- Labonte supposedly agrees to contract extension with Petty's UPDATE 2: Bobby Labonte has reached an agreement to remain in the #43 car at Petty Enterprises after this season, sources told ESPN.com on Saturday. Labonte has been widely speculated as a candidate to drive the fourth car at Richard Childress Racing, but Petty officials have remained adamant that he will spend the rest of his career with the organization and that he is determined to be the driver that puts the 43 back into Victory lane. David Hovis, a spokesman for Petty Enterprises, said the team had nothing to announce Saturday about Labonte's future. "We still remain 100% convinced that Bobby will be with Petty Enterprises next season," Hovis said. Sources said Labonte's new deal will be announced as soon as details concerning a new sponsor are worked out. General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor, will be on the fourth car at RCR next season.
Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty, has been the most outspoken on Labonte's commitment to Petty Enterprises. He remained that way on Saturday.
"As far as I know Bobby Labonte will be with us for a long time," he said before the Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway. "I feel confident where we're at with Petty Enterprises and with Bobby. In due time Petty Enterprises will have a lot of announcements coming forward." One is that a Petty has finalized a deal with New York-based Medallion Financial as a business partner. Loomis said that could come within the next month to six weeks. The other concerns Labonte's new sponsor. General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor, will be on the fourth car at RCR next season. Loomis said negotiations for a new sponsor are going well, noting Labonte's "brand is clean like the Petty's."(ESPN.com), one rumored sponsor for the #43 team has been Caterpillar, whose deal with Bill Davis Racing and the #22 Toyota runs out at the end of 2008.(5-3-2008)
UPDATE 2: from an ESPN.com post from #43 crew chief Jeff Meendering: "As for reports that Bobby Labonte has signed with the team, I don't think that anything is set in stone there. They are getting really close on working everything out. But to say anything is set in stone might have been some speculation. When everything started blowing up with that story, the guys on our team never paid any attention to that. We have really good management here that takes care of that and allows us to go to the track and race. I still feel like Bobby will be here next year, but I know they're not totally done with it. I think they're getting close, though."(ESPN.com)(5-10-2008) Comment here
- Special scheme for Labonte in #43: #43-Bobby Labonte will drive this special paint scheme marking the 50th Anniversary of the King's first NASCAR race. Labonte is scheduled to drive this car on July 12, 2008 at the LifeLock.com 400 in Chicagoland. See image on my #43 Team Schemes page.(5-9-2008)
- Bobby Labonte Celebrity Golf Classic raises over $100,000: Bobby Labonte and wife Donna hosted the fifth annual Bobby Labonte Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic on Tuesday, April 29 with over 100 participants taking part at the Ballantyne Resort Golf Course. The Golf Classic was preceded the night before by a dinner, silent and live auctions and a concert by country music artist Eric Church at the Ballantyne Resort Lodge. The activities ended with an awards luncheon Tuesday afternoon. All proceeds raised for the Bobby Labonte Foundation during the two days benefitted charities including the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Over $100,000 was raised for the Bobby Labonte Foundation through the tournament and auctions. One of the highlights of the auction included Ms. Lynda Petty, the wife of Richard, who bid on an autographed Brett Favre Jersey. The item was won by Ms. Petty who will place the jersey in the Richard Petty Museum. The Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre have been favorites of the entire Petty family throughout the years.(Breaking Limits PR)(5-2-2008)
- Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer...on the #43 IMAGES added: This weekend at Richmond, the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge of Bobby Labonte will sport a special paint scheme to promote the new movie, Speed Racer, which opens across the country May 9. The paint scheme is reflective of Speed Racer’s Mach 5, the car driven by the character in both the classic 1960s animated series and the new live action family film. Labonte: "I appreciate NASCAR allowing us to have a little extra 'speed' this weekend. It's really cool to have the new Speed Racer movie on the side of the #43 Dodge for Richmond. Any young boy that grew up in the '70s watched Speed Racer. I know I did. To a kid that dreamed of growing up to be a racecar driver, that was the coolest show on television. They haven't given me a sneak preview yet, but I'm sure I'll check it out in the theaters."(Petty Racing/MCG Sports), add some cool images of the scheme to my #43 Team Schemes page.(4-30-2008) Comment here
- The King's Hat Makes Visit to Troops in Iraq: With 200 wins and seven championship in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, "The King" Richard Petty is firmly woven into
the fabric of Americana as a true icon. While those numbers place him at the top of his profession, "The King" is dually noted for his generous giving of time and energy in support of others. As a member of the Dodge Motorsports family, Petty routinely takes part in Dodge's satellite conference calls over the Freedom Calls Satellite network. The video conference calls connect men and women on the front lines of Iraq with their favorite Dodge NASCAR drivers before certain races. While at the Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway in March, Petty was involved in one such call with a group of United States Army engineers from the Coalition Network Operations and Security Center (CNOSC). When the group commented on Petty's signature cowboy hat, he made sure that the group had one of their own. "Our soldiers sacrifice so much to allow us to live in a free country," said Petty. "When they asked me to send them one of my Charley One Horse hats I thought that was the least I could do. It meant the world to me that one of my hats could provide them with a little relief from what they deal with on a daily basis."
Petty is also heavily involved with the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA). The PVA works to maximize the quality of life for its members and all people with spinal cord injury and dysfunction (SCI/D) as a leading advocate for health care, SCI/D research and education, veterans' benefits and rights, accessibility and the removal of architectural barriers, sports programs, and disability rights. "Race car drivers are often called heroes, but the men and women of our military are the real heroes," continued Petty. "Not only do they need our
support when overseas, but also when they return to their lives back home."(MCG Sports/Petty Enterprises)(4-16-2008)
- 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 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) Comment here
- Bobby Labonte Comments on Remainder of 2008 Season: Bobby Labonte continues to be totally focused on returning Petty Enterprises back to victory lane. He will
concentrate on those efforts for the remainder of the 2008 season. Contrary to reports, he has made no contractual agreements with any team beyond 2008. “I’m very humbled by the level of interest in my future, but at this time I’m concentrating all my efforts in getting Petty Enterprises back to victory lane. I feel good about all the positive steps that Petty
Enterprises has made and continues to make. General Mills has been a huge part of making the 43 team what it is today. I worked diligently with Petty Enterprises to continue General Mills involvement with the team. Today, we all learned they have made a decision. I truly appreciate all they have done to contribute to our success at Petty Enterprises. Moving forward, I’m going to work hard each week to win races. I want to do the best I can for Petty Enterprises and everyone who puts great cars under me each week. That’s our focus, and that’s what I feel is the right thing to do for all our partners. At this time, I have no intention to talk about my plans after 2008 because of the immediate tasks at hand. I respectively ask for everyone’s patience in this matter and, again, am humbled by everyone’s interest.”(Breaking Limits PR)
AND: 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. 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." Meanwhile, Childress is left with finding a fourth driver. Scott Wimmer is a potential candidate. He already has a Nationwide Series win for RCR this season and is scheduled to drive a handful of Cup races in a fourth RCR car.(ESPN.com)(4-2-2008)
