Richard Petty Motorsports News
Updated: 2009 - Evernham-Gillett Motorsports News - Petty Enterprise News
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Monday, March 15, 2010
Richard Petty to Release Signature Series Vehicle by Petty’s Garage: Petty’s Garage and Arrington Performance are partnering to build a Richard Petty Signature Series line of vehicles. The power for these vehicles will be supplied by NASCAR engine builder, Joey Arrington, at his shopHEMI.com facility in Martinsville, Engine installation, performance upgrades and paint work will take place in the historic Petty shop in Level Cross, NC. Customer orders are currently being taken with production of vehicles to start in March and completed vehicles delivered in April. (PR-USA.net)
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
RPM to test car with new spoiler: Tests with the new spoiler on the Sprint Cup car would seem to be important, but Richard Petty Motorsports has opted to focus on tests other than the NASCAR test March 16 at Talladega Superspeedway. Richard Petty Motorsports won't send three of its teams to the one-day Talladega test, with Paul Menard going and Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger staying at home or going to a test somewhere else. It is expected that some of the other multicar organizations won't have all of its teams at the test, which NASCAR will use to set the size of the restrictor plate for the April race weekend at the track. RPM's competition director Robbie Loomis said that with four or five Fords at the test, RPM will be able to get all of the info it needs. Instead of going to Talladega, Kahne will be testing that week at Road Atlanta and the organization also has a test scheduled for Little Rock at Rockingham.(SceneDaily) ated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.(NASCAR PR)
Monday, February 15, 2010
Doctors confident Lynda Petty will defeat cancer: Richard Petty updated his wife Lynda's condition on Sunday, saying doctors are confident she can defeat cancer. Lynda Petty is being treated at Duke University Medical Center for central nervous system lymphoma, a form of brain cancer. "She's already had a couple of treatments and she went through them real good," Petty said. "Yesterday she looked at me and said, 'Get up and get out of here and get on to Daytona.' So I know she's doing pretty good. They [her doctors] feel like they can completely wipe the cancer out." Petty, who shares the Sprint Cup record of seven championships along with Dale Earnhardt Sr., is the co-owner of Richard Petty Motorsports. Petty said he hasn't been involved with the team much since Lynda became ill. RPM merged with Yates Racing last month. "Since November I've spent a lot of time with Lynda Gale," Petty said. "After more than 50 years together, I thought that's what I needed to do. I've still been involved in all major decisions [at RPM]. But some of the PR stuff I put on the back burner. She is more important than racing right now." Petty said his wife started showing systems of vision problems a year ago, but it took doctors a long time to diagnose the problem. "It took until December for them to really understand the problem and the way to treat it. They have operated on both her eyes to make sure they are in good shape when the cancer goes away." Petty said he's thankful for all the interest and support his family has received from fans and friends. "Just keep us in your prayers," he said. "We've been real fortunate. We appreciate everybody thinking about her."(ESPN.com)
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Lynda Petty diagnosed with CNS: Richard Petty's wife, Lynda, has been diagnosed with CNS (Central Nervous System) Lymphoma. Mrs. Petty will be treated at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center. "We are thankful for the medical team at Duke. My wife Lynda is in good hands," Richard Petty said Thursday in a team statement. "The doctors and our family are very optimistic that the treatment for this cancer will be successful." The Petty family appreciates the support from family, friends, and fans as well as the continued respect for their privacy during this time.(NASCAR.com)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Richard Petty Motorsports, Yates Racing completes merger: Rumors of a Richard Petty Motorsports/Yates Racing merger began circulating a few months ago but it wasn't until today that the racing community could stop calling them rumors. "I'm here to announce the best kept secret in all of motorsports, which is that the merger between Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports is officially completed," said Foster Gillette, managing partner of Richard Petty Motorsports, in a press conference Tuesday morning. The merger, which happened in December, brought some big changes along with it. During the 2010 season Richard Petty Motorsports will be running Ford Fusions, ending its long relationship with Dodge. Also, RPM will leave behind its previous home in Statesville, N.C., moving to the Yates Racing facility in Concord, N.C. Filling the four driver positions at RPM will be Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard. "The addition of a great team, great talent of drivers - we have Elliott, Paul, Kasey, and AJ adding to the fleet of Fords out there on every Sunday," said Jamie Allison, Director of Ford Racing. "That's something to be looking forward to." Richard Petty Motorsports will maintain the alliance that Yates Racing had with Roush Fenway Racing and Doug Yates will be in charge or the Roush Yates engine program.(Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour Notes)
Monday, January 11, 2010
RPM and Yates to formally announce completion of merger: Richard Petty Motorsports, Yates and Ford officials are expected to formally announce the completion of the merger Jan. 19. With the addition of Front Row Motorsports and with Wood Brothers Racing returning for another part-time schedule, there will be 10 or 11 manufacturer-backed Fords at each event. Last year, RPM was part of a seven-car Dodge stable along with Penske Racing. The 2010 season will be critical for RPM. It's the third consecutive season with some form of new ownership for the organization and all of its drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, AJ Allmendinger and Paul Menard have contracts that are up at the end of the year. "One of the things that led us to Ford was the open communication that they have between all their teams," Sadler said. "Greg Biffle and myself have already talked about it. [Roush Fenway driver] Carl Edwards and myself have already talked about helping each other as much as we can because Roush didn't have the best season they ever had last year by no stretch and, of course, we didn't either." RPM employees are still working out of their shop in Statesville, N.C., and likely will move to the Yates shop in Concord, N.C. (next to Roush Fenway) during the next few months. "We have the same core group of guys that were on the 9 car," said Kahne, who finished 10th in the standings last year. "We have a little bit different body with the Ford body. We have a different group of people we're working with, a touch more power. While there was speculation that Sadler would have a different crew chief this year, Wally Rogers will remain. Rogers took over the job last August.(SceneDaily)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
GM of Richard Petty Motorsports part-ways from company: Rick Russell is the latest casualty in the Richard Petty Motorsports/Yates Racing merger. The president of the team has parted ways with the company, sources told FOXSports.com. Russell, who had been with Evernham Motorsports since its inception in 2000, came to the company following a seven-year stint with Action Performance where he served as vice president and general manager. Max Jones, principal of the team formerly known as Yates Racing, will assume Russell's position.(FOXSports.com)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Labbe to Yates-RPM: Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and the No. 98 Menard's Ford in 2010. A formal announcement is expected from Yates Racing on Monday. Labbe parted ways with TRG Motorsports on Thursday to accept the new role. Labbe was touring the Yates shops on Friday and was introduced as "Menard's new crew chief," several sources confirmed. Menard's previous crew chief Larry Carter parted ways with the organization at season's end.(FOXSports.com)
Yates-RPM merger complete? Richard Petty Motorsports officially became a Ford operation on Thursday. The merger deal was signed between principals from RPM and Yates Racing and the appropriate paperwork was filed with Ford Motor Company. Richard Petty Motorsports brings three additional teams to the table, the No. 9, No. 19 and No. 43. Ford officials have said repeatedly what a coup it was to gain Kasey Kahne, who finished 10th in the Sprint Cup point standings, into the fold as well as 28-year-old AJ Allmendinger. Elliott Sadler will also join the driver roster which included Paul Menard from the former Yates organization. RPM is currently operating out of Statesville, N.C. The former Yates Racing buildings in Concord, N.C. are currently being remodeled to accommodate all four teams. That move is scheduled for Speedweeks in February.(FOXSports.com)
Addington turns down RPM job: Addington had been offered the head post for Elliott Sadler's No. 19 team at Richard Petty Motorsports, but sources say that he turned it down.(FOXSports.com)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
