Kyle Petty said that he will drive at Phoenix International Raceway later this year, but then he is still unsure of how many Sprint Cup races he will enter in 2009. Petty did say whatever races he does drive, he will compete under the Petty Enterprises banner. Bobby Labonte is signed to return to Petty Enterprises and Chad McCumbee is being looked at for the car where Kyle Petty is currently the primary driver. “I don’t have anything going right now for next year,” Petty said Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “We’d like to run five races, 10 races, 15 races, whatever we can run. It really depends on what you get financially. We feel like we’ve got some good leads for the 43 and pretty confident that Marathon and everybody will be here for Chad [McCumbee]. I’m not going to go somewhere else. I’ve always said if I run Cup stuff, I [will come] back here and I don’t want to go anywhere else. I’m too old to learn new tricks.” Petty Enterprises CEO David Zucker indicated that the team would have two primary drivers next year – and Kyle Petty, who already has a six-race commitment to TNT, wouldn’t be one of them. Petty likely would continue to drive the #45, which was the number of Petty’s son, Adam, who was killed during Nationwide Series practice eight years ago at New Hampshire. Michael Waltrip Racing Executive Vice President Cal Wells indicated that MWR will return the #44 to Petty Enterprises for its use next year. Petty said any perception of a rift between him and the Boston Ventures people is not necessarily accurate.(SceneDaily)(10-16-2008) UPDATE: Petty Enterprises will resurrect the #44 for its second Sprint Cup team next season, vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis said Friday. The #45, currently fielded as the second team with Bobby Labonte in the #43, will be reserved only for any races that Kyle Petty may run. Petty switched from the #44 to the 45 after his son, Adam, was killed driving that number in a Busch [now Nationwide] Series practice in 2000. Loomis said the organization remains high on Chad McCumbee as the second driver. He did not rule out Petty appearing in a handful of races if sponsorship is available. The #44 was used sparingly by the Pettys from 2000 to 2003, and then was transferred in 2007 to Michael Waltrip Racing for Dale Jarrett. David Reutimann has driven the #44 for MWR this season, but he will switch to the #00 in 2009. The #00 crew will move to Marcos Ambrose’s #47 team with the JTG organization that recently formed an alliance with MWR for next season.(ESPN.com) AND MWR will return the #44 to Petty Enterprises, with MWR’s #00 taking the points of the #44 in 2009.(NASCAR.com)(10-17-2008)