- Petty Enterprises looking for a sponsor of #43: Since 1949 Petty Enterprises has forged a legacy as the most successful organization in American motorsports history by forming lasting partnerships with trusted sponsors based on the Petty family principles of hard work, integrity, dedication and charity. These core values have produced some of the most enduring and successful partnerships in all of sports. In 2009 primary sponsorship of the famed #43 Dodge will become available for only the second time since .The King., Richard Petty partnered with STP in 1972—a relationship that continues to this day. Petty Enterprises‘ current partner, General Mills, has been the primary sponsor of the #43 for the past nine seasons and will continue through the end of the year. .We value our relationships with all of our sponsors,. said Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President, Operations. .We appreciate everything that General Mills has helped us accomplish over the past nine seasons both on and off of the track, and we wish them well in their future plans. The #43. driven by .King. Richard and his record 200 wins is synonymous with success not just at the highest levels of motorsports, but across all sports. 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte, continues that tradition today. .Bobby is one of the most marketable and popular drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,. said Brian Moffitt, Vice President, Marketing. .He and his family share the ideals and values of the Petty organization and he remains a key component to the long-term future of Petty Enterprises. While there is substantial sponsorship interest in Bobby and Petty Enterprises we will carefully consider our options to ensure the continuation of our rich tradition and to build on current momentum. Prospective partners are well aware of the special power of the .Petty. brand, as numerous surveys and marketing groups have identified Richard Petty as one of the most iconic brands in all of sports.. .I am proud of our organization‘s rich tradition.. said Richard Petty "We look at bringing in fresh resources and new partners as a real opportunity to further grow and improve the Petty organization. Especially those who share in the same core values of integrity, dedication and winning that have come to define Petty Enterprises.(Petty Enterprises/MCG Sports PR)(4-1-2008)
- Labonte/General Mills to RCR in 2009? Richard Childress acknowledged that his organization is close to fielding a fourth team in the Sprint Cup Series, and Yahoo! Sports has learned that the driver of that car beginning in 2009 likely will be Bobby Labonte [currently #43 Petty Enterprises]. Sources close to the deal point to General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor with Petty Enterprises, coming along with him to RCR. According to Childress, he will field a fourth car sometime this season, though he wouldn't set an exact time frame. He did say things were progressing well and that he was pleased with how plans were coming together. "We're looking at entering a few races before the end of the season," Childress said. Childress entered a fourth car (#33) in selected races in 2007 with Scott Wimmer as the driver. Wimmer likely is the choice to be behind the wheel when the car makes it back onto the track this season. However, Labonte likely will be the full-time driver in 2009. Hiring Labonte would be an ace up the sleeve for RCR. Labonte is a past champion, which means he would get a champion's provisional that would guarantee him a spot in the field at the start of the '09 season. Labonte already has a relationship with Childress, having signed with RCR this year to drive the #21 Nationwide car on a part-time basis this season.(Yahoo Sports)(2-23-2008)
UPDATE - RCR to Field Fourth Cup Team in '09 with General Mills Sponsorship: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and General Mills have agreed to terms on a multi-year partnership for the world's sixth-largest food company to sponsor the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy beginning with the 2009 Cup Series season. The driver for the #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy will be announced at a later date. "RCR is honored to represent General Mills and its Cheerios, Hamburger Helper and many other brands in the NASCAR Cup Series," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "The partnership is another step in RCR's continued association with blue-chip global brands and companies. General Mills has a great history of activating its NASCAR programs so our focus now turns to the short list of drivers we feel will help continue that tradition as well as be at the same competitive level on the track as our current drivers and teams."
The 2009 season will mark General Mills' 13th year of sponsorship involvement in NASCAR as well as Richard Childress' 40th anniversary in the sport. RCR has earned 11 NASCAR championships, including six in the Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt, four in the Nationwide Series, and one in the Truck Series. Next year will be the first time RCR will run a fourth fulltime NASCAR Cup Series team.(RCR PR)(4-1-2008)
- Petty finds investor? UPDATE: Yahoo! Sports has learned through two independent sources that Richard Petty [#43, #45] will soon announce that he has struck a deal with a major investor that should keep the Petty name in the sport it has been so instrumental in building. While it's obviously good to keep the Petty name alive in NASCAR, it also signals the beginning of the end of an era.(Yahoo!Sports)(3-9-2008)
UPDATE: Richard Petty says he is further along in the process of finding an investor for his Petty Enterprises organization than he was last year when he was in talks with George Gillett. “We ain’t signed a thing," Petty said Friday at Martinsville Speedway. “But we are working on it. We’ve agreed to more things, but we’re not there yet.” Petty indicated that his family would still have control of the "racing parts” of the team. He also said the investors have been to the races. An announcement likely won’t come in the next couple of months, but Petty indicated that he is comfortable with where negotiations are. “If we decide to do it today, it’s going to take three months to get all the stuff done – it’s going to be a little while,” Petty said. “We ain’t got down to signing it. Until it’s signed, it’s [hard to predict]. We’ve done the leg work. … I wouldn’t have gotten this far if I haven’t felt pretty confident at this point.”(SceneDaily)(3-28-2008) Comment here
- No Petty Racing points swap for Martinsville: Petty Enterprises officials say they will not ask NASCAR to approve a points swap between drivers Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. That means that Petty will need to qualify based on speed for the March 30 Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The team could have swapped points between the drivers, helping get both into the field. Petty is outside the top 35 in owners points this season, with the locked-in field being set based on this season’s points starting with the Goody’s Orange Cool 500. Since Labonte is the 2000 Cup series champion, he would have been eligible for the past champions provisional as the most recent past champion outside the top 35. Instead, the team is not requesting a change, leaving Labonte 18th in points and Petty 40th.(SceneDaily)(3-19-2008) Comment here
- Petty donates two Cup cars to VT: Petty Enterprises has donated two #43 Nextel Cup race cars to the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (VIPER). Richard Petty and son Kyle have donated the race cars to VIPER as research tools for mechanical engineering students pursuing graduate degrees. The Petty's decision was prompted by the Nextel Cup's retirement of the cars in preparation for the move to the "Car of Tomorrow" in 2008. Petty Enterprises General Manager Robbie Loomis noted in an ESPN.com article that the first donation would be to Virginia Tech for use at VIPER, primarily due to the research already underway there with a well-known motor sports team. "In this sport we need an area where we can groom and shape engineers to really fit the racing model. There always seems to be a disconnect between the book engineer and the actual applications engineer at the racetrack. So we hope we can bring that together for the future," said Loomis. VIPER Director Steve Southward couldn't agree more. "We are thrilled to have the race cars in the lab for hands-on experience. Working with these cars on our eight-post shaker rig allows our students to put what they learned about chassis engineering in class into practice in a way that leads to real know-how," said Southward. The VIPER program in mechanical engineering began in 2005. The institute offers unique programs, including testing of commercial vehicles.(Danville Register)(3-11-2008) Comment here
- Petty could be out of top 35, is points swap with #43 possible? #45-Kyle Petty is optimistic that even though he is 40th in owners points that he could get back into the top 35. He believes his Petty Enterprise Dodge has been better than a year ago and mechanical gremlins have hurt the finishes as he sits 81 points out of the key 35th-place spot. “We had three bad races but I am more encouraged where we’re at than I was last year. and that is no joke,” Petty said Friday. “Our car has driven good at all three races.”