RPM says merger with Yates Racing is nearly completed: Richard Petty said the Richard Petty Motorsports-Yates Racing proposed merger is still in the hands of the lawyers, but with the likelihood of it happening, RPM had to begin its staff reductions this week. Sources indicated more than 150 people were laid off earlier this week or were told they would be laid off after the season ends next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. RPM, which fields four teams, and Yates, which fields two, announced in September they planned to merge and with NASCAR's four-team limit, the staff reductions were anticipated. "If we're going to do what we're going to do, we've got to start somewhere," Petty said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "This is basically where we're starting." Many of those laid off were in the engine shop and the car manufacturing department, sources said. The new organization will use Roush Yates Engines and likely will be based in the current Yates shop in Concord, N.C. about 45 miles from the current RPM shop in Statesville, NC. "I think we're moving there to the [Yates shop near the] airport," Petty said. "As far as I know. Tune in next week."(SceneDaily)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Richard Petty Raceway to open on Friday: NASCAR's all-time wins leader Richard Petty and Phoenix International Raceway have teamed up to open Richard Petty Raceway, a 1/16-mile go-kart track on the Midway that is the first such permanent karting facility located within a major NASCAR venue. Petty and Sprint Cup Series driver A.J. Allmendinger will appear at the grand opening of the track, scheduled for 2:00pm on Friday, November 13.(PIR)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
WIX Filters signs with Richard Petty Motorsports' No. 43: WIX Filters has signed on with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010 as an associate sponsor of the No. 43 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In addition, WIX is offering their customers the unique opportunity to join the WIX team to cheer the No. 43 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Banking 500 in October 2010 and the ability to treat their best customers or salespeople to a once in a lifetime race weekend. The associate sponsorship with Richard Petty Motorsports provides WIX secondary brand placement on the No. 43 car, and driver and pit crew suits, pit box and car hauler for the entire 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule. It also puts WIX as the primary sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup paint scheme for the October 2010 NASCAR Banking 500 at Charlotte.(Camp and Assoc)
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
RPM shuts down engine shop; more layoffs expected Tuesday: The NASCAR workforce shrunk by 47 people on Monday as Richard Petty Motorsports took the first steps toward shutting down its engine department in Concord, NC. RPM is making reductions in its staff with the impending merger with Yates Racing. Additional cuts are expected in the car shop in Statesville, N.C. on Tuesday. Sources said on Sunday that the three remaining teams expected to join forces with Yates will retain 17 crewmen per team. But given the move to Ford which started at Talladega with Elliott Sadler on Oct. 30th and continued this past weekend with AJ Allmendinger at Texas, there's no need to continue building new Dodge cars or engines. The engine department will continue to employ 14 employees through the end of the season to assist in the organization for the final two races. Roush Yates Engines will supply powerplants for the team in 2010.(FOXSports.com)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Report: Richard Petty Motorsports to shut down engine shop: What's left of the original Evernham Motorsports engine shop is expected to shut down on Monday, according to multiple sources. Richard Petty Motorsports will retain the necessary personnel to complete the final two races of the season when engine duties will revert to Roush Yates engines with the move to Ford. With the merger of RPM and Yates Racing, the Petty crew chiefs were told that each team would be able to keep 17 crewmen per team. The overall reduction for the organization is expected to be 200 of 250 employees once the deal is complete.(FOXSports.com)
Tuesday, Novemeber 3, 2009
Allmendinger to compete in Fords remainder of season: AJ Allmendinger makes his Ford Racing debut this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver will race the remaining three races of the 2009 season in a Ford Fusion. Race fans will recognize the familiar "Petty Blue" and red paint scheme on No. 44 for the rest of the season. Last week at Talladega, Elliott Sadler drove a Ford to a ninth-place finish. Allmendinger will be the only Petty driver in a Ford in any of the remaining 2009 races. "This is exciting stuff. It's like a new beginning for Richard Petty Motorsports. Whenever you do something new you are a little bit excited and a little bit nervous because you haven't done it before. Elliott drove a Ford for us at Talladega last week and everyone was really positive about the experience. It's our turn this week tire testing a Ford in Daytona and we'll drive one at Phoenix and Homestead as well."(Richard Petty Motorsports)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Allmendinger placed on probation by NASCAR: AJ Allmendinger, driver for the No. 44 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2009. Allmendinger has violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. (NASCAR PR)
Richard Petty Statement regarding Allmendinger: A statement from Richard Petty: "I am deeply disappointed this has happened. AJ has accepted full responsibility for his actions and will work to make this right. On behalf of everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports we sincerely apologize to our fans and partners."(RPM PR)
Allmendinger arrested for DWI: For the second time in a week a NASCAR driver is in trouble with the law. A.J. Allmendinger, driver of the No. 44 car, was arrested for drunk driving, Mooresville police say. Allmendinger was pulled over around 1:30 a.m. Thursday along Highway 150. According to police, Allmendinger blew a .08, which is the legal limit in North Carolina. Last week Mooresville police say alcohol was a factor in an accident involving NASCAR driver and team owner Michael Waltrip. Officers investigating the accident suspected Waltrip was drinking, but when he was given a field sobriety test, he registered a .06. In North Carolina the legal limit is .08.(News Observer)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Latest on Petty's switch to Ford: AJ Allmendinger will run the last three races of the Sprint Cup season in a Ford Fusion, a team source told FOXSports.com. According to a Dodge source, Elliott Sadler will drive a Ford beginning next week at Talladega and finish the season driving for the make. Their Richard Petty Motorsports teammates, Kasey Kahne and Reed Sorenson, will continue to drive Dodges for the rest of the year. RPM is currently in talks to merge with Yates Racing in 2010. Whether or not the deal goes through, RPM's majority owner George Gillett has said his organization will run Fords next year. Unlike the other RPM teams, Allmendinger's No. 44 car is not under contract with Dodge so the switch is able to be made early. Sadler's No. 19 team was let out of its contract. Additionally, RPM General Manager Roobie Loomis confirmed Friday that Allmendinger will drive a Ford at Daytona International Speedway during the Goodyear tire test on Nov. 2-3. That Ford will be equipped with the new FR9 engine, allowing the team to work on the balance of the car as the engine is located differently than the current Dodge engine.(FOXSports.com)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Roush tours RPM shop: Jack Roush is scheduled to take a tour of the Richard Petty Motorsports facility on Wednesday. Other managers from Roush Fenway Racing will join Rosuh on the tour of the Statesville, N.C., shop, a source told FOXSports.com. There have been ongoing talks since before September of a merger between Yates Racing, a sister organization of Roush Fenway, and RPM. (FOXSports.com)
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Latest on RPM switch to Ford: Richard Petty Motorsports has had a Ford in its possession ready to race since after New Hampshire. It would not be a surprise if AJ Allmendinger is driving a Fusion at Lowe's Motor Speedway next weekend or the week after that. Once the No. 44 car flips over to Ford, it will remain a Fusion the rest of the season. In addition to Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler is expected to drive a Roush-prepared Ford with a Yates engine at Talladega. Whether or not RPM's proposed merger with Yates Racing goes through, team owner George Gillett has said his team will run Ford's next season.(FOXSports.com)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Latest on Petty and Yates merger: George Gillett Jr., majority owner of Richard Petty Motorsports, said he hopes to form a stock-car league in Saudi Arabia as part of a contractual agreement he signed this week with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, a member of the Saudi Royal Family. But Gillett emphasized that he is not selling the team. He said he hopes to finalize a merger with Yates Racing soon, and that RPM will race Fords in 2010. Gillett felt the need to address many issues about RPM after some reports this week falsely stated Gillett's new deal with the Saudi prince would lead to the prince's sports management team taking over RPM. "I came back from Europe into a maelstrom of massively inaccurate stories," Gillett said Saturday at Kansas Speedway. "So I thought we could correct it and move forward. As part of out conversations [with the Saudis], it became clear we should have aligned interest. We discussed if they had an interest in buying a small interest in RPM. A majority? Heck no. It was a very early conversation, but it was completely distorted. I come here today as a man with a clear conscious and potentially a very attractive partner. If he becomes a small investor [in RPM] I can't imagine it would be anything but positive for the sport. That's the story." Gillett said he and the Saudis are in the talks to form some type of stock-car league overseas Gillett said the merged RPM/Yates operation will be at least a three-car team and hopefully four cars. He would not confirm who if those four drivers would be Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard, which was reported earlier.(ESPN.com)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Yates Racing and Petty Motorsports still working on merger: Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner Richard Petty says that negotiations on the team's proposed merger with Yates Racing are continuing, and he still expects the deal to be completed. RPM and Yates officials announced Sept. 10 that they planned to merge. At the time, Petty said he thought the deal would close within a few weeks. "It's still in negotiations, and so far they ain't signed nothing," Petty said Wednesday following a news conference to promote the upcoming races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I feel like if it went this far, we are going to go forward with it."(SceneDaily)
