was sent some images of the #44 Twisted Tea Ford. No name above the door. Could Richard Petty Motorsports be switching from the #9 to the #44 for new driver Brian Scott in 2016? If so, what happens to the #9? does Hendrick use it and re-number the #24 Chevy for Chase Elliott? Chase’s father, Bill Elliott, ran the #9 for many years. Chase ran the #9 in the XFINITY Series as well as other series in the past. See images of the #44 Ford on the 2016 #44 Team Schemes Page (1-9-2016)
UPDATE: There are times in the sport of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing, when looking at things on the surface, they seem simple. An example is a car number. A car number, in its simplest definition, allows race fans to connect a car with a team and a driver. But, as in many cases, when digging under the surface, you can find layers of history. And, for Richard Petty, and the Petty family, these layers of car numbers are built on wins and championships that have transcended through time to build a stock car dynasty across the world. Beginning in 2016, this tradition is returning to the Petty family and Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM). RPM will once again field the number ’44’, replacing the number ‘9’ used since RPM was created after a merger in 2009.
Richard Petty: ‘To speak about us changing our car number, you first have to go back to the beginning with my Dad (Lee). He started Petty Engineering and later Petty Enterprises, and he was there right when NASCAR all started. He put together a car, and the first race he entered he actually raced a car numbered 38. But, that was it. He then went and got his own car. He had to put a number on it and saw the number 42 on a license plate, and that’s how it all started. It just went forward from there.
Lee Petty raced the number 42 from 1949-1961 before using the number 41 in select races through 1964 before retiring. He retired with three championships and 54 wins with the number 42.
Richard Petty raced the number 43 from 1959-1992 winning a record 200 races and seven championships. He was crowned ‘The King’ and cemented himself as the most successful NASCAR driver of all time.
Maurice ‘Chief’ Petty raced the #41, 42, 43 and 44 in select races from 1960-1964. He is most remembered racing the No. 41.
Kyle Petty raced the #42 for Petty Enterprises from 1979-1982. He raced the #44 for pe2/Petty Enterprises from 1997-2000. He won his first ARCA race in 1979 at Daytona in the #44 for Petty Enterprises.
Kyle Petty: ‘It’s good to see the 44 number back where it belongs. I grew up knowing that my uncle Maurice raced the 41, my grandfather raced the 42 and my father raced the 43. I would go on to race the 44, and Adam eventually drove the 45. With Pete Hamilton driving the 40 at one time for PE, to me, those numbers were always ‘Petty’ numbers. I’m looking forward to seeing Brian Scott carrying on our tradition.’(Richard Petty Motorsports)
AND: Hendrick Motorsports says Chase Elliott will remain in the #24 this season.