With the top 35 reverting to this year’s owners points following Bristol next week to determine the guaranteed spots in the lineup week to week, Petty does have another option to get back into the top 35 – he could swap owners points with teammate #43-Bobby Labonte. Labonte, as the 2000 Cup champion, would have access to a past champions provisional, if needed. Labonte, who is 14th in owners points, would still keep his driver points [with #44-Dale Jarrett retiring and #2-Kurt Busch 10th in owners points, Labonte would be guaranteed to make the races unless he used up his 6 past champion provisionals]. “It’s something we’ve thought about, but we haven’t talked about it [with everyone],” Petty Enterprises Executive Vice President Robbie Loomis said Sunday. Petty said the decision would be made by Loomis: “I haven’t thought about it because I’m not worried about it,” Petty said. The top-35 situation also could impact who eventually replaces Petty when he steps out of the car for six races to be in the booth for TNT’s Cup telecasts. The team used Chad McCumbee for one race and John Andretti for the others last year and it likely will be at least another month before those plans are settled. “We’re kind of waiting on this point deal to shake out,” Loomis said. “We have had a lot of drivers contact us about doing it. … I’m really, really big on McCumbee.(SceneDaily)(3-10-2008)
- Labonte and The King go snowmobiling: Communication between driver and crew chief is one of the most important factors in developing a successful race team. This takes time to develop and can only be accomplished by both driver and crew chief working to get to know each other. Bobby Labonte and Jeff Meendering, driver and rookie crew
chief on the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, are attempting to accelerate this learning process. After the extended race weekend in Fontana, Labonte and Meendering broke
away from racing to have some fun and find out more about each other. The two, along with "The King" Richard Petty, visited "The King's" Alpine, Wyoming home to ride snowmobiles. It is trips like these that promote a great relationship between the driver and crew chief.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(2-28-2008)
- Special scheme on the #43 at Vegas MORE: This weekend at Las Vegas Bobby Labonte is running a special Cheerios "Circle of Helping Hearts" paint scheme on the #43 Petty Racing Dodge. More info about at cheerioshelpinghearts.com.(Petty Racing PR)(2-27-2008)
MORE: Bobby Labonte knows the importance of a number. He races the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, one of the most famous and recognizable numbers in the history of the sport. Veteran media members, Wendy Venturini [SPEED Channel Reporter], Jenna Fryer [Associated Press Motorsports Journalist] and Krista Voda [Fox Sports Pit Road Reporter/SPEEDtrucks host] are also familiar with an important number. They each know that their cholesterol number is vital for them to continue to live a strong and healthy life. This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Venturini, Fryer and Voda will be wearing Cheerios “Circle of Helping Hearts” stickers to help raise awareness for women to “Know Your Number” and get cholesterol checks. Women’s heart disease is the number one killer among women today, making it more important for all females to “Know Your Number” and help take care of their heart. The Cheerios racing team will be doing their part on the track. Labonte will carry the “Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts” logo on the hood for this weekend’s race. The “Cheerios Circle of Helping Hearts” is a reminder to help a heart and make a difference. Fans can enter a code found inside specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal or on containers of 8th Continent soy milk. Cheerios and 8th Continent will donate a $1.00 for each code entered. Through the code program, Cheerios and 8th Continent soy milk will donate up to $300,000 to WomenHeart, the nation’s only patient advocacy organization serving women with heart disease, to provide free cholesterol screening for communities of women in need. Together with 8th Continent soy milk, Cheerios is donating an additional $200,000 to WomenHeart, bringing the total possible contribution to $500,000.(Breaking Limits/General Mills PR)(2-27-2008) Comment here
- Special scheme for Labonte at Calif UPDATE: This weekend at California Speedway #43-Bobby Labonte will run a special paint scheme for the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Program; the nationwide initiative lends a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community.(Petty Racing PR)(2-21-2008)
UPDATE: This weekend, Bobby Labonte is bringing the colors and scheme of the #43 Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Dodge to the two-mile California Speedway. Labonte will be focused on racing up front to help raise awareness of the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grant program. The nationwide initiative lends
a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community. Labonte has not only had tremendous success on the track, but has volunteered his services to help communities off the track as well. Labonte will be a guest judge for the program. He plans to choose at least one of the MyhometownHelper.com selected grant winners to donate additional money from his foundation and/or to provide his own time to help in raising funds. The MyhometownHelper.com grant winners are selected by a panel that will review applicants’ essays of 250 words or less, describing how the grant will benefit their community project. From now until March 31st community groups seeking support can visit
MyHometownHelper.com to apply online for the grant. Grants will be awarded in the range of $500 to $15,000 dollars and all requests must be sponsored by a charitable organization, municipal or civic organization, or a public school. Funds will be awarded based on the merit of the project, including its impact on, and support within, the community, among other factors. Labonte will review from the winning grant essays in April. Last year, Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” gave away $130,000 in grants and plans to give away $200,000 this year. The Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” grants have helped communities purchase new band equipment, build a school playground and fund a tornado warning system, among other great projects.(Breaking Limits PR)(2-24-2008)
- Labonte/Genral Mills to RCR in 2009? Richard Childress acknowledged that his organization is close to fielding a fourth team in the Sprint Cup Series, and Yahoo! Sports has learned that the driver of that car beginning in 2009 likely will be Bobby Labonte [currently #43 Petty Enterprises]. Sources close to the deal point to General Mills, Labonte's current sponsor with Petty Enterprises, coming along with him to RCR. According to Childress, he will field a fourth car sometime this season, though he wouldn't set an exact time frame. He did say things were progressing well and that he was pleased with how plans were coming together. "We're looking at entering a few races before the end of the season," Childress said. Childress entered a fourth car (#33) in selected races in 2007 with Scott Wimmer as the driver. Wimmer likely is the choice to be behind the wheel when the car makes it back onto the track this season. However, Labonte likely will be the full-time driver in 2009. Hiring Labonte would be an ace up the sleeve for RCR. Labonte is a past champion, which means he would get a champion's provisional that would guarantee him a spot in the field at the start of the '09 season. Labonte already has a relationship with Childress, having signed with RCR this year to drive the #21 Nationwide car on a part-time basis this season.(Yahoo Sports)(2-23-2008)
UPDATE: Dustin Long went to Labonte on Saturday to ask him about the report. Here's what he said.
Q: What about the report?
LABONTE: "I just say that kind of like where that world is. I don't really believe a whole lot of stuff that you read and half of what you say sometimes, so I don't put nothing into it. What's the good of any? That's crap.''
Q: Robbie Loomis said the Pettys have presented you a contract offer, so what's the next step as you consider your future?
LABONTE: "Behind closed doors you work on it yourself. You don't need to know about it. You know what I mean? It's just the way it is. That's my next step (laughing). My next step is not to talk about it to you (laughing).
I also talked to Robbie Loomis, VP of operations at Petty, about the report. Here's what he had to say:
Q: What about the report?
LOOMIS: "I think that everybody knows that Bobby came here with a three-year deal. We're negotiating with him right now, in the middle of that. As far as the General Mills part, that was pretty outlandish I thought because we have a lot of things in our contract how specifically they won't touch a sponsor that is with alcohol, so for the General Mills piece to be going over (to RCR, which has Jack Daniel's as sponsor of the 07 car) ... I really find surprising. It's something we're in negotiations for sure and see where everything shakes out.
Q: What do you mean by negotiations with Labonte? Define where that is.
LOOMIS: "By the end of the year his current contract will be up, the end of '08, so you start negotiating to see if he wants to stay and he wants to make sure we're making the steps of improvement. It's just a shame that the story come out now because it disrupts the guys on the team and we're doing a lot of good things. We've got (crew chief) Jeff Meendering on board. The presence of the race team, moving to the race shop, so many good things going on, you hate to have an outside circulating story affect the inside.
Q: Where are you in the negotiations?
LOOMIS: "He has a contract from us. It's up to him what he wants to do with it, hopefully, he wants to sign it. We'd really like Bobby Labonte to finish career out with Petty Enterprises and the contract that's presented is kind of laid out that way. We think his values and what he stands for is a good fit for us. We'll see where the future is.''
Q: When do you need an answer?
LOOMIS: "It's hard to say. We haven't really put a timeframe on it. Obviously the earlier the better so that everybody can get their eyes back on the racing.''(hamptonroads.com)
AND: Petty Enterprises has offered Bobby Labonte a contract that it hopes keeps the 43-year-old driver with the team the rest of his career, although an internet report states he could be driving elsewhere next year. "I don't really believe a whole lot of stuff that you read and half of what you say sometimes, so I don't put nothing into it,'' Labonte said Saturday afternoon of the Yahoo! Sports report. Labonte, the 2000 series champion, is in the final year of his three-year contract with Petty Enterprises. Robbie Loomis, vice president for operations at Petty Enterprises, said the team is awaiting word from Labonte on the contract offer. "It's up to him what he wants to do with it,. Hopefully, he'll sign it,'' Loomis said. "We'd really like Bobby Labonte to finish his career out with Petty Enterprises and the contract that we presented him is kind of laid out that way. We think his values and what he stands for is a good fit with us.'' Loomis said he doesn't have a timetable on when the team would like a response from Labonte, but admits that "the earlier the better, so that everybody can get their eyes back on the racing.'' Labonte said whatever he does next will be behind closed doors. "My next step is not to talk about it,'' Labonte said. Loomis also said he does not see General Mills joining Richard Childress Racing as long as that team has Jack Daniel's sponsoring one of its cars. "We have a lot of things in our contract how specifically they won't touch a sponsor that is alcohol, so for the General Mills piece to be going over there ... I really find surprising,'' Loomis said.(Roanoke Times)(2-24-2008) Comment here.