Petty talks about Gillett's partnership with a Saudi Prince: Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner Richard Petty said he didn't know much about the business relationship formed between RPM majority owner George Gillett and Saudi Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah Al Saud to explore commercial opportunities with Gillett and his soccer and motorsports properties. "That's one of George's deals," Petty said. "You'll have to talk him on that. That's purely his deal. He'd been meeting with these guys for a pretty good while about his [English] football team."(SceneDaily)
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports partnering with a Saudi Prince? In what could turn out to be one of the oddest pairings in the history of American stock car racing, Richard Petty Motorsports' primary shareholder George Gillett Tuesday signed an 'exclusive commercial collaboration' agreement for his stake in the team to Prince Faisal bin Fahd bin Abdullah al-Saud, a member of the Saudi Royal Family. The agreement signed Tuesday forms a partnership that will see the development of a NASCAR racing circuit and Richard Petty racing schools in the Saudi Kingdom and elsewhere in the Middle East. "The Middle East sport market has immense growth potential as eager fans in the region demand access to more diverse, higher caliber competition. I am delighted, enthusiastic, and honored to have the opportunity to partner with such a visionary in His Highness Prince Faisal," said Gillett after the signing. According to many however, the agreement signed Tuesday is the first step to Gillett selling his stake in the team. As the two were publicly confirming the agreement, behind the scenes, Gillett and Prince Faisal acting on behalf of the Saudi sports investment group F6 he chairs, have begun a process of 'due diligence', the examination of financial records, with the goal being that Gillett would be bought out by the end of the year. The primary deal in the works actually centers on British football club Liverpool that Gillett owns a 50% stake in, but the deal would also include Richard Petty Motorsports. The Prince was at Anfield Stadium in England on Saturday as a guest Gillett, who confirmed that he has secured funding from the Saudi prince for his NASCAR team and an agreement to build Liverpool-branded football academies in the Middle East. The entire deal is reportedly worth up to $560 million.(NASCAR Examiner)
Friday, Sept. 25, 2009
Allmendinger in a Ford by Talladega? Team confirms AJ drove for free: Richard Petty Motorsports' Executive Director of Race Operations Robbie Loomis says the team could field a Ford before the end of the 2009 season. Loomis told FoxSports.com's Lee Spencer, "I don't want to talk about things that are pure speculation, but I don't think it would surprise anybody if we did." A spokesperson for RPM told Sirius Speedway today that there are no plans to field a Ford before 2010, but off the record, sources inside RPM say that the team has already built at least one Ford Fusion, installing a Ford powerplant in an existing RPM chassis. Initial plans were to have AJ Allmendinger debut the car at Kansas Speedway next week, but that timetable was pushed back when Roush-Fenway Racing's Jack Roush expressed reservations about the quick ramp-up. Now, tentative plans call for Allmendinger to drive a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford at Talladega Superspeedway on November 1, with additional outings possible -- though not certain -- at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami Speedways. Calls to Richard Petty Motorsports seeking comment were not immediately returned. Loomis also confirmed today that Reed Sorenson is not the first RPM driver to race for free, saying that Allmendinger also waived his paycheck for a time, in order to remain on the racetrack. "AJ and all the employees at Richard Petty Motorsports made sacrifices in order to continue being a four-car team," he said. "When those guys stepped up, it really said a lot to me about the character of Reed Sorenson, AJ Allmendinger and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports."(Sirius-Speedway)
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009
Kahne has worries about Petty and Yates merger: While Kasey Kahne is back in the Chase, the question is how motivated his team will be. Richard Petty Motorsports has a letter of intent to merge with Yates Racing for next season. Such a union is likely to cost some people at RPM their jobs. So how does Kahne handle this situation of motivating folks in the organization as some worry about their future? "It's definitely something I've thought about," he said. "The timing seems a little off. Why are we doing this now (when) we are looking at starting the Chase and, hopefully, being as competitive as we have ever been in the Chase?" (Greenboro News-Record)
Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009
RPM fires team's director of competition Mark McArdie: The deal between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing already has cost one top official his job. Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said on Saturday that Mark McArdle, the vice president and managing director of competition at RPM, was fired on Friday after a heated confrontation with team co-owner George Gillett Jr. at Richmond International Raceway. Petty would not speculate on how many others in the engine and chassis department might lose jobs if RPM uses Roush-Yates engines and Roush Fenway chassis as planned. Petty said RPM is moving from Dodge to Ford because Dodge could not offer financial support for 2010 and beyond. Yates already has a financial commitment for two Ford teams, and Petty hopes that will increase once the economy is restored.(ESPN.com)
Allmendinger to the No.43? Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said no decision has been made on who will take over the famed No. 43 that he drove to seven championships, but added that he would like to see Allmendinger in the car if all sponsors agree.(ESPN.com)
Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports buys out Yates Racing? The deal that brought together Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing for next season is more of a buyout than a merger, minority owner Richard Petty said on Friday. "We're basically taking over their deal," the seven-time Sprint Cup champion said before qualifying at Richmond International Raceway. "As far as I know all of that whole operation will be Richard Petty Motorsports." Petty said George Gillett Jr., who declined to comment earlier Friday, would remain the controlling owner. He said Robbie Loomis, the executive director of race operations at RPM, will continue to run day to day operations. He was unsure what role Max Jones, who co-owned Yates Racing with Doug Yates, would take but speculated that he would stay on as the general manager. Jones declined to comment. Sources close to the situation said Yates would continue to run the Roush-Yates engine program that will supply engines to RPM's four teams -- Paul Menard from Yates and Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger from RPM. Petty said plans are to move from RPM's Statesville, N.C., shop to Yates' facility in Concord, N.C., to be closer to Roush Fenway Racing, which will continue to supply parts, pieces and technical support as it did with Yates. Because engines will come from Roush-Yates, RPM will have to shut down its engine department that employed more than 40 people. Petty said the potential of letting more people go during tough economic times was the tough part of the deal.(more at ESPN.com)
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports to Ford: Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced today they have signed a letter of intent to merge operations in time for the 2010 season. The four-car team will race Fords under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner.
Richard Petty: "This is a pretty big deal for us. We're thrilled to partner with Ford. We've talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing. Right now this deal is real new. There are lots of details still left to be ironed out so we don't have a lot of answers for anyone right now. We'll be working on all that in the coming days, weeks and months, but we do intend to have everything in place before the start of next season. I've won races with Ford and plan to again."
