1999)
Petty/Andretti/Loomis/Hamilton: PitNow has a story up that talks about how Petty Enterprises is faring in 1999. Amoung some of highlights: the rumor that John Andretti may end up in the #28 Yates Ford, while Andretti says he wants to say and the Petty's hope he does, Andretti was told by the Petty's he has to do what he thinks is best for him and his family. It discusses Team Manager Robbie Loomis and rumors he may go to another team (Yates?). And if Andretti leaves, the possibilty that Bobby Hamilton would return to the #43 next year(8-22-1999)
Annoucement UPDATE 2: I hear there be a press conference involving Richard Petty and Danny Sullivan, Thursday, July 1, at Daytona International Speedway. I have no clue or idea's what this is about, no specualtion needed(6-26-1999) -- Not sure how Petty's illness will effect this announcement as I hear he will NOT be in Daytona(6-27-1999) -- UPDATE: Petty couldn't be there, but the announcement was that Pontiac is making 1000 special Pontiac Grand Prix's, 5 each for each of the King's 200 wins(ESPN2 Qual)(7-1-1999) -- UPDATE 2: The Petty family announced that Pontiac will produce 1,000 limited-edition Richard Petty cars that will cost $50,000 each and feature 300-horsepower engine, carbon fiber instrument housing, Petty autographed leather interior and high performance suspension and brake package(News and Record)(7-2-1999)
Petty Back: Richard Petty, hospitalized last week with bleeding ulcers, plans to be on hand for the Pepsi 400. Petty, 62, was back at work at his team's shop Monday despite having losing 40% of his blood during the ordeal. His son, Kyle, said Petty planned to fly here in time for the 8pm/et start of tomorrow's race(The Tennessean)(7-2-1999)
Petty Ill UPDATE 3: Richard Petty is in the hospital with bleeding Ulcers. He collapsed at home recently after losing 40% of his blood. He was in intensive care for a day or so, but is doing much better and is expected to go home this weekend(ESPN2 Qualifying and Kyle Petty), get well King(6-25-1999) -- UPDATE: Richard Petty is scheduled to be released from a Greensboro, N.C., hospital this morning(Sunday). Petty collapsed Wednesday and was transported to the hospital to be treated for bleeding ulcers. In the past, the owner of Petty Enterprises had a part of his stomach removed to help treat the ulcers. The problem is currently under control, but doctors did not trust Petty to take it easy, so they opted to hold him until today(Times-Dispatch) and see story at That's Racin': Petty recovering after massive blood loss from bleeding ulcers(AP)(6-27-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Richard Petty was not discharged Sunday from Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, as expected, but son Kyle said there was little cause for concern. Doctors kept NASCAR's winningest driver for another day because of the suspicion that Petty would fly out to Sears Point rather than continue to convalesce at home(SpeedNet)(6-28-1999) -- UPDATE 3: Richard Petty checked out of a hospital Monday and returned home after being treated for bleeding ulcers. Petty, 61, was admitted to Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro last week after he lost 40 percent of his blood, according to his son, Kyle. Petty returned home to Randleman, NC and wants to get back to work at Petty Enterprises(PitNow)(6-29-1999)
Testing UPDATE 2: Kyle Petty and John Andretti are supposed test at Road Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday(June 14-15th)in preparation of the upcoming road course races(Williams Co)(6-13-1999) -- UPDATE 1: I hear Ward Burton and Tom Hubert will test Bill Davis' Pontiacs at Road Atlanta on Monday - UPDATE 2: Rusty Wallace in the #2 Ford and Kenny Irwin in the #28 also tested(WC Today Radio)(6-14-1999)
Adam Petty to Cup? From the Adam Petty site in his Dover Journal - "I’m not supposed to comment on that question, but if y’all can keep a secret I’ll tell you that we are building a Cup car for next year. Whether or not I run it depends a lot on how this year goes. As of today, we are planning to run 5 Cup races next year"(www.adampetty.com)(6-7-1999)