- Special scheme for Labonte at Calif: This weekend at California Speedway #43-Bobby Labonte will run a special paint scheme for the Hamburger Helper “My Hometown Helper” Program; the nationwide initiative lends a “helping hand” to local groups making a difference in their community.(Petty Racing PR)(2-21-2008)
- New car chief for #43: Long time Yates Racing employee [car chief, crew chief, mechanic], Ray Fox Jr., is now the car chief for the #43 Cheerios Dodge for Petty Enterprises and driver Bobby Labonte. So Fox is working in the same building as he worked in last year since Petty Enterprises moved into the old Yates Racing shop over the 'off season'.(SPEED's coverage of the Media Tour)(1-25-2008)
- Petty Enterprises Completes Move to Mooresville N.C.: Petty Enterprises is the newest resident of Race City, U.S.A. As of January 7, the organization began
operating completely out of their, 115,000 square foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Since its inception in 1949 through the 2007 season, Petty Enterprises had been based out of Level Cross, N.C. Intertwined in the movement of man and machine is a renewed commitment to winning that produced such a successful legacy. "This is an exciting time to be a part of the Petty Enterprises' family," said Executive Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis. "NASCAR is going in a new direction with the new car, so we felt this was the right
time to make our transition. The fact that the move was finished ahead of schedule shows our determination."(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(1-8-2008)
- Petty Enterprises Hires Derrick Finley as Technical Director: Petty Enterprises announced the immediate hiring of NASCAR veteran Derrick Finley to the position of technical director. Finley, 36, will oversee the full-time implementation of the Car of Tomorrow for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge, driven by 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte, and the #45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/PVA Dodge, driven by Kyle Petty. His first order of business will be to accompany both teams to the NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing that will begin February 7th at the Daytona International Speedway. Finley brings over a decade of NASCAR experience to Petty Enterprises. Upon his graduation from the University of New Mexico with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Finley held crew chief and engineering positions with several racing organizations. This gives Finley the unique blend of an engineering education and hands-on knowledge that is highly sought after in today's
world of auto racing. Finley is another integral piece in the growth of Petty Enterprises back to a championship-contending team. The move by the organization to a state-of-the-art shop in Mooresville, N.C. is almost complete. Several new hires will also give the team plenty of resources to compete for wins immediately.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(1-4-2008)
- Cheerios becomes 1st client for Labonte firm: General Mills has selected Breaking Limits as its motorsports agency for event and promotional marketing, giving Bobby Labonte's new firm its first client. Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, opened Breaking Limits in the fall as a full-service marketing agency. For the past two seasons, Cheerios, a General Mills brand, has been the primary sponsor on Labonte's #43 Dodge at Petty Enterprises. General Mills has sponsored the #43 since 2000, when it replaced longtime Petty sponsor STP. General Mills has been the only primary sponsor for the car since then. General Mills previously was an associate sponsor for Roush Racing's #6 Valvoline car driven by Mark Martin. "We're looking forward to help grow their brand and presence in the sport for years to come," Labonte said. Julie Busha, director of marketing at Breaking Limits, will oversee the account.(SportsBusiness Journal/NASCAR.com)(12-27-2007)
- Petty Enterprises migrates south hoping to improve: By Jan. 2, 2008 most of the move for Petty Enterprises will be complete as the NASCAR operation moves its headquarters 74 miles south from Level Cross, N.C., to the recently vacated Robert Yates Racing buildings in Mooresville, N.C., much closer to most of the other top race shops who call North Carolina home. The red moving trucks with the Petty Enterprises logos displayed prominently on the side have been rolling out of 311 Branson Mill Rd. (a Randleman, N.C. mailing address but actually located in Level Cross) for weeks now, heading south toward the RYR complex in Mooresville. On Wednesday, the fabrication shop and machine shop personnel and their equipment were scheduled to complete their move from the old facility to the new. On Dec. 31, the finished fabrication and suspension folks and all their machinery is scheduled to arrive at their new working address. Most of the rest of the Petty operation will move into the new digs by Jan. 2, followed by the assembly and setup teams for the group's two Sprint Cup cars by Jan. 8. The #45 car driven by Kyle Petty, Richard's son, will leave for the first week of testing at Daytona out of Level Cross but will return to the new shop in Mooresville on Jan. 10. The #43 car driven by Bobby Labonte will leave for the second week of Daytona testing out of Level Cross around the same time and return to its new base of operations for good on Jan. 17. Back in Level Cross, Petty wants to make it clear that he isn't vacating the old place completely. "I'm still going to operate out of here, as far as a bunch of stuff that I do," said Richard, owner of 200 of the race wins claimed by Petty Enterprises. "My secretary will still be here and all that stuff. I'll spend a lot of time going back and forth, seeing what's going on at the race shop. But all my scheduling and all my deals will be done out of here, so I'll spend half my time here and half my time over there. I've got some of the deal done for the body shop. I've got a bunch of cars for them to work on and stuff," Richard said. "We might move the museum back up here [from its current location in Randleman]; we might run a [Nationwide Series] car out of here. We don't know yet. Our main deal now is let's leave this place in limbo, and let's go get our [Cup] racecars going down at the new place, our new main deal. Then we'll figure out what we're going to do with what we've got left."(see full story at NASCAR.com)(12-27-2007)
- No Petty/GEM merger: For the time being, Petty Enterprises will go it alone in the increasingly costly world of NASCAR. Kyle Petty said Tuesday that Richard Petty has decided not to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Not at this time, at least. Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham were said to be discussing a merger or partnership that would have allowed Petty to maintain its identity.(Kansas City Star)(11-28-2007)
- Bobby Labonte to Drive for Childress in Nationwide Series: Richard Childress Racing has signed Bobby Labonte to a part-time schedule driving its #21 Chevy in the 2008 Nationwide Series. Labonte will compete in 15 races.(RCR PR)(11-27-2007)
- New crew chief for Labonte in 2008? UPDATE 2: Hearing that #24-Jeff Gordon's car chief [not crew chief], Jeff Meendering, will be Bobby Labonte's new crew chief of the #43 Cheerios/Petty Enterprises Dodge in 2008, replacing current #43 crew chief, Doug Randolph, will leave after the season and head to the #15 DEI team of Paul Menard.(11-9-2007)
UPDATE: The car chief for Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevy says he will wait until after the season to decide whether he will leave Hendrick Motorsports to pursue opportunities as a crew chief. Jeff Meendering, who joined Hendrick in 1994 and has been part of the #24 team since 2000, said several teams are interested in acquiring his services, but he said he hasn't decided whether he will accept one of those positions. One of those teams is Petty Enterprises and its #43 car, which has an opening after crew chief Doug Randolph was hired by Dale Earnhardt Inc. An Internet rumor said Meendering had already decided to join Petty as a crew chief next season. "I've talked to them," Meendering said Friday at Phoenix International Raceway. "That's one of the options that's out there. I'm just trying to get through the season. I'm not committing to anything yet. I'm just looking at my options. I'm not saying I'm going to be doing anything different than [working at Hendrick] this year."(SceneDaily.com)(11-9-2007)
UPDATE 2: Petty Enterprises announced Jeff Meendering as the new crew chief of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Avenger driven by Bobby Labonte. Meendering, 30, will take over crew chief duties of the #43 team immediately and will see his first on track action with Labonte during a Goodyear tire test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, December 11-12. He joins Petty Enterprises after a 13-year stint with Hendrick Motorsports where for the past 2 ½ seasons he held the position of car chief on the #24 team of Jeff Gordon. In addition, Meendering assumed the role of interim crew chief of the #24 car for six races during the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Under his guidance the team scored top-10 finishes in each of the six races, with a high finish of second at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July. Meendering will step into an organization that is showing a commitment to winning. Petty Enterprises recently announced that they will move into the Mooresville, N.C. shop the previously housed Robert Yates Racing. The hiring of Meendering will provide a talented leader to ease in the transition period.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(11-26-2007)