Team Managing Partner Foster Gillett: "Richard and Kasey (Kahne) showed us Sunday night in Atlanta that they like winning quite a bit and Ford is going to provide the support that we need to go to victory lane more often. If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport you need a lot of support. We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We've won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate America." Yates Racing Co-owner Max Jones: "This is certainly a great opportunity for both Yates Racing as well as Ford Racing. I have had a long-term relationship with Ford and look forward to continuing that relationship at Richard Petty Motorsports. Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with Ford and Richard Petty to lay out the best plan for Paul Menard and all of the employees at Yates Racing. We will continue to field both the No. 98 and No. 96 Ford Fusions for the remainder of the season and look forward to continued success on the track with Paul, Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell." Yates Racing Co-owner Doug Yates: "This plan is clearly in the best interest of the Ford Racing community. On a personal level, I am excited about the opportunity to focus my full energy on building Ford horsepower. We look forward to working with Richard Petty Motorsports to produce power second to none. There are many details to be worked out with Richard Petty Motorsports and as we finalize those details we will keep everyone informed." Director of Ford North America Motorsports Brian Wolfe: "I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season. They had choices to consider other than Ford and it's gratifying to us that they have enough faith in the Ford Motor Company and what we're doing to make the switch. We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are. What's also really cool to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford. Combine that with the chance to work with the Gillett family, who we have great respect for, and add some great drivers to the Ford camp, well, it's hard not to be excited about this opportunity." (RPM PR)
Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports to stick with Dodge? It appears Richard Petty Motorsports will not move from Dodge to Toyota next season. At least that's the impression that Lee White, who heads Toyota Racing Development, gave last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. White said he believes that Mike Accaviti, the president of the Dodge brand, is doing all he can to keep RPM in the fold. He also said that would be a good thing, that the sport needs all four manufacturers to be strong. He actually seemed to wish them luck and didn't seemed bothered that Toyota will not be welcoming in another organization. It makes sense -- Toyota's interest in RPM was tweaked when Red Bull Racing appeared set to leave the fold for General Motors and an association with Hendrick Motorsports. Now that Red Bull is set to re-sign with Toyota, there is not the urgency to get another organization. Having said that, there are no guarantees that RPM will be back with Dodge even if Toyota is out of the picture. The organization has had talks with General Motors as well. But all signs point to Dodge fielding cars for RPM and Penske Racing moving forward.(ESPN.com Insider)
Friday, Aug. 21, 2009
Stanley Tools to donate up to a million dollars to Children's Miracle Network if Kahne or Sadler wins at BMS: Richard Petty Motorsports driver Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Stanley Dodge now have a million more reasons to win the Aug. 22 race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Primary sponsor Stanley will make a $1 million donation to Children's Miracle Network if Sadler wins the 500-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the half-mile, high-banked track AND Stanley will donate $500,000 to Children's Miracle Network if Kasey Kahne wins Friday night's race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The incentives are part of the "Racing for a Miracle" program created by Stanley, the Ace Hardware Foundation and Children's Miracle Network. "Racing for a Miracle" is a multi-dimensional program that benefits sick and injured kids by raising funds for the hospitals that provide their care. In addition to the race, Sadler is encouraging Ace Hardware patrons to visit one of the country's 1,100 participating Ace Hardware stores during the month of August to buy a $1 "Racing for a Miracle" icon. All donations benefit a local Children's Miracle Network hospital. Kendrick Cohen, a 12-year-old patient at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., will attend the Aug. 22 race as part of a helmet design contest that he won. Elliott Sadler will present Cohen the helmet he designed and a second helmet will be auctioned off later in the season with donations benefiting Children's Miracle Network.(RPM PR)
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009
RPM in talks with Toyota: Multiple sources at Richard Petty Motorsports tell Sirius Speedway that RPM is still mulling the possibility of moving its entire operation to the Toyota camp in 2010. RPM spokesmen have downplayed reports of a possible manufacturer switch in recent weeks, but sources say that talks are ongoing with both Dodge and Toyota. No decisions have been made, but in an attempt to cover all their bases, the team recently had a series of publicity photos taken of Kasey Kahne and a Budweiser-sponsored No. 9 Toyota Camry.(Sirius Speedway)
No. 43 and No. 44 swap Crew Chief and Crews: Crew Chief Mike Shiplett and the crew that fielded the No. 43 Dodges for Reed Sorenson will begin working on the No. 44 Dodge with A.J. Allmendinger at Michigan and the rest of the 2009 season. Sam Johns and his crew that worked on the No. 44 will begin working on the No. 43 with Sorenson at Michigan. At Michigan, the No. 44 will sport a Super 8 scheme while the No. 43 Dodge will have Bumper to Bumper colors. Says Allmendinger:" I'm pumped about working with Mike (Shiplett) and his crew again. We went testing at Dover last week and worked real well together. Sammy Johns and those guys did a heck of a job getting us ready to go racing right before the season and we had some really good runs. They are going to go over with Reed (Sorenson) and we'll pool the information and improve our teams. We're here to win and get a jump on 2010. Mike and I want to work on everything that will make us a contender the rest of the season and hit the ground running in Daytona in February."(Richard Petty Motorsports)
Monday, Aug. 3, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports Shakeup? The Nos. 43 and 44 teams at Richard Petty Motorsports will change crew chiefs and crews following the race at Watkins Glen. According to team sources, drivers Reed Sorenson and AJ Allmendinger will remain with their respective car numbers and sponsors. However, Mike Shiplett will now oversee the No. 44 Dodge with Allmendinger and Sammy Johns will be the crew chief for Sorenson and the No. 43 squad. The cars and equipment will remain with the crew chiefs.(FOXSports.com)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports denies dropping to three cars: A Richard Petty Motorsports spokesman Friday emphatically denied rumors that would be replacing Reed Sorenson in the No. 43 Dodge this season. Allmendinger's No. 44 has been struggling to find full sponsorship all year, fueling speculation that if RPM needed to downsize, Sorenson would be the odd man out. Sorenson, whose only top-10 finish this season came in the season-opening Daytona 500, is 26th in the Sprint Cup standings, while Allmendinger is 27th. A note on Ford Racing's Web site earlier this week mentioned the possibility that Petty would shut down the No. 44 when its current sponsorship commitments end after Richmond. "We'll be running four cars all year," RPM director of media relations Drew Brown said. (Yahoo! Sports)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Richard Petty Experience at Disney World plans marketing blitz: Mike Bartelli, chief marketing officer for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, had been in that job for less than a year when he came up with a plan that made him downright nervous. He was about to tell Richard Petty, the most famous NASCAR driver in history, something he was afraid The King didn't want to hear. "We were in the board meeting, and he was sitting there with his dark glasses on, and that big trademark hat with the feathers on it, and I told him that I thought it was time that we de-emphasize the biggest asset we have -- which is him -- in favor of something else." That "something else" was Walt Disney World, the busiest of the more than 20 locations where the Driving Experience operates its race cars. Bartelli thought that not enough was being made of the fact that the Orlando location was on Disney property -- at the Walt Disney World Speedway. (Orlando Sentinel)
