Despite several Internet reports that link Chad McCumbee to a full-time seat in the #44 car for Petty Enterprises next season, McCumbee said the sagging economy has changed a lot of plans. “We have to wait for sponsorship,” he said. “If we don’t have it, we can’t go racing. We’ve had some things lined up, but when companies start to struggle, NASCAR sponsorship will be the first to go.” McCumbee said he doesn’t “have an answer” to what next year will look like, but is “confident we will be able to run some,” in the Sprint Cup Series. He also said he may return to the Craftsman Truck Series. McCumbee is scheduled to run Sunday’s Seneca 250 Late Model stock car race at Myrtle Beach Speedway.(Myrtle Beach Sun News)(11-22-2008) UPDATE: #44?/#45?-Chad McCumbee is under contract to drive for Petty Enterprises in 2009, though the number of Sprint Cup races he and the second Petty team will run as a teammate to Bobby Labonte will depend on sponsorship, the team has confirmed. Petty Enterprises CEO David Zucker was asked about his plans for McCumbee at the Street & Smith’s Motorsports Marketing Forum. “It’s tough to break into the sport, and I think expectations sometimes get ahead of the game,” Zucker said. “We’ve seen it with some of the younger drivers. It takes a while. We don’t want to bring them [up] too fast. … You’ve got to invest in younger drivers. The sport needs it. Our plan is to bring him in and get him some exposure but not bring him in too fast.”(NASCAR.com)(12-4-2008)