- PE donating the 'old' cars to schools: Sunday's Ford 400 marks the final time Nextel Cup Series teams will run the standard-model racecar, so theoretically those machines become obsolete the moment the checkered flag falls. Again, theoretically. While most teams plan to sell those cars to ARCA teams for 20 cents on the dollar, or reallocate them to Busch East or NASCAR West driver development programs, Petty Enterprises will take a unique reinvestment approach focused on grooming future racing engineers. "We're going to take some of the old cars and donate them to universities [that have] good engineering programs, and hopefully we can get some return back on from the engineering side," said Robbie Loomis, Petty Enterprises GM. The idea was hatched on a flight home from a race. Loomis was discussing with Richard and Kyle Petty how they'd discard all of those old cars, and the thought of donation was broached. "There's just not a big outlet to sell them to ARCA teams and things like that," Loomis said. "We'll sell some to those teams, but we feel like the biggest benefit would be for the whole community, for the racing world, is to tie into some colleges and universities with great engineering programs." Among those schools, Loomis said, is Virginia Tech, with which he said Dodge Motorsports has already forged a partnership. Loomis said Dodge's technical team is setting up a test facility at Virginia International Raceway that will include an 8-post shock dynamometer for suspension simulation work. "It's right there at the racetrack," he said. "So we're trying to grow it, and for now it worked out because of the school and the location. "Virginia Tech has a great engineering program. You see what they're doing with Dodge -- there's a lot of things to gain there in the future. In this sport we need an area where we can groom and shape engineers to really fit the racing model. There always seems to be a disconnect between the book engineer and the actual applicable engineer at the racetrack. So hopefully we can bring that together for the future." The biggest gain should be in chassis engineering, as it would give students a real-world, hands-on look at NASCAR chassis engineering. While body work on the old cars doesn't truly transfer to the COT, Loomis said chassis engineering does. "There's a couple of schools in North Carolina we'll give to that have great engineering programs, and Virginia Tech, again, because of the ties with Dodge," he said. "And I'm sure there will be a few others calling now."(ESPN.com)(11-18-2007)
- Bobby Labonte forms marketing agency: #43-Bobby Labonte has announced the formation of a full-service marketing agency, Breaking Limits, LLC. Labonte will serve as president of the company. Breaking Limits mission is to go above and beyond expectations for every partner with business professionals that have the integrity, morals and values that Labonte encompasses. Breaking Limits will offer sales, marketing and public and media relations capabilities to assist partners in exceeding their goals and objectives. Breaking Limits has commenced business effective immediately and will operate out of Huntersville, N.C. Three key employees of Breaking Limits have been announced; Mark Hughes, Chief Financial Officer, Julie Busha, Director of Marketing and Jeff Dennison, Director of Public and Media Relations. This is not Labonte's first business venture. He currently owns and
operates Bobby Labonte Enterprises and Bobby Labonte Racing both headquartered in Archdale, NC.(Breaking Limits PR)(11-14-2007)
- Partnership in Petty's hands: The ball is in the court of Richard Petty as to whether there is a merger/partnership between Petty Enterprises and Gillett Evernham Motorsports. George Gillett, the majority owner of GEM, said he hoped to at least maintain a commercial relationship with the Pettys regarding their exchange of engines and chassis.
"Whether it goes further, that's up to Richard,'' Gillett said. Petty announced this past week that he is moving Petty Enterprises from Level Cross, N.C., into the Robert Yates Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C. He said the move is being made independent of talks with any organization wishing to partner with his. Gillett has expressed an interest in combining the two companies in a manner that would allow Petty Enterprises to maintain an identity. He would not say whether talks were ongoing, but did acknowledge a recent trip to the Victory Junction Gang Camp that the Pettys run for chronically ill children. "I don't know if I've cried as an adult as much as I did there,'' Gillett said.(ESPN.com)(11-12-2007)
- Some changes at DEI? New crew chief for Menard? UPDATE confirmed: hearing that Dave Charpentier, current Paul Menard's crew chief on the #15 Menards/Dale Earnhardt Inc Chevy, will become DEI's Technical Director, overseeing the engineering support of the four Cup Teams [#01,#1,#8,#15] and development of DEI's race cars going forward. Also, hearing that Doug Randolph, current crew chief of Petty Enterprises #43 Dodge team that Bobby Labonte drives for, will become Paul Menard's crew chief of the #15 in 2008.(11-6-2007)
UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Inc. continued to strengthen its motorsports operation with the promotion of several key industry experts and the addition of a veteran crew chief to its roster. Dave Charpentier, current crew chief of the #15 Menards Chevy, has been promoted to technical director, and Doug Randolph, current crew chief of the #43 Petty Enterprises car driven by Bobby Labonte, will take over as crew chief for Paul Menard and the #15. Charpentier, a long-time Dale Earnhardt Inc. employee, will oversee all aspects of engineering for the four-car Nextel Cup Series operation. He was trained as a nuclear engineer during a seven-year career in the United States Navy, and since 1989 has served in an engineering capacity with multiple NASCAR teams. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in nuclear science. Randolph is a University of Tennessee graduate and served as a crew chief at MB2 Motorsports/Ginn Racing for the previous four seasons. He will join the team on November 26. Walter Giles, current race engineer on the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, was named Director of Race Engineering and Jason Anderson was named Director of Design and Project Engineering. Giles and Anderson will report to Charpentier. In addition, Rex Garrett has been promoted to Director of Motorsports Operations. The nine-year Dale Earnhardt Inc. veteran will oversee the day-to-day activities of the race shop.(DEI PR)(11-8-2007)
- New home for Petty's Cup teams to be announced UPDATE: on Wednesday Petty Enterprises will announce a new location for its Nextel Cup operation in 2008.(PE PR), past rumor has the new shop being Robert Yates Racing [Mooresville, NC], who will move to Concord near Roush Racing.(11-7-2007)
UPDATE: The winningest organization in NASCAR announces its first move since its inception in 1949. Richard and Kyle Petty, in efforts to garner continued wins and championships, have agreed to move Petty Enterprises closer to the center of NASCAR activities in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area. They have reached a multi-year lease agreement for shop space located in the city of Mooresville. The space was formerly occupied by Robert Yates Racing and its two-car Nextel Cup operation. Petty Enterprises, founded by Richard's father, Lee, in 1949 as Lee Petty Engineering, is currently headquartered in Level Cross, North Carolina. At that location, the 60,000-square foot sprawling facility has become one of the most successful in motorsports' history. The organization has 268 Nextel Cup wins, 10 Nextel Cup titles and nine Daytona 500 trophies have been won from inside the hallowed ground. "Level Cross will always be the home of the wins and championships that the Petty family built," said team owner Richard Petty. "It is where Petty Enterprises was founded and where the team has won and built a legacy in NASCAR. Petty Enterprises and Level Cross are the same as Lambeau Field and the Green Bay Packers, Yankee Stadium and the New York Yankees and Boston Garden and the Boston Celtics." The move, to begin in December and completed by end of the year, includes the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by Bobby Labonte and the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil/Wells Fargo/Tire Kingdom Dodge driven by Kyle Petty. It's another move in the forward direction since 2006 when Robbie Loomis was named Vice President of Race Operations and 2000 Nextel Cup champion Bobby Labonte was announced as driver of the famed 43 Dodge. It has not yet been determined how the current location of Petty Enterprises will be used in 2008.(Petty Enterprises PR)(11-7-2007)
- Richard Petty Visits USS Abraham Lincoln: Richard Petty will be a guest on the naval aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln on October 31, 2007. It will be Petty’s first visit on an aircraft carrier. Petty will travel to the Halsey Field Naval Air Station in San Diego, California where he will be taken to the ship. The USS Abraham Lincoln is currently out to sea preparing for its next deployment. Petty will spend the afternoon aboard the ship watching and participating in various naval base drills with the sailors. Petty is expected to take part in a landing on the flight deck in a dual-prop plane and spend time on the flight deck. He will also entertain troops by taking pictures and signing autographs for those on board.(Petty Racing PR)(10-31-2007)