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports working with Chrysler on debt: Chrysler is working on a deal to pay off some of its debt to Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owner Richard Petty said on Friday at Daytona International Speedway. Petty said last month that Chrysler's bankruptcy put cash flow from the manufacturer to the organization on hold. The subsequent layoff of nine RPM employees also was blamed on anticipated cuts from the bankruptcy. "They've stopped everything,'' he said of Chrysler's support. Petty said on Friday that RPM should expect some money soon. "Yeah, we'll get some money from them,'' he said. "Right now we're in the process of figuring out exactly what they can do to get back to us to see what we can do." Petty's initial comments increased speculation that RPM may leave Dodge for Toyota after this season. The organization is in the final year of its contract and has partnered with Toyota's Braun Racing for five Nationwide Series races in 2009.(ESPN.com)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Richard Petty: Nobody has knocked on our doors to sponsor our cars: Despite the financial hardship, Kahne provided RPM with its first victory of the season last Sunday at Sonoma, Calif. "I think it was really good for Kasey, it was good for us," Richard Petty said. "I think it was good for racing because you've got something different to talk about. You're talking to me as an owner, you talk to Kasey as a winner now instead of just talking to us as not being winners - OK. "So you put a little bit of a different emphasis on it, I think it was really good. Financially, nobody has knocked on our doors and said, "We are going to sponsor your car.' But when you do call them, they know who you are, and so that really helps." (The High Point Enterprise)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Kasey Kahne to stay with Dodge: As Sirius Speedway first reported yesterday, sources inside the walls at RPM say plans have been made to field Toyota Camrys for Kasey Kahne beginning in mid-August, as soon as team officials finalize a financial settlement package with Dodge. Those negotiations have reportedly taken a sudden turn in recent days, though, with the possibility now existing for Kahne and his RPM teammates to remain in the Dodge camp, after all. Nobody seems to know exactly what turned the tide back in Dodge’s favor. Speculation ranges from a juicy incentive package offered by Dodge, to a bit of hardball by the automaker holding RPM to its existing contracts. (Sirius Speedway)
With sale of Gillett's NHL franchise -- Are things looking up for RPM? Kasey Kahne was outspoken in May about communication and engines at Richard Petty Motorsports. Don't know if owner George Gillett was preoccupied early this season with money matters related to his hockey and soccer franchises, but those houses are in better order now. And things are looking up for Gillett's race teams, Kahne and frontman Richard Petty.(Charlotte Observer)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Kahne to Toyota by mid-August; No. 19 and No. 44 unclear; No. 43 to remain with Dodge: Sirius Speedway has learned that Richard Petty Motorsports will begin fielding Toyotas for driver Kasey Kahne in mid-August, with at least part of the team remaining in Dodge livery for the time being. Published reports this week claimed the team will begin fielding Toyotas for Kahne at Chicagoland Speedway on July 11, but an RPM source speaking on the condition of anonymity tells Sirius Speedway that the change will not happen until team officials are able to hammer out a financial settlement with their current manufacturer. “Dodge owes the team a ton of money, and they’re trying to negotiate some kind of settlement right now,” said one source. “Until that’s done, the team cannot make a move. Once the settlement is signed, you’ll see Kasey Kahne in a Toyota.” RPM’s familiar No. 43 – driven by Reed Sorenson – will remain in Dodge livery for the foreseeable future. A decision on future manufacturer affiliations for the No. 19 and No. 44 cars -- driven by Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger – is pending.(Sirius Speedway)
Kahne in a Toyota this year? Speculation is increasing that Dodge driver Kasey Kahne, who runs for Richard Petty, could switch to a Toyota by the July 11th Sprint Cup race at Chicago. Petty has said that Chrysler has cut its payments to his four-car operation, and apparently Petty has only enough engine parts for one of the new Dodge NASCAR engines. Petty's business partner, George Gillett, tried last season to make a deal with Toyota. There is no immediate comment from Toyota officials.(mikemulhern.net)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Reed Sorenson's future in doubt at RPM? Rumors are swirling that Richard Petty Motorsports is experiencing more financial strife and that the future of the iconic No. 43 entry driven by reed Sorenson is seriously in doubt past Indianapolis. Sorenson's 27th place finish Sunday didn't help matters. (Sportsline.com)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Reynolds Wrap on No. 43 at MIS: Reed Sorenson heads to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) this weekend with a new sponsor, Reynolds Wrap, on the hood of the famous No. 43. Reynolds Wrap is serving as the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Dodge for the first time. For more information on Reynolds Wrap, Reynolds products or easy recipe ideas please visit www.ReynoldsKitchen.com.(RPM)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Petty talks about the economy: In a interview with the Associated Press, Cup owner Richard Petty talks about the recession and its affect... "The economy, it's hit us between the eyes," Petty said in an interview with The Associated Press at his museum in central North Carolina. "(The recession) has kind of put the clamps on our spectators coming, because you've got to figure our sport, probably moreso than any other sport, is a sport that people travel a lot of miles to go to. When the economy gets like it is, then they can afford tickets, but they can't afford to get there because of the gas mileage, the motels, the food." To hear Petty tell it, though, the good old days weren't always so good. "We went through a bunch of ups and downs (during NASCAR's) 60 years, but the deal was, most of the time, if there was a recession, OK, it didn't affect us directly," Petty said. "It might have affected the cigarette companies, or it might have affected textiles ... but it didn't directly affect us as far as the racing crowd, so we could continue to do our deal. "But now, the way the economy is, it affected everybody. It doesn't make a difference -- if you're just sitting over on the hill and you've been over there by yourself for 10 years and ain't seen nobody, it still affects you. ... It's a different kind of a recession that's over our head." (More at AP/USA Today)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports cuts staff and salaries due to Chrysler's bankruptcy: Richard Petty Motorsports laid off nine employees Monday and reduced salaries throughout the organization, a byproduct of Chrysler's bankruptcy filing. RPM officials took the measures because of anticipated cutbacks from Dodge, a person familiar with the moves told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding RPM's contract with Chrysler. (Associated Press)
Monday, June 1, 2009
Team owner Richard Petty says Chrysler's bankruptcy has affected team: Team owner Richard Petty says the Chrysler bankruptcy has put cash flow from the manufacturer to the Richard Petty Motorsports organization he co-owns with George Gillett "in a holding pattern."From the point of view of the Dodge Motorsports program, however, the commitment to racing is undiminished. "They've stopped everything," Petty said Saturday in the garage at Dover International Speedway. "They went into bankruptcy, and they're sort of in a floating stage right now. They're trying to see where they come out of this at. If they've got new people running the show, are they still going to continue to back everything exactly like they are, or whatever? "They're in a holding pattern right now. I think GM's that way — I don't know about Ford — and I know Chrysler's that way. The rest of them I don't know. I don't deal with them."(FOXSports.com)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Richard Petty may consider fielding a car at Indianapolis 500 again? Richard Petty might be looking at a repeat trip to the Indianapolis 500. NASCAR's "King" fielded an Indy 500 entry for the first time in his prolific career when he put John Andretti behind the wheel last Sunday. Petty enjoyed the pageantry of race day, but couldn't stick around for the finish because of his NASCAR obligations. About an hour after the green flag dropped at Indy, Petty hopped a plane to Charlotte, N.C., for the Coca-Cola 600. Andretti finished 19th and the NASCAR race was rained out. Petty enjoyed his day so much at the IRL spectacle, that he would consider another run next season. "I told John that being that we ran pretty good up there, maybe we can get him in a couple of other races and get him practiced-up so when we get back to Indy he can do a better job," Petty said on Saturday.(AP/ESPN.com)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Richard Petty in Anheuser-Busch safety campaign: An NASCAR legend Richard Petty is the spokesperson for a new Anheuser-Busch campaign reminding racing and beer fans to use designated drivers. The responsibility campaign's theme, "Designated Drivers...Preferred By Kings Everywhere," alludes to Petty's "King of the Road" nickname and Budweiser's "King of Beers" brand tag. (Media Post)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports annual fan day today: Richard Petty Motorsports is hosting its annual fan day at the team headquarters in Statesville, N.C. on Friday, May 22. Richard Petty, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Reed Soreson and AJ Allmendinger will be signing autographs for the first 500 ticketed race fans. Tickets will be distributed at 10 a.m. and autographs will begin promptly at 11 a.m. (RPM PR)