Petty Announcement: A celebration of the first 50 years — and the next 50 years — of stock car racing’s most famous entity will continue with unique 50th Anniversary cars in August. Four Petty Enterprises’ teams will race in Indianapolis, Indiana featuring special paint schemes that highlight the beginning of the second 50 years of a winning tradition. The #43 STP Pontiac driven by John Andretti and the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac driven by Kyle Petty will carry special colors in the Brickyard 400, Saturday, August 7, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Adam Petty’s #45 Spree Prepaid Foncard Chevrolet will compete in the Kroger NASCAR 200 Busch race Friday night, August 6, and Jimmy Hensley’s #43 Dodge by Petty will compete in the IRP 200 Truck series race Thursday night, August 5, both of those at Indianapolis Raceway Park. It is the only time all four teams race in the same major market in front of a “Big Three” network television audience (ABC for the Brickyard 400; ESPN for both IRP events). This marks the first time in NASCAR history that four identically-designed vehicles race in the same city on the same race weekend. The vehicles will be dominated by Petty blue, the color that has won more NASCAR Winston Cup events than any other, with gold trim and gold wheels. The unique design will no be seen again, except on the collectible die-cast vehicles manufactured by Mattel’s Hot Wheels brand. A four-vehicle set that includes the Dodge by Petty truck in 1/64 scale will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart retailers nationwide. In addition, the Winston Cup and Busch cars will be sold in various scales through online sales, direct mail, hobby shops and trackside sales. In further celebration of the 50th Anniversary, Petty Enterprises is planning a September event to honor all of the 41 former drivers of Petty Enterprises’ cars. Additional details regarding the event will be revealed in the next few months.(The Williams Company)(5-27-1999)
Petty/Players Inc UPDATE 1: Players Inc/Petty Enterprises will be unveiling their 1999 special schemes for the 1999 Cup and truck events this coming Monday(May 24th) at a special television taping with the 1999 NFL first round rookies, Jimmy Hensley, John Andretti, and Kyle Petty. The shoot will be at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The truck will be run at Texas on June 11 and the Cup cars(#'s 43 and 44) will run at Richmond on September 11th, which is the night before the opening day for the NFL. All three drivers will have some wild suits and helmets. All the vehicles will be available as limited edition diecast from Hot Wheels and some pretty wild merchandise is being made, too. Some notable NFL players, present and past, will be in the teams' pits to help(Pole Position Productions)(5-20-1999) -- UPDATE 1 Postponed? New date: Please Join Petty Enterprises! A significant announcement in celebration of 50 years. 10:30am/et on Thursday, May 27, Infield Media Center, Lowe's Motor Speedway. Kyle Petty, Richard Petty, Adam Petty John Andretti, Jimmy Hensley Robbie Loomis and Doug Hewitt will be there. Announcement followed by interviews, photo opportunities(Williams Company)(5-24-1999)
Chicken Money: When the Petty cars get in the top 10, the crew get bonus' or what they call Chicken Money. The last two weeks they got Double Chicken money as both Kyle Petty and John Andretti were in the top 10. Andretti said because the team won at Martinsville, they get Steak Money(RPM2Nite)(4-21-1999)
Andretti/Petty/STP fans: Joy Pinto, STP's Public Relations Manager has asked if fans could help her out. Joy would like to have newspaper clippings, or copies of them, concerning John Andretti's win at Martinsville from your local papers. Feel free to send the articles to: Don Stone. PO Box 24033, Speedway, IN 46224(4-23-1999)
Andretti from Alabama: The Alabama House of Representatives voted Thursday to grant NASCAR Winston Cup stoc car driver John Andretti, who wheels the #43 STP Pontiac, with honorary citizenship. The vote came as a reaction to Andretti's earlier attempt to be "adopted" by the city of Talladega for Sunday's DieHard 500 race. It will be the first time a Talladega Winston Cup race has run with a driver from Alabama. Track officials had requested Andretti
not continue his efforts, feeling it might reflect poorly on current drivers seeking rides(Williams Company)(4-23-1999)
Short Tracks: John Andretti's victory at Martinsville made him the eighth different winner in the last eight Winston Cup short-track races(4-19-1999)
