Is Petty Enterprises In Trouble?
Monday April 7, 2008
Petty Enterprises has had a rough couple of weeks. The primary sponsor on famous #43 announced that they will be leaving at the end of the year. Many people believe that their championship winning driver may also leave. At the same time the #45 team hasn't qualified for a race since NASCAR started using 2008 points to determine the guaranteed starters. Clearly this is a team in trouble.
Here are all of the current Petty Enterprises troubles, trials and rumors along with some suggestions for how I believe the team can get back its winning ways. What do you think?
Comments
Things change if we like it or not. I hate to see them go but isn’t it the way in America, win or go home?
All Kyle Petty has done for the last 3-4 years is ride around the track. It appears that he does not try anymore.
I believe sometimes you just need a little time to regroup reorganize and begin again.I say it’s not over until Petty say’s its over.
Petty still a winner
The recent hires over the last few years along with the decision to FINALLY move their shop headquarters to a more competitive location seem to say that Petty Ent. wants to remain a part of the elite organizations of NASCAR. However, they continue to do things that fly in the face of conventional wisdom when it comes to on track performance.
You gotta like Kyle Petty. What a great spokesperson for the sport, the victory junction gang, and someday a great announcer in the booth. But, the good is all gone from that particular set of tires when it comes to on track performance and drive. Put somebody competitive in the 45 car and that real quick! That may be easier said than done, but a good qualifier and a good car has a better chance to get in the race than an unproven nobody in Kyle’s car. Tony Raines comes to mind as a quick solution. He takes care of equipment and kept the nobody HOF racing team in the top 35 as well as some respectable finishes.
Finally, give Bobby some equipment that he can win with!!!!!!!!!
As a long time Terry Labonte fanatic with Bobby as my backup pick, I am always hoping for him to return to championship form. With the twilight of his career on the horizon Bobby needs to make a wise decision here. I think the move to RCR is a foregone conclusion and has already been made. Think about it, past championship provisionals for next year almost gaurantee’s that Bobby will have that car in the top 35 by the time 09 owners points come in to play. Time will tell if I am correct. I, for one, am hoping for it! Burton, Harvick, Bowyer, Labonte……what a line-up!
When you look at the line up at Petty Enterprises, you have to ask your self why this team has not done better. We all had a glimmer of hope when Bobby came over to the team. I do not care who you pull for with all your friends, in all of our hearts, we would love to see Petty Enterprises back in victory circle, no matter who is behind the wheel.
I do not think Kyle is washed up. As Scott #4 mentioned, the Petty’s are still winners, maybe not on the track, but most importantly, off the track.
I had the oppertunity two years ago to get a tour of Victory Junction Gang Camp. If Kyle’s lack of on track performance is due to focusing more on VJG, he has his priorities perfect. It warms my heart to see how drivers like Tony Stewart reach out to VJG thru events at their track and private donations to VJG. If you ever have the oppertunity to visit the camp, you will be in tears of what the Pettys have done for these kids. Michael Waltip has a huge athletic center there for the kids. Jimmy Johnson had donated $$ and if I recall, they were building a bowling alley for the kids with the money while I was there. I could go on and on. I was so moved that I spent the next year working in my business and was able to give the Pettys a check, plus stir interest from another corperation that is currently involved with the camp. It is a life changing experience once you see what Kyle and Patti have done, and are doing for these kids.
I wish the Pettys all the best in whatever they do, They are pioneers of this sport and deserve all the respect we have to give. God bless you Kyle and Patti.
Sometimes you have to let go of something to gain in others areas!
The on Track stuff has and will shift to the off track stuff!
Richard came from his era, he would fall short in the era kyle is in on the track!
On the track they Lost and now give back to make that a win!
The Petty’s will live on long after the racing and touch more kids and familys then all the races won ever will!!
Please try to do this with everyones love intact!!
The are doing great with off track enterprise such as the Petty Experience. On the track they need a big partner such the Fenway Group or Gillette. Also they may have to go to Ford or Chevy.
I think it is time to hang it up for Petty Enterprises.
I give the Pettys a lot of credit for keeping their team going for as long as they have.Kyle stated on Trading Paint that if Adam was still alive, he would have been out of the 45 long ago. PETTY TOYOTAS? Aint that a concept. All Dodge teams this year are hit and miss. i too would like to see Bobby Labonte drive for Childress Racing.
Yeah yeah yeah,look at all those Dodges in the top ten qualifiers,I still believe they wont all finish that way.How about all those MWR cars making the race? Some with speeds ahead of the so-called premier tier teams.Unfortunatly,they probably wont finish that way either. And no K.P.
to Becky t nu 9 you must be a very recent nascar fan! remember Babe Ruth! nascar will never be the same without the pettys. and they will always be there!
I’ve been a petty fan for over 20 years. I’m thankful for the fact that I made it to Las Vegas for the race this year and actually got to see Kyle race I was thrilled. Racing without Petty’s is like racing without DaleJr.and his family. This was the first race I ever seen in person and had a blast. I’m such a fan that I named my last son Kyle after Kyle Petty. Keep going Petty I know you can do it. Even if you have to get new drivers to race your cars.
bernie in klamath falls oregon
KYLE PETTY- GET OVER IT! You did not set the forest on fire in racing. Go find a real job, something that you can do successfully. You should have went away years ago!