- Labonte Racing with Spoonfuls of Stories Paint Scheme: Bobby Labonte will be returning to his home state supporting the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program by running a #43 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge this weekend. The Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program helps get books into kids' hands and encourages parents and children to read together. Over the past six years, Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories has distributed more than 30 million books free inside boxes of Cheerios cereal, and donated more than $2.5 million to support nonprofit partner First Book. See images of the scheme on the #43 Team Schemes page.(Petty Racing PR)(10-31-2007)
- Labonte & Petty Could Switch Cars: Bobby Labonte could find himself in the #45 instead of the 43 at Petty Enterprises should Kyle Petty fall out of the top 35 in Nextel Cup owners' points over the next five weeks. Petty said he would consider switching cars with his teammate so both would be guaranteed a starting spot, him on Labonte's points [17th] and Labonte on his past champion's provisional, the remainder of this season. That also could help for next season if Labonte could race the #45 back into the top 35 that will be guaranteed a spot the first five races of 2008. "Yeah, we'd consider it," Petty said Saturday between practices at Martinsville Speedway. "I'm not gonna lie. Look, as long as they don't change the rules and the rulebook is written that way, we're in the business to run racecars. We have two racecars, the 43 and 45. Whatever it takes to get those in, I don't see the issue with it."(ESPN.com)(10-21-2007)
- Labonte Goes Pink for the Cure: Bobby Labonte is partnering with General Mills this Saturday night at the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway located in Concord, North Carolina to help introduce "Pink for the Cure". Labonte will be driving the #43 Cheerios/Pink for the Cure Dodge in Saturday night's Bank of America 500. Labonte's pink "Pink for the Cure" Dodge is supporting the General Mills' campaign that donated $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and offers anyone touched by the disease the opportunity to join the cause. Fans can go to www.PinkTogether.com, an online community encouraging anyone touched by breast cancer to share their story. General Mills will donate $1 for every story shared on PinkTogether.com, up to $100,000, through October 31, 2007. Fans can also share their support by looking for General Mills products with special pink packaging including Cheerios, Progresso Soup and Nature Valley Granola Bars. By supporting these brands, consumers help ensure that General Mills can continue to support the fight against breast cancer. Labonte is pitching in to the cause by donating his Cheerios/Pink for the Cure uniform and helmet to be auctioned off to help raise more money for breast cancer awareness and research. Labonte's uniform will be auctioned off on www.komen.org while his race helmet will be auctioned off at www.bobbylabonte.com.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the car on the #43 Team Schemes page.(10-10-2007)
- GEM-Petty deal on hold? Alex Gillett still hopes to work out a partnership with Petty Enterprises, although he admits talks have slowed. "What you've got is one of the most storied people in the sport," the co-owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports said. "There is a lot of emotion attached to what they want to do in the future and who they want to move into the future with. I can respect that. If that means give them space or not space. We did it with Ray." Negotiations to merge Gillett with owner Ray Evernham lasted at least four months longer than anticipated because an underground storage tank had to first be removed from Evernham's property in Statesville, N.C., for environmental reasons. "A lot of people criticized us for taking too long to close," Gillett said. "Well, nobody asked us the question of why. Each one of these has a life cycle. You can't push it." Meanwhile, Gillett said GEM officials are talking to two or three drivers to replace Scott Riggs in the #10 next season. He acknowledged that Canadian driver Patrick Carpentier is a strong candidate even though he has only one Nextel Cup start. David Stremme, who was not re-signed by Chip Ganassi Racing, also is a candidate. "I'm not sure if you bring somebody like a Patrick Carpentier and throw him right into Nextel Cup," Gillett said. "So we've got some other good options in the No. 10 car we're exploring. We'll see over the next couple of weeks where that ends up."(ESPN.cpm)(10-8-2007)
- Pillsbury scheme for Labonte: This weekend #43-Bobby Labonte heads to Talladega Superspeedway with the Pillsbury brand on the hood and sides of the famed
#43 Dodge.(Petty Racing PR)(10-4-2007)
- The King talks about possible deal with Gillett: Petty Enterprises is not merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. But the Petty family and the Gillett family are exploring the possibility of a partnership. Richard Petty said Friday that his family's company needs a partner to remain competitive and he is further along in talks with George Gillett than any other potential partner in the past. "We're probably halfway there," said Petty, who owns Petty Enterprises. "We're doing a lot of talking, I'll put it that way. We have not signed any papers." When asked if a deal could be done by the start of next season, Petty said "that's a good question" and "we're way on down the road, but we don't know how far down the road we are. Petty said he envisions that if he and Gillett partner at Petty Enterprises, the team would then purchase chassis, and bodies from GEM as well as to continue to buy engines from the team. The two teams, though, would remain as separate companies. There are plenty of sticking points, including how many teams would be in the Petty fold. Gillett could not have an ownership stake in three cars at GEM (#9 with Kasey Kahne, #19 with Elliott Sadler, #10 with Scott Riggs) and then two cars in Petty (#43 with Bobby Labonte, #45 with Kyle Petty) - he would be over the four-team limit. "We at Petty Enterprises are not looking to do away with any of our cars," Petty said. "So he's caught in some situations and we're caught in some situations. ... You never look at going backwards. Even with getting all the engineering and everything from other people, you need something to bounce your people off of, so that's the reason that I would think you would have to have ... two cars." When asked if he was forced to choose between his car numbers, Petty said the 43 would always be with his team but "we haven't gotten that far along" in the discussions. For Petty, the deal is difficult and he called emotional issues about selling his team "half the battle right now." "The deal with us is that we're the Petty name," said Petty, whose team started when NASCAR started in 1949. "We do Petty Enterprises. We've got the Richard Petty Driving Experience. We've got Victory Junction Gang Camp. That's all encompassed, that's all basically one deal. For now, GEM and Petty will still share information as they have for much of this season.(SceneDaily.com)(9-23-2007)
- Labonte To Make 500th Consecutive Start: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team head to the one-mile, banked Dover International Speedway for Sunday's Dodge Dealers 400. Labonte will be making his 500th consecutive start this weekend [the 9th most all-time, see my MISC Stats page for the list.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(9-19-2007)
- More on the GEM/Petty 'merger': George Gillett Jr., the majority owner of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, has been a big fan of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty for more than 30 years. Now he wants to be business partners. Gillett is actively pursuing a merger that would make Petty Enterprises and GEM a four-car team. Sources close to the situation say the merger likely would happen before the start of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, with Petty likely moving his two-car operation of #43-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty to GEM's Statesville [NC] facility. Gillett would only confirm that there have been discussions. "He's a man of great integrity, honesty," Gillett said of Petty. "His values are something like I've never seen. ... I'd love to figure out a way to be associated with him. I'm not prepared to say any more than that today. Richard and I are good friends." GEM minority owner Ray Evernham said such a deal would make both organizations stronger. "From my point of view, I would like to see that happen," Evernham said of the merger. "For me, the sooner the better." Evernham has been looking to expand to four teams. The difference here, he said, is he would have four good teams that are solidly in the top 35 for next season. Gillett said expansion is the only way to keep up, and not just in terms of teams. He is looking to build a large shop in the Charlotte area that will become a destination for racing fans. "Ray Evernham has every bit of technical skill and genius as the best of any one of those programs," he said of Evernham, who won three Cup titles as Gordon's crew chief. "So we will deploy ourselves in a way that gives us as much competitive