April 5, 2008
- Only four drivers left: Only four Sprint Cup drivers have ran all fifteen Sprint Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway including the race Sunday: #8-Mark Martin, #31-Jeff Burton, #24-Jeff Gordon and #43-Bobby Labonte. Martin and Burton have won at the track.(4-5-2008)
- Petty will skip Dover race for daughter’s wedding: Kyle Petty said Friday at Texas that he will miss the June 1 Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway because of the wedding of his daughter. Montgomery Lee Petty will marry Randy Schlappi on May 31, a spokesman for Petty Enterprises said Friday. Petty is already skipping six Cup races later this year because he will serve as an analyst on TNT’s race broadcasts, and Petty is not driving this weekend’s race at Texas. Montgomery Lee Petty is Kyle and Pattie’s only daughter.(SceneDaily.com)(4-5-2008)
- Petty, Loomis differ on who made call for McCumbee; Petty Would Consider Driving for Another Team: Kyle Petty isn’t happy about the decision to replace him with rookie Chad McCumbee at Texas. He made it clear on Friday that it was not his decision to step aside even though Robbie Loomis, the vice president of competition at Petty Enterprises, said it was. “I don’t care what he said,” Petty said. “I said it wasn’t. Why would I get out of a car?” Petty would not say who made the decision, whether it was Loomis or his father, seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty. He referred to the decision-maker only as “they.” “Quite frankly, Kyle is the one that came up with the idea,” said Loomis, adding Petty will be back in the car next week at Phoenix. “On Monday, Kyle and Richard came to the shop and talked to me and said, ‘Hey, I know you’re trying to strengthening this team up. Let’s try to leave as much as that intact as you can right now and let’s put Chad in there and give him a chance.”’ That didn’t mesh with Petty’s story. “I told them I’ll do whatever it takes to make this team better,” he said. “They felt in order to make this team better was me being out of the car and somebody else being in it. If that’s the way they feel then that’s their option because they run the place. “Do I think I’m the problem?” he said. “No, I don’t think I’m the problem, but I’m pretty arrogant on that side…I think we have problems, but I don’t think Kyle Petty is the problem.”(ESPN.com)
AND: Kyle Petty said he would consider driving for a different organization if “there’s not a place for me here” at Petty Enterprises. The 47-year-old veteran replied “Oh, yeah” without hesitation when asked Friday afternoon whether a new race team could be in his future if it is determined that Petty Enterprises wants to go in a different direction. “Even though you think I make a living running my mouth, I try to make a living driving,” he said. “And if there’s no place for me here, then you’d have to go someplace else.” Petty emphasized that such a move would not be made until his current team has chosen the direction it will take. Therefore, a change is not imminent. (SceneDaily.com)(4-5-2008)
- Allmendinger now expected back in #84 at Talladega: AJ Allmendinger, originally expected back in the seat of the #84 Red Bull Racing Toyota April 12 at Phoenix, said Friday he will not return until the following week at Talladega. Mike Skinner made his first appearance in the # 84 at Las Vegas and has a best finish of 27th (at Atlanta) in four starts entering Texas. “He’s said the same things that I’ve been saying, so just more than anything there’s a peace of mind of getting back in the car and [saying], ‘OK, so I’m not crazy. I am feeling the right things,” Allmendinger said. He has tested for the team at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway and Nashville during his hiatus from competition.(SceneDaily.com)(4-5-2008)
- Petty Enterprises don’t expect to lose Labonte: Petty Enterprises lost the sponsor of its famed # 43 car to Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday, but officials don’t expect the driver to follow. STP was the sponsor of the #43 car that Richard Petty drove to 200 victories. Now with General Mills moving on, the car needs a sponsor again. Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said the organization is in the final stages of negotiating a deal that would keep 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte there for the remainder of his career. He said losing General Mills, the current sponsor of Labonte’s car, will have no bearing on that. “I’m not worried about that at all,” Loomis said of losing Labonte to RCR. “I feel as good about it as anything I’ve felt about in a long time.” (ESPN.com)(4-5-2008)
- Biffle Doesn’t Consider Childress a Future Option: Greg Biffle, a sought-after Sprint Cup star in a contract year, doesn’t foresee the recently announced #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevys as an option for his future. Biffle, who last week said he was “90 percent” sure he would sign a contract extension with his current team, Roush Fenway Racing, for 2009 and beyond, cited the fickle nature of the top-35 rule as a key deterrent from considering Childress’ fourth car. “I don’t really see that being an alternative for me,” Biffle said. “The one thing a guy’s got to look at is, I’m third in points [now] and have a chance to make the Chase right now, and I’m running fairly well. And to go to a team that has no points and try to qualify for the Daytona 500, and go to Las Vegas and try to qualify, and California, on time, and dodge rainouts — we see all these teams struggle to get in the top 35. I don’t see that as a smart career move for myself.”(ESPN.com)(4-5-2008)
- Both Yates cars bare: Yates Racing drivers #38-David Gilliland and #28-Travis Kvapil are 22nd and 24th, respectively, in the points standings heading into tomorrow’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Both cars are unsponsored this weekend and are displaying SponsorYates.com.(4-5-2008)
- McMurray Kicks Off “National Autism Awareness Month” at Texas: This weekend, at Texas Motor Speedway, Jamie McMurray will help promote autism awareness through a special paint scheme, as well as the launch of a month-long online auction with all proceeds going towards the research and support of autism and families coping with this neurobiological disorder. McMurray will pilot the #26 Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Ford in this weekend’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Along with the black and gold paint scheme, the rear quarter panels and the television panel of the # 26 Ford Fusion will don the autism awareness puzzle pieces. The Jamie McMurray Foundation’s month-long auction also launches this weekend and will run through the end of April. Fans can bid on all kinds of memorabilia with all proceeds benefiting autism research and support.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-5-2008)
- Gaunt leaves TRG Motorsports? UPDATE 2 Gaunt joins Bill Davis Racing: Hearing that Marty Gaunt has left his position as general manager for TRG Motorsports. Also hearing that some crew members are no longer with the team as well. [TRG fields teams for #7-Andy Lally and the #71-Donny Lia](4-5-2008)
UPDATE: A representative from TRG confirmed that Marty Gaunt has resigned and that Butch Hylton [#7 crew chief] has assumed the role of general manager for TRG Motorsports.(4-5-2008)
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