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Richard Petty: Current NASCAR drivers are tamer: "The time and effort on the driver -- it used to be all he had to do was drive a race car," said Richard Petty, the grand marshal of Sunday's rain-delayed NASCAR Camping World East/West Series race at Iowa Speedway. "Now he's got to drive a race car, he's got to be able to talk in front of people, he's got to be able to do commercials, he's got to be friendly to the fans, all that. "Used to be they'd just take 'em out of a cage -- the wilder they were the better; they'd take 'em out of a cage, put 'em in a race car and when it was over, they'd put 'em back in a cage. You can't have that kind of driver. It's not that kind of sport anymore." (Des Moines Register)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports' CEO resigns: Tom Reddin has resigned as chief executive officer at Richard Petty Motorsports, multiple team sources told ESPN.com on Friday. Foster Gillet, son of team owner George Gillet, will oversee day-to-day operations, effective immediately, team sources confirmed. Reddin joined RPM just prior to the start of the 2008 season, overseeing the organization's four Sprint Cup Series teams. The team's management had come under fire of late in the wake of poor performance and the residual frustration from its driving corps. Reddin wasn't immediately available for comment. Reddin came to RPM from LendingTree, where he was also CEO.(ESPN.com)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
RPM to use new Dodge engine at Dover: Richard Petty Motorsports plans to switch to the new Dodge engine in time for the May 31 race at Dover, vice president of race operations Robbie Loomis said Tuesday. Loomis said only one of the organization's four drivers likely will use the R6P8 that the other Dodge organization, Penske Racing, has used all season. A decision on which driver will use it will be made in the upcoming weeks. Kasey Kahne could get the nod if the organization believes the engine will help get him back into the top 12 to qualify for the Chase. "We talked about using it for the All-Star race or maybe the [Coca-Cola 600]," Loomis said of the upcoming races at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "It's just risk versus reward. We were not comfortable bringing it out in the 600." (ESPN.com)
Monday, May 4, 2009
Could Richard Petty Motorsports be switching to Toyota? Could a possible move to Toyota have delayed the development of the new Dodge engine at Richard Petty Motorsports? According to RPM driver Kasey Kahne, that was one of several possible answers he's heard to his questions about RPM's development of the engine, which is already being used by Penske Racing. "It depends on who you talk to. Some people say Dodge, some people say money, some people say we're taking a break and going to Toyota," the driver told reporters Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "There's all different ways to look at it and say, 'Why aren’t we running it?’ I have my own theory on it all, but it's just a theory." (ThatsRacin.com)
Friday, April 10, 2009
RPM gets "creative" to pay Allmendinger : How and when A.J. Allmendinger is getting paid by troubled Richard Petty Motorsports depends on how creative your definition of "creative" is. "I am definitely getting paid," Allmendinger said in response to garage-area rumors to the contrary. "But we've had to be creative about it, for sure." Is he plowing all his race winnings back into the financially strapped team? "No, no, definitely not," he said. "We've just got to be creative about it." Sponsorship for six more races was announced this week from Hunt Brothers Pizza, which Allmendinger called "awesome news" in that it assures he'll race through the Sept. 12 event at Richmond, Va. "We've all been kind of taking every week as it comes," said his business manager, Tara Ragan. "We're pretty organic. There isn't even a hard, fast rule [for compensation]." Bottom line, "I'd rather be on the race track running strong than sitting at home," he said. (ESPN.com)
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Official: RPM to field Indy 500 entry: Richard Petty will field an entry for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, with John Andretti driving the Window World-sponsored car in the 2009 edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on Sunday, May 24. Seven-time NASCAR champion Petty unveiled the #43 Window World Dallara/Honda/Firestone for Indy 500 veteran and NASCAR regular Andretti on April 6 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Window World, the world's largest replacement window company, brought Andretti to the Daytona 500 earlier this year. Petty's new entry will feature the traditional "Petty Blue" and "Day-Glo Red" from his stock cars in the "King's" debut as a team owner in the Indy 500 after participating in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for the past 15 years. Richard Petty Motorsports currently campaigns four Dodge cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Window World and Petty will combine efforts with the Indy-based Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team to field the #43 Honda-powered Indy car for Andretti, an Indianapolis native.(more at Indy500.com)
Friday, April 3, 2009
J. Andretti to attempt Indy 500 in Richard Petty Motorsports entry: The King of NASCAR is going to the Indianapolis 500. Richard Petty Motorsports will field an entry for John Andretti in this year's Indy 500, sources confirmed to NASCAR.COM. It will be the first foray into the premier open-wheel event for RPM, the former Gillett Evernham team that absorbed the 60-year-old Petty Enterprises organization late last year. The formal announcement will be made Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Andretti could not immediately be reached for comment Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, where he was qualifying his No. 34 car for Sunday's Sprint Cup event. (NASCAR.com)
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Gillett could sell Montreal NHL team? Cup team unknown: The Montreal Canadiens could be for sale as part of a plan by owner George Gillett to sort out his varied holdings. The American has retained financial firms in Canada, the United States and Europe to come up with a strategy to maximize the value of his corporate assets. The plan could include selling the Canadiens. Gillett owns 80.1 percent of the team and the Bell Centre. He also owns 50 percent of English soccer giant Liverpool, and owns the Gillett Evernham (now Richard Petty Motorsports) NASCAR team, event promoter Gillett Entertainment Group, ski resorts, car dealerships and agricultural companies. (AP)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
RPM adds races to Allmendinger's schedule: AJ Allmendinger is confident that he not only will be rewarded next week with not having to worry about qualifying, he also will be awarded in future weeks with additional races to his original nine-race schedule for Richard Petty Motorsports. Originally Allmendinger was going to run the first eight events through Phoenix next month, but the team has added the four following points races – Talladega, Richmond, Darlington and Lowe’s Motor Speedway – in addition to NASCAR's Sprint All-Star Race. The other race, which already was on his schedule, is the July race at Daytona. Having pieced together sponsorship this year from Air Force, Valvoline, Charter, Harrah’s and LifeLock, the team has enough funds to keep Allmendinger in the seat at least through late May. “Between a couple of companies coming on board and our results, we’ve been able to extend through the [Coca-Cola] 600,” Allmendinger said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. (SceneDaily.com)
Loomis on pit box at Bristol: An ill Kevin Buskirk left Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night and Richard Petty Motorsports Executive Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis will serve as crew chief for Elliott Sadler in the Food City 500 today. It will be the first time Loomis will be calling the shots for a driver since he worked with Jeff Gordon in 2005. “The big thing is figuring out what’s wrong with [Buskirk] – his wife is getting him checked out [by doctors] today,” Loomis said Sunday morning. “We’ve got a great team over there. Everybody knows their role. Kevin Kidd is their engineer, and I’ll be there for any assistance and leaning on.” (SceneDaily.com)
Kahne and Setzer to test at Motor Mile: The Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is slated for March 29, 2009. In hopes of finding success at Martinsville on that Sunday, two Sprint Cup teams participated in a test this past Tuesday at Motor Mile Speedway. In attendance on this particular Tuesday were Kasey Kahne, driver of Richard Petty Motorsports’ no. 9 Budweiser Dodge, and the no. 46 Romeo Guest sponsored Dodge, owned by Carl Long and driven by Dennis Setzer. It was Kahne’s first outing at the .416-mile oval. For veteran driver Dennis Setzer, the asphalt corners of MMS have become as familiar as the finish line at Martinsville. (MotorMileSpeedway.com)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Richard responds to Kyle Petty's comments: KYLE (PETTY) WAS VERY VOCAL DURING DAYTONA REGARDING THE 44’s PAINT SCHEME, HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM ABOUT HIS COMMENTS?