strength as is possible to do within the rules." To stay within those rules, specifically NASCAR's four-car limit, GEM would have to lose one of its three teams to merge with Petty. The #10 driven by Scott Riggs is the likely target. Riggs is 37th in [drivers and owners] points, well behind Kahne in 22nd [drivers] and Elliott Sadler in 25th [drivers]. Gillett acknowledged that he would like to get more seat time for Patrick Carpentier, who finished 22nd when he replaced Riggs at the Watkins Glen road course last month. "We had our first test with him yesterday on an oval," [Kentucky Speedway] he said. "We're going over the data. ... I can tell you he looked very good and very comfortable on the track. He was competitive. It doesn't appear there will be any significant learning curve." Regardless, to merge with Petty Enterprises there would be no room for Carpentier in a Cup car. "It's all about the number of cars," Gillett said. "We would have to get rid of one of the cars here. Whether 'get rid of' means mothball or have it aligned with another team ... there are a number of teams out there that don't have four cars, several of whom we already have relationships with." GEM and Petty, which would remain under the Petty Enterprises umbrella, potentially could have the knowledge of six to eight cars under that scenario as Roush Fenway Racing plans to do under its partnership with Yates Racing. "As you can see, we've got technical excellence, a commitment to technology and upstanding people," Gillett said. "We need to exploit that. That can be exploited in any number of ways."(ESPN.com), on has to wonder..... what about Petty Enterprises long standing non-alcohol sponsorship policy? neither the #43-Labonte or #45-Petty cars carry any form of alcohol [beer or spirits] decals/sponsorship - like the Bud Pole award. How would teaming up with GEM and the #9 Budweiser sponsorship effect this policy?(9-19-2007)
- Latest on the GEM-Petty merger: A possible merger between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises would benefit both teams from a competition standpoint, Petty vice president of racing operations Robbie Loomis said Saturday. In a season of mergers, GEM and Petty are just the latest to talk about combining their teams and resources. From Loomis' view on the competition side, sharing engineering would only help. Loomis pointed to the agreement between Roush Fenway Racing and Yates Racing - in which the teams will share information, cars and motors - as one that might work for Petty and GEM. "I think that's the same thing we're trying," he said. "The model of the sport has been created by NASCAR, the framework has been set with the rules. And now we're trying to figure out how to make Petty Enterprises bigger and larger." Petty already gets its engines from GEM. Evernham, who is focused more on the racing and less on the business since selling a majority share of his company to George Gillett, said he would welcome the opportunity to work with the Pettys and "especially Bobby Labonte." "There's obviously discussions going on," he said. "I don't know exactly where they're at. ... I think it would be a good thing for both organizations." Loomis said in the year and a half since he returned to the Petty organization, he'd been approached by three or four teams about doing various deals with the 43 car in particular. "That's what everybody is interested in, they're interested in the Petty brand and the 43," he said. "It's such a clean thing. You look at the things with Kyle Petty and Victory Junction Gang [Camp] and everything they stand for, their worth is worth a lot more than what's on the race track. And what I want to do is make sure we've got the money and the tools to operate on the race track. Right now we're operating on half to a third of the budget that the big teams are operating on, so I want to make sure that we're going to get the money and the financing to carry the company forward and take it to the next level while we still keep what I call the 'P' in the Petty - the things off the track that makes Petty feel good."(SceneDaily.com)(9-16-2007)
- Special Scheme for Labonte at NHIS: This weekend Bobby Labonte has some visitors along for the ride for Sunday's New Hampshire 300 at the one-mile New Hampshire International Speedway. General Mills characters Lucky, Trix, Sonny and Buzz Bee will make up the #43 Cheerios Racing/Trix, Lucky and Friends Dodge. It's the first time that all characters have shared the hood and sides of the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge. Labonte, who will be dressed in the characters colors, will be making his 26th consecutive start at New Hampshire this weekend. Labonte made his 500th Nextel Cup career start last weekend and will be making his 499th consecutive start this weekend.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the car on my #43 Team Schemes page.(9-11-2007)
- GEM/Petty to merge? Petty Enterprises, NASCAR's most storied organization, is open to a change of ownership. The two-car operation owned by seven-time champion Richard Petty is having discussions with Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett Jr. that would allow it to merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and form a four-car Nextel Cup organization. "They have quoted some numbers,'' Kyle Petty, the CEO of Petty Enterprises and driver of the #45 Dodge, said on Friday at Richmond International Raceway. Gillett recently purchased majority ownership of Evernham Motorsports, now known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Petty said Gillett has floated an offer in which the companies would merge but allow Petty Enterprises to continue working under its flagship name. For that to happen, Gillett Evernham Motorsports would have to drop one of its three teams to comply with NASCAR's cap of four cars. The #10 car of Scott Riggs would be the most likely victim. Riggs is out of the top 35 in owner's points that automatically qualify for races and his contract is up after this season. Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler are solidly in the top 35 in owner's points with Kahne at 22 and Sadler at 28. Both Petty Enterprises cars also are in the top 35 with Bobby Labonte at 18 and Kyle Petty at 34. Evernham said there's no doubt the proper business model is for a four-car operation. Because he already has a relationship with the Pettys, supplying the organization with engines and technical support, he would be all for a merger. "I think we could combine the organizations and be stronger,'' he said. "How the car numbers work, I don't know.'' Petty said he is far from a deal with Gillett, which took more than six months to finalize his deal with Evernham, or any suitor. Should a merger with Gillett occur, Petty said the organization would consider every option from relocating to Salisbury, N.C., as has been discussed regardless to moving to Evernham's shop in Statesville, N.C. "We've been in this business 60 years,'' Petty said. "When you look at it this just seems to be the trend of the moment. Do you jump on the trend of the moment or do you stay the course? We've been the same course for 60 years. Whether that's the right course or wrong course I'm not going to say.''(ESPN.com)(9-8-2007)
- Bobby Labonte Joins 500 Club: This weekend, Bobby Labonte and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Avenger team head to Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night's Richmond 400. Saturday's race will be Labonte's 500th career start. Labonte joins active drivers Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Ricky Rudd and Michael Waltrip to have eclipsed 500 career starts (not counting Sterling Marlin or Ken Schrader). Labonte and Rudd are the only two drivers to have over 500 starts and have started every race this season [until this weekend when Rudd will miss the race due to injury]. Labonte, 43, is also the youngest active driver to have 500 starts. This weekend's start will be Labonte's 498th consecutive Nextel Cup start. He is second on that list, only behind Jeff Gordon by one start [Gordon will make his 500th start next week at NHIS].(Petty Racing PR), see image of the scheme on my #43 Team Scheme page.(9-6-2007)
- Special scheme for Labonte at Calif: Bobby Labonte's #43 Dodge will be carrying the colors of Totino's Pizza Rolls this Labor Day weekend at California Speedway. It's the second time that Totino's Pizza Rolls has been on the car this season, last time at Indy in July. Sunday's start will be Labonte's 499th career start, Labonte will make his 500th start at Richmond next week.(Petty Racing PR), see an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2007)
- Andrews injured in fall UPDATE: Paul Andrews [former crew chief for Bobby Labonte and 1992 Cup Champion crew chief] was seriously injured in an accident at his shop [Tim Andrews Busch East car] in Mooresville, NC late yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon. He fell off a ladder in the shop while changing a light bulb, and fell about 30 ft. to the floor. He was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. Andrews suffered a compression fracture of his spine, a crushed left ankle, and some broken bones in his right ankle.(8-17-2007)
UPDATE: been told that Paul Andrews out of the hospital last Tuesday, August 21st and is back home, but will have surgery Tuesday [Aug 28] to reconstruct his heel. Andrews is expected to be back home Tuesday night or Wednesday morning after the surgery. He's wearing a back brace now, but is expected to be pretty mobile in about a week and is planning on a speedy and full recovery. Andrews has been taking calls from a few teams about crew chief positions once he's recovered.(8-27-2007)
- New Crew Chief for Bobby Labonte: Petty Enterprises announces veteran Doug Randolph as crew chief for the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge driven by 2000 Nextel Cup Champion Bobby Labonte. Randolph, who takes over the crew chief duties from Paul Andrews, will be on top of the pit box for this weekend's 3M Performance 400 at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. "Doug Randolph brings an outstanding resume to Petty Enterprises," said Vice President of Race Operations Robbie Loomis. "He was a winner in the Busch Series and he brings a wealth of knowledge to this team. Bobby (Labonte) and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team need to take the next step. Doug is the leader that we feel can do that for us. Paul Andrews is a championship crew chief that did some great things during his time at Petty Enterprises," continued Loomis. "He is a man of high character that built a solid team around Bobby Labonte. We wish Paul all the best. We're still very involved with Tim Andrews as a development driver for Petty Enterprises and will continue that relationship." Petty Enterprises has plans of entering Tim Andrews in the ARCA Series event at the Talladega Superspeedway this October. Randolph, 41, brings over 20 years of NASCAR experience to Petty Enterprises. He most recently directed the NASCAR Busch Series efforts of Reagan Smith. "Looking at other options I felt working with everyone at Petty Enterprises was right for me," said Randolph. "Bobby is a championship driver and the organization is very determined to get back to victory lane."(Petty Racing PR), no word on the plan for former crew chief Paul Andrews.(8-14-2007)
- Petty's plan to have Labonte back in 2008 and beyond: Petty Enterprises plans to have Bobby Labonte in the #43 Dodge for as long as he wants to drive. Labonte has been speculated as a candidate to become the fourth driver at Richard Childress Racing. But Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said Labonte has given no indication he plans to leave. He reminded that Labonte's contract runs through 2008 and that the organization is negotiating a long-term extension with the 2000 Nextel Cup champion. "I tell people I like having a driver everybody's talking about," Loomis said before Saturday's final practice at Watkins Glen International. "It's kind of like having a girlfriend or a wife. You want one that everyone's chasing. As people are probably talking to Bobby we're talking to him about extending it down the road. I feel very confident Bobby will be with Petty Enterprises until he's done driving." Loomis said Labonte's main concern is making sure the company has the people and equipment to contend for a spot in the championship chase. "He's 20th in points and he's a better driver than that,'' he said. Loomis hopes the decision to expand the deal with Gillett Evernham Motorsports to include chassis support as well as engines is a step in the right direction. Loomis said the deal ultimately could have GEM supplying complete chassis. "We've been working through the chassis development part of it," he said."It would be easier if they were winning six races like they were last year. Right now, we're trying to tread lightly as we move forward." Loomis said the organization remains on track to move from Level Cross, N.C., to a location closer to Charlotte, N.C., by 2009. He doesn't foresee a time when Petty Enterprises will completely merge with GEM or any other organization. "Petty Enterprises will always be Petty Enterprises,'' he said. "Richard and Kyle are in a family business that is real important to them.''
Meanwhile, RCR owner Richard Childress on Friday said that he has been in discussions with J.J. Yeley, who is losing his ride with Joe Gibbs Racing to Kyle Busch, to become his fourth driver.(ESPN.com)(8-12-2007)
- Dodge Reconfirms Commitment to NASCAR: Mike Delahanty, senior manager of the Dodge Motorsports program, confirmed on Saturday at Pocono Raceway the manufacturer's long-term intent to remain in the series and an extension of Petty Enterprises' deal with Dodge. He also said its flagship Evernham Motorsports cars might have a different look next season. Cerberus Capital Management, an investment group, this week finalized its agreement to split the Chrysler brands away from DaimlerChrysler, but Delahanty said Dodge's motorsports involvement would not be affected, with the plan for four teams to run 10 cars next season. Delahanty declined to go into the details of rumors that connect Ray Evernham's team to possible deals with commercial sponsors such as Budweiser or a Masterfoods brand such as Snickers -- but said the #9 and 19 Dodges, which have carried Dodge Dealers and UAW sponsorship since the newest program began in 2001, might look different next season.(NASCAR.com)(8-5-2007)
- #43 To Carry Special Decal This Weekend for Minneapolis Bridge Collapse: The #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge will honor the victims and those hurt in the Minneapolis (Minn.) bridge collapse this past week during Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. General Mills, a Minneapolis based company, and primary sponsor of Petty Enterprises will place a special decal on the hood and on the TV Panel of the #43 Dodge. The decal features a silhouette of the state of Minnesota with a heart and the date of the accident on top.(Petty Racing PR)(8-4-2007)
- Labonte To Celebrate 500th With Fans: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge is already preparing for his 500th career start. Labonte will reach the "500 Club" when he takes the green flag Saturday night, September 8 during the Rock-n-Roll 400 at the Richmond International Raceway. Labonte is inviting fans to celebrate this milestone by offering a free "500th Career Start" T-shirt exclusively at bobbylabonte.com. Fans who order are automatically entered
into Labonte's exclusive online contest. Prizes include various signed Bobby Labonte merchandise/items including the grand prize, an authentic #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker helmet autographed by the 2000 Nextel Cup Series champion. "We just wanted to give something back to the fans for all their support," said Labonte. "You probably look at stats more after your career, but this milestone is a chance to say 'thanks' for all the fans that have been there for me. This sport is driven by the fans. This is something to show my appreciation."(Petty Racing/Moore Consulting Group PR)(7-31-2007)
- Richard Petty named North Carolinian of the Year: He was already The King. Now, Richard Petty is the North Carolinian of the Year. Petty won a record 200 Cup races and seven Daytona 500 races. He won 27 races in 1967 alone, 18 races in 1970 and 21 in 1971. Since 2000, no driver has won more than eight in a season. Only the late Dale Earnhardt matched Petty's seven NASCAR championships. Petty was honored at the press association's annual meeting, held this year at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. The award started in 1993 and is given to North Carolinians who bring honor and recognition to the state. Other winners include evangelist Billy Graham and former North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole and banjo-picker Earl Scruggs.(AP/wnct.com)(7-28-2007)
- Bobby Labonte to run Totino's Pizza Rolls at Indy: This weekend, Bobby Labonte travels to the world's most famous speedway, the Indianapolis (Ind.) Motor Speedway. Labonte heads to the Brickyard with Totino's Pizza Rolls on the side of the #43 Dodge. Labonte will race the #43 Totino's Pizza Rolls Dodge on a weekend that is highlighted by Sunday's Allstate 400.(Petty Racing PR)(7-26-2007)
- Goody's scheme to run at Martinsville: on SPEED's NASCAR Live, the King, Richard Petty, was interviewed and showed the #43 Goody's Headache Powder Dodge that Bobby Labonte will run at Martinsville in October. Goody's is featured on the petty blue hood. See an image of the scheme on my #43 Team Scheme page.(7-6-2007)
- Petty Racing looks to move shop in 2009: Petty Enterprises Vice President of Racing Operations Robbie Loomis said the team is making progress on its goal to move from its long-time home but likely won't leave it's Randleman, N.C., base until 2009. "We're definitely making a lot of progress," Loomis said. "We've looked at more land and sites and things. The scope and the size of the project has kind of changed a little bit. We were originally looking for 50-75 acres, and now we're looking for a lot more land than that." Loomis said the team would eventually like to expand to four cars, and there needs to be enough land to add shop space to accommodate the increased number of teams. The two-car team is now housed in a sprawling campus in Randleman, about 90 miles from Charlotte, N.C., the home of most NASCAR teams. "We're still trying to identify exactly where the best place to be for the land for all the employees that we have now and for the ones [who would join later]," Loomis said. That appears to be Salisbury, N.C., about halfway between Randleman and Charlotte. "Our main targeted area has been Salisbury," Loomis said. "We feel that's a good location to grow. But right now, there's a lot of things involved in making that next step and making the commitment to get the land." Loomis did say the team would "for sure" be in a new facility for the 2009 season but didn't speculate on exactly when a move would be made.(SceneDaily.com)(7-6-2007)