Ironic: John Andretti's victory Sunday at Martinsville came from the 21st starting position, the deepest spot in the field for a winner since Lee Petty won from 24th in 1959(Infobeat/AP)(4-19-1999)
#43 Violation? UPDATE 3 - Good News: Hours after the race, NASCAR officials announced that initial post-race testing had revealed a compression-ratio violation -- the Winston Cup limit is 12:1 -- in the fourth-place Pontiac of John Andretti. Citing difficult conditions, NASCAR official Kevin Triplett announced that further examination of the Petty Enterprises engine would be conducted Monday(SpeedNet)(4-11-1999) -- UPDATE 1: I hear the engine and NASCAR inspectors will do the testing/inspection at Petty's shop this morning -- UPDATE 2: NASCAR has cleared Andretti's engine, see the full story at NOL - Andretti's engine clears inspection(NOL) -- UPDATE 3: NASCAR Officials announced today that after a thorough post-race inspection of John Andretti's, Richard Petty owned Pontiac, the results of Sunday's Food City 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway will stand. Andretti's engine was held by NASCAR overnight for further evaluation after Sunday night's post-race inspection. "The process to determine the exact compression ratio is very precise," said Mike Helton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for NASCAR. "In the case where the finding is so very close to being legal or not legal, it is NASCAR policy to be as correct as possible before our final decision. In order to maintain the integrity of the post-race inspections, we will develop even more exact practices and procedures to finalize the inspections in a credible and timely manner." The results of Monday's continued post-race inspection showed a compression ratio which met NASCAR rules as described in Section 20 Rule 5.4 Article C of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series rule book, "For all Events, the maximum allowable compression limit permitted on any cylinder will be 12.0 to 1 on all engines."(NASCAR PR)(4-12-1999)
Petty Press Conference UPDATE 2: A press conference for Petty Enterprises is scheduled at the Level Cross,
N.C., shops at 10:30am, Wednesday, April 7, 1999(The Williams Co), no idea what it's about, special paint schemes??(3-30-1999) -- UPDATE 1: Petty will open the revamped shop in Level Cross, NC next Wednesday. Petty Enterprises is expected to announce the game plan for their 50th Anniversary celebration and debut the coordinating paint schemes Kyle Petty, John Andretti's Cup cars, Adam Petty's BGN car and Jimmy Hensley's truck when they race at Indy in August(SpeedVison)(3-31-1999) -- UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises opened its newly expanded race shop to the public for the first time during a press conference in Level Cross, N.C., today. Announcements regarding plans for Petty’s 50th anniversary celebration were also revealed. The 20,000 square foot addition to the existing race shop is the largest expansion in Petty Racing history. The addition includes new engine assembly rooms, offices and a spacious work area for the preparation of the Winston Cup race cars driven by John Andretti and Kyle Petty. Petty Racing was founded as Lee Petty Engineering in 1949. Petty Racing has totaled 268 wins and 10 championships in NASCAR’s premier series. The expanded engine room and race shop are but one facet of Petty Racing’s investment in its future. Also underway are major purchases of equipment -particularly high-tech engine and research and development software and hardware. As important is the investment in key personnel to take Petty Racing back to the pinnacle of the sport. A special paint scheme for all of the Petty
Racing vehicles to be run in Indianapolis on August 5-7, 1999, will be unveiled at a May 27th press conference at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. In further celebration of the 50th anniversary, Petty Racing is planning
a September event to honor all of the 41 former drivers of Petty Racing cars. Additional details regarding the event will be revealed in the next few months. Many of the key personnel at Petty Racing were present at Wednesday’s
press conference, including Lee, Richard, Kyle, Adam and Maurice Petty. Team manager Robbie Loomis appeared, as well as drivers John Andretti and Jimmy Hensley, and crew chief Doug Hewitt. Former team manager Dale Inman also played an important role. The event was emceed by ESPN’s Bill Weber and longtime local sportscaster Charlie Harville also spoke at the announcement(The Williams Co)(4-7-1999)
Petty Sponsor:Driving Impressions Inc., the North American importer of OMP racing equipment, will sponsor the Cup and BGN Petty Enterprises teams and drivers with OMP racing safety equipment(SpeedNet) didn't mention the truck team(2-19-1999)
Petty Blue: The #43 STP Pontiac and John Andretti will sport an all blue car with STP only on the hood as he will be in a backup car since the primary was wrecked in the Twin 125's(Happy Hour)(2-14-1999)
Lobster: The two Richard Petty teams, the #43 STP Pontiac with John Andretti and the #44 Hot Wheels Pontiac with Kyle Petty has picked up sponsorship from Red Lobster Restaurants, which will be on the decklid of each car(2-6-1999)
Testing at the Rock: Tony Stewart(#20), John Andretti(#43) and Buckshot Jones(#00) tested at the North Caroloina Speedway early last week. No speeds given(TNN's Raceday)(2-1-1999)
Loomis promoted UPDATE: Robbie Loomis has been selected to replace retiring General Manager Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises. Loomis, crew chief for John Andretti, will take on the added responsibility of general manager for the teams of Andretti and Kyle Petty. Inman has been with Petty Enterprises almost since its inception. Inman decided to retire at the end of the 1998 season(Times-Dispatch)(1-25-1999) -- hear that Greg Steadman will be the #43 Crew Chief next year(2000) and maybe by the end of this year(Petty Page)(1-29-1999)
Hussey new gig UPDATE: Chris Hussey, the former crew chief of the #22 Pontiac has replaced Dale Inman as the team manager at Petty Enterprises(NASCAR Online)(1-17-1999) -- CORRECTION on this story, It was reported incorrectly here that Chris Hussey had been hired to replace Dale Inman. Hussey is working for the STP team and Dale Inman has retired but Hussey has not taken over Dale's position, he will be taking over Inmans's job as spotter for the #43(1-19-1999)
Petty Colors: I have gotten a few rumors saying the #43 STP Pontiac would have a new paint scheme in 1999. Not true, my sources tell me. There was no design a paint scheme this year as there was the past two years, the #43 Pontiac woll basically be the same paint scheme as it was in 1998. The #44 Kyle Petty Hot Wheels Pontiac will be the same but lose the white stripe around the bottom of the car(12-4-98)
STP/#43 Stuff UPDATE 2: There are rumors abound that STP will do one of the following: 1) STP Stays as primary; 2) STP drops down to an associate sponsor; 3) STP leaves the team(most unlikely). One rumor has UPS becoming a primary or associate sponsor. A few fans have emailed STP and gotten the following response: "As you know "Clorox" has purchased STP. During the sale discussions it was NEVER mentioned that STP would discontinue their relationship with Richard Petty. From a business standpoint I'm sure we agree its a win win situation for both parties. This rumor regarding a partial sponsorship has never been implied nor told to my office. Unless told otherwise I can assume nothing. Thank you for your time and patience as well as your interest in #43."(11-3-98) -- "A spokesman for STP said rumors the product won't return as a sponosr of Petty Enterprises weren't true. He said STP would be on the #43 next year"(Winston Cup Scene), what he didn't say was in what capacity, primary or an associate sponsor. Also the WC Scene reports that Dale Inman, Team Manager will not return to Retty Enterprises for the 1999 season. Inman, Richard Pettys cousin has been fulltime with the team since 1962(with the exception 1984 when he was part of Terry Labontes 1st championship with Billy Hagen). Other notes on the team: Mike Suter was Kyle Petty's crew chief Atlanta, Bobby Kennedy left after Rockingham. Doug Hewitt comes aboard for the 1999 season(as previosuly announced).(11-14-98) -- After talking to UPS concerning sponsorship of the #43, Richard Petty has signed STP to a one year deal as the primary sponsor with Petty having a two-year option(Winston Cup Today Radio) I am hearing that UPS is looking to sponsor a Cup team in 1999, no word on who they are looking at.(11-16-98)