A: "It kind of upset him because that’s where he started. He started with the 44 car at Daytona and was lucky enough to win the race. When we did our deal with Boston Ventures, we never had a place for Kyle at Petty Enterprises. He sort of got out of the loop. When he got out of the loop, he’s been doing his own thing…he run the 24 (Rolex 24) and doing some TV. I’ve not seen him since Christmas. He’s been so busy, I’ve been so busy. He got snow-bound in Pittsburgh for a few days one time; we just really never have gotten together. I’ve really not talked to him. I spoke to him a couple of times on the phone; you can’t get much done on the phone. He talked to his mother. He was really crushed that we didn’t include him in that part of it, and I can understand that. We were so busy trying to get our end of the deal done and make it work with a new team that it fell through the crack and I’m sorry that it did."(Dodge Motorsport PR)
Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper to sponsor Sorenson: Moving into their fifth season of NASCAR sponsorship, Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper has contracted with Richard Petty Motorsports as the primary sponsor for four 2009 races. The Auto Value logo will decorate the Dodge race car for two races during the season while the other two races will showcase the Bumper to Bumper logo on the renowned Petty racecars. Reed Sorenson will drive the #43 Auto Value Dodge on April 18 at the Phoenix and the #43 Bumper to Bumper Dodge at Michigan in August. Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper will be an associate sponsor of the Richard Petty Motorsports Dodges for all other Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races in 2009 and will receive branding on Petty team uniforms, team haulers and pit equipment.(800autotalk.com)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
No. 43 Sorenson crew captures pit road award: Reed Sorenson's No. 43 team captured the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's (Feb. 15) Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award, which is given to the NASCAR Sprint Cup team that spends the least amount of time on pit road and finishes on the lead lap, is in its first season of rewarding pit crews, the unsung heroes of the sport. The program awards $5,000 for each Cup race to the top pit road team. In addition, the team with the most pit road event wins will be awarded a $100,000 bonus at the completion of the 36-race schedule by Tissot, the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR. The winning performance by the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Team team lifted Sorenson and his Dodge Charger to a ninth-place finish in the 500. "Our McDonald's pit crew was just awesome in the Daytona 500," said Sorenson. "They gave us great stops all night long and put us in position to compete in the top-five at the end of the race. It was a great first outing for us as a team and I know they are happy to be recognized by Tissot for the precision of their work." Sorenson's over-the-wall crew consists of: Bryan Jacobson (front tire changer), Brett Morrell (front-tire carrier), Ed Watkins (jackman), Tony Lunders (rear-tire changer), Joel Coronel (rear-tire carrier), Chris Moore (gas man) and Jeff Seaburg (catch can). The team's crew chief is Mike Shiplett and the pit crew coach is Brett Cumming. Tissot has been an official partner of NASCAR since 2006 and is the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship, the Cycling World Championship and the Fencing World Championship.(DMF Communications PR)
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Kyle Petty not happy with RPM: Kyle Petty is displeased with the way Petty Enterprises was consumed by Gillett Evernham Motorsports — then renamed Richard Petty Motorsports — and was "crushed" the new team co-opted a bit of his personal history. Petty was perhaps most irked by RPM's move to use, without consultation, a No. 44 Dodge for A.J. Allmendinger with the paint scheme Petty bore in winning in his first start, a 1979 ARCA race at Daytona. Petty drove the No. 44 at Petty Enterprises until his son Adam was killed in 2000, then he switched to his son's No. 45. "I was crushed. I was hurt and I'm not going to get over it for a while," Petty, 48, said. "And that's a personal thing. That's me. That's not … anything to do with anything else. That was my paint job and my car and my number and my stuff from my first win. Not for Petty Enterprises or GEM or whoever that is." (St. Petersburg Times)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Petty unhappy about owner points: Richard Petty was feeling a little bait-and-switched on Friday. The sponsors that Richard Petty Motorsports have been courting for the No. 44 Dodge felt even more so, he said. NASCAR's recalibration of owner points for the start of the 2009 season put Petty driver A.J. Allmendinger 36th, one spot below the cutoff for automatic entry into the first five races of the season. Clint Bowyer's No. 33 Chevrolet — a new fourth car at Richard Childress Racing — and Sam Hornish's No. 77 Dodge garnered top-35 spots by bringing in points-possessing former car owners as partners. Bowyer's car will now be listed under former team owner Bobby Ginn, and Bill Davis has formed a partnership with Roger Penske to own Hornish's car. RPM has only an eight-race deal with Valvoline and is courting sponsors, a less-arduous process if the team is guaranteed of making races. Petty said NASCAR told him at the end of last season that the points of the No. 10 Gillett Evernham Dodge (now applied to the No. 44 after Petty merged with GEM) would be in the top 35. (St. Petersburgh Times)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Evernham announces future plans: Ray Evernham has been long known for his leadership atop the pit box of NASCAR stars like Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne, guidance of Dodge's return to NASCAR racing and technological innovation that changed the sport. Evernham announced that he officially is passing the torch on race team entrepreneurship to new team owners like Tony Stewart and Tommy Baldwin. He will now focus his attention on broadcasting, preserving racing venues for future generations, helping develop young drivers and setting new records. "I'm proud of the accomplishments I've achieved with my colleagues and partners over more than two decades in racing, from the early days in IROC to the championship years with Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon to leading Dodge's return to NASCAR as a team owner," said Evernham. "It has been an amazing journey, and I've been fortunate to work with some incredible people and gain invaluable experience throughout the years." Evernham is relinquishing his leadership role at Richard Petty Motorsports to pursue new Ray Evernham Enterprises Museumopportunities in motorsports, from grassroots racing to NASCAR and beyond. He is focusing his short-term efforts on establishing Ray Evernham Enterprises, broadcasting races for ESPN, managing East Lincoln Speedway, opening a new museum and entertainment facility in Mooresville, NC, (shown at right), helping develop young drivers and designing racecars for several key events. "I'm not retiring from racing or putting NASCAR on a back burner," he noted. "I'm committed to the growth and success of the sport overall, and to building championship teams and organizations in many different levels of racing in the future. I spent my first decade in racing driving and working on racecars. My next decade I went from a rookie crew chief to a NASCAR champion. My third decade I had the opportunity to lead a manufacturer back into the sport and own a team. Who knows what my fourth decade in the sport will hold?" Evernham will continue his duties in the booth for ESPN with co-hosts Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty and Alan Bestwick for a number of NASCAR races throughout the season. He also will be at the ESPN Studios on Mondays as a host of "NASCAR Now".(Victory MG)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports Signs AJ Allmendinger: Richard Petty Motorsports announced today that AJ Allmendinger has agreed to a contract that calls for him to race in the 2009 season with the team retaining an option for 2010. Allmendinger, 27, will drive the team’s No. 44 Dodge in the Budweiser Shootout plus the first eight races of the 2009 Sprint Cup season as well as the Daytona race in July. The team is looking to put together a sponsorship package that would guarantee the No. 44’s participation in the remaining 2009 races and the 2010 season. “This is pretty awesome news for me,” said Allmendinger who posted two top-10 finishes in 2008 and a victory in the Sprint Showdown. “I just want to get behind the wheel of a race car and race. We have a lot of work to do on the track and need to sell some sponsorship, but this team has great equipment and I think there is a lot of chemistry here based on how we did at the end of last season.” I cannot put into words how excited I am to run the No. 44 in 2009. I raced with these guys five times last year and loved everything about it. The cars were great, the guys were great and we put up some pretty good results. I’m just very grateful to have this opportunity.” Allmendinger, a Los Gatos, Calif. native, is a five-time winner in the Champ Car World Series but is relatively new to the world of the heavier, full-bodied stock cars. “AJ has a ton of potential,” said team owner Richard Petty. “I went testing with him a few weeks ago. When he climbed out of the car I think he went to everyone working on the car asking them questions and wanting to know what was going on. That’s the kind of thing you want out of your driver. He’s a young guy and I think we can help him and he can help us.” Allmendinger joins Richard Petty Motorsports’ teammates No. 9-Kasey Kahne, No. 19-Elliott Sadler and No. 43-Reed Sorenson. Sammy Johns will serve as crew chief on the No. 44. An agreement in principle to merge Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Holdings to form Richard Petty Motorsports was announced earlier this month.(RPM PR)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Petty-GEM now Richard Petty Motorsports: At the top of Richard Petty's list of deal-breakers when merger talks began between Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham Motorsports was to keep his name in the title of the company. Meet Richard Petty Motorsports. Or "RPM," as some might call it. The four-car Sprint Cup organization does not have any reference to majority owner George Gillett and keeps basically the same blue-and-red logo that symbolized Petty Enterprises for the past 60 years. "We come out to let the world know we're still in the racing business and we're going to be bigger and better than we've ever been," Petty said Monday during an unveiling of the new logo on the first day of NASCAR's Media Tour. Petty's list of demands also included keeping alive the famous No. 43 that he drove to seven Cup titles, as well as the No. 44 that was the second car at Petty Enterprises before Kyle Petty switched to the No. 45 in 2000 in memory of his son, Adam. The No. 44 will replace the No. 10 as the fourth car that belonged to GEM. AJ Allmendinger, who is close to finalizing a multiyear deal, will drive in the first five races and is slated to run at least seven in the 44. (ESPN.com)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Loomis named director of racing operations at GEM-Petty: Robbie Loomis will serve as the executive director of racing operations for the team that will emerge from the merger of Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Holdings, and Kevin Buskirk and Sammy Johns will join existing GEM crew chiefs Kenny Francis and Mike Shiplett atop the pit boxes. All four crew chiefs will report to former Petty executive Loomis, according to GEM Director of Competition Mark McArdle. McArdle believes the planned merger and the realigned staff will help his team. Just having Richard Petty and longtime wrenchman Dale Inman at the team’s test last Friday in Rockingham, N.C., at the old North Carolina Motor Speedway was a plus, McArdle said. Loomis, who reports to McArdle, will oversee the race teams, pit crews, team management and team transport, and he ran the Rockingham test. (More at SceneDaily.com)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Evernham not done with NASCAR: Ray Evernham, a former NASCAR team owner. He has retired from the day-to-day operations of the team, retaining only a small minority interest "I'm not burned out," said Evernham, who will have a small ownership stake in the new Petty team. "I'm not done with NASCAR. There is still plenty left for me to do. I'm just not sure what it is." (ESPN.com)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sadler back in No. 19 GEM car: Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) announced that Elliott Sadler will drive the #19 Dodge in the 2009 Sprint Cup season.
