Kyle Petty out at Petty Enterprises?

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Just saw this on another forum and on Jaski's.


Kyle Petty out at Petty Enterprises? Was this #45-Kyle Petty's last race for Petty Enterprises? Sunday's Kansas 400 looks like it might well have been his last Sprint Cup run for the family business that he's worked for for so many years, that his grandfather Lee founded in 1949 and that his father Richard has been running all these years. That pending departure-not of Kyle Petty's own doing-is the stunning word from Patti Petty, Kyle's wife. Kyle Petty has been the center of a family storm of controversy since the spring, and he insists he doesn't think he's part of the long-running problems at Petty Enterprises. And Patti Petty says her husