hearing Petty Enterprises has signed both Hot Wheels South America and Carlos Contreras to drive the #43 CTS Dodge(9-13-2000) UPDATE: Kyle Petty says the future of the Truck team is more up in the air. Petty has talked to Contreras and other people, too. Contreras, 30, a native of Mexico, currently drives the #12 Dodge for Impact Motorsports. He has expressed his desire to join Petty Enterprises but still has a year remaining on a contract with his current team(That’s Racin’)(9-24-2000) UPDATE 2 official: Petty Enterprises and Mattel de Mexico officially announced Carlos Contreras as the driver of the #43 Hot Wheels Dodge Ram in the CTS for the 2001 season. Richard and Kyle Petty were on hand at the World Trade Center in Mexico City for the Mattel de Mexico press conference introducing Contreras, a native of Mexico and Crew Chief Howard Comstock with the Hot Wheels sponsorship for the truck series. Contreras started 23 races in the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Impact Motorsports. He collected seven top-20’s and two top-ten’s, including a 10th place finish at Dover Downs in September. The 30 year-old driver passed the $200,000 mark in earnings and managed a third place finish in the final Rookie-of-the-year standings. Contreras left the Impact Motorsports team shortly after the season-ending race at California Speedway in October. He has tested twice with the Petty team, including the team’s test at Darlington Raceway in November.(GMR Marketing)(1-12-2001)