Tom Reddin, GEM CEO: "We are a family. Sometimes in a family you have differences. We have resolved all differences. We are moving on and excited about heading to Daytona."
Elliott Sadler: "I want to drive. I'm a racer and that's what I do. We are all on the same page now and I think you will see that show on the track."(GEM PR)
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Petty & Gillett Evernham Motorsports reach agreement in principle to merge: Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) and Petty Holdings announced an agreement in principle to form a new NASCAR Sprint Cup team co-owned by Richard Petty, Petty Holdings, owned by majority shareholder Boston Ventures, and Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The team will field four Dodge entries in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Details of the transaction are expected once the deal is closed. Petty and GEM officials anticipate a final agreement by the end of January. (Gillett Evernham PR)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
No word on Petty-Gillett Evernham merger: Petty Enterprises cars were in the wind tunnel just a week before the organization’s officials told employees they would be laid off and that the team shop was shutting down, according to crew chief Stewart Cooper. Cooper, who was crew chief for the organization’s #45 Sprint Cup car for much of last season, said he wasn’t bitter with the way things ended at Petty. He said virtually all of the remaining 38 employees were laid off, with only Petty Enterprises Executive Vice President Robbie Loomis and a couple of others remaining. The organization is expected to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, with an announcement expected as early as this week. “As of [early] last week we were working as if we were going to Daytona. … I really feel like it’s nobody’s fault,” Cooper said Tuesday night. “It’s just the way the dice fell this time. [Those of us laid off] will have to work through it and move on.” Cooper said he didn’t expect himself nor many of the former Petty employees to get hired by the new team, which is expected to work out of the Gillett Evernham shop in Statesville, N.C. “I left [my status] up to Robbie Loomis,” Cooper said. “I didn’t have any major conversations with Robbie about it. I really don’t think they’re going to take too many people up there. They had a full staff anyway [at GEM]."(SceneDaily)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises part-ways: Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises have reached a mutual agreement to separate, the team confirmed on Thursday. A possible scenario for Labonte could be the new Earnhardt-Ganassi team that has an open spot in the No. 41 Target car. Sources said the organization has had informal discussions with Labonte and would be interested if he were available, although his car number may not be the 41. Labonte, in a prepared statement, said only that he did not have a contract for 2009 and that he was ready to explore all options. "In over 15 years of racing in the Sprint Cup Series, I can't remember a time when the sport's landscape looks as it does today,'' he said. "Saying that, Petty Enterprises and I had serious and very sincere discussions about what was best for myself and everyone involved at Petty Enterprises moving forward. "These discussions culminated with us agreeing that moving in a separate direction will be the greatest way to reach our end goals. It was by no means an easy decision. I am, and will always be, very appreciative of what Richard Petty and the Petty family, every employee of Petty Enterprises and members of Boston Ventures did to invest in bettering my career the past three seasons.'' (ESPN.com)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Petty announcement Thursday? The future of Petty Enterprises could be determined as soon as Thursday morning. Petty Enterprises will make an announcement -- most likely regarding driver Bobby Labonte and the team's flagship #43 car -- on Thursday. The Petty franchise has reportedly been in negotiations with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports about a possible merger. Representatives for Petty Enterprises did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. A GEM spokesman said the team "has no plans to make any announcement" on Thursday. (NASCAR.com)
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
More layoffs at Petty; GEM and Petty merger? Petty Enterprises released 39 employees on Monday, bringing the total to 65 since the end of the season. A source close to the situation said Petty Enterprises has about 54 employees anxiously waiting to hear whether there will be a merger with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports. "Everybody is still looking for marching orders in what direction we're going in," the source said. The Pettys have been in negotiations to merge with several teams for months. Two were eliminated when Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates merged last month. The possible merger with GEM would have the famous #43 joining the #9 (Kasey Kahne), #19 (Elliott Sadler) and #10 (Reed Sorenson) of GEM to become a four-car operation. Whether 2000 Cup champion Bobby Labonte, the current driver of the unsponsored #43, would be a part of that deal remains unclear. Labonte, who signed a long-term deal that included partial ownership with Petty Enterprises earlier this year, has reportedly had talks with DEI-Ganassi about driving the Target-sponsored #41. That could clear the way for AJ Allmendinger, released by Red Bull Racing late this season, to move into the #43. Officials at Petty Enterprises and GEM were not available for comment. (ESPN.com)
Friday, December 5, 2008
Petty: report of merger is "not accurate": Multiple people familiar with the talks told the AP that the two teams are discussing a deal that would merge Petty's #43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing. SI.com first reported Thursday that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. But David Zucker, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said the report was "not accurate." He would not discuss a potential merger. "We're not going to comment on rumors and speculation," he said. Petty has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields cars for Bobby Labonte, Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty. Robbie Loomis, vice president of Petty Enterprises, told the AP nothing has changed with the organization, and the team is continuing to talk to potential partners. Drew Brown, a spokesman for GEM, did not immediately return a call for comment.(Associated Press)
REPORT: Petty and GEM to merge: SI.com has learned that Petty Enterprises two-car team will not return in 2009. The sole remaining organization from NASCAR's inaugural Cup season in 1949 will instead merge with fellow Dodge owner George Gillett. The No. 43 car once driven by "King" Richard in all but three of his 200 Sprint Cup victories will be added to the Gillett stable as a fourth car, while the No. 45 car once driven by second- and third-generation drivers Kyle and Adam Petty will cease to exist. Official word of the move is pending and could come as early as this evening. No word on the future association with Petty Enterprises and Boston Ventures, although a source tells SI.com that Boston Ventures may maintain some involvement in the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Richard Petty's role in the new organization is also unclear, although the alcohol sponsorship of Kasey Kahne's Budweiser team could present a potential hurdle. The Pettys never supported alcohol sponsorship in their organization, refusing to run even the small NASCAR-sponsored decals mandated for every car in the field. (SI.com)
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