Petree has Daytona 500 sponsor, now needs a driver UPDATE: NASCAR Winston Cup owner Andy Petree has secured a single-race sponsor for his #55 car in the Daytona 500. Andy Petree Racing, based in Henderson County, NC, has been scrambling in recent months to land a sponsorship after electrical distribution company Square D said it could no longer afford to run an entire schedule. The new sponsor’s name will be announced after the new year. Petree now must find another driver for the #55 after Ken Schrader signed up Friday with the BAM Racing Dodge next year. Petree had been trying to line up Schrader to drive #55, APR general manager Steve Barkdoll said. “Schrader had the opportunity to drive the BAM car full time, so we told him to take it,” Barkdoll said. First Petree was forced to lay off employees, now he’s looking for investors for his team. Times are tough for Petree, still scrambling to keep his Winston Cup team afloat. After laying off 25 employees last month, Petree is hoping an outside investor can step in and keep things running. He has enough employees left to send Schrader to the Daytona 500, but more money will have to appear before he can plan for any more races.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(12-22-2002) UPDATE: hearing the sponsor will be Monaco Coaches, still no word on the driver.(12-24-2002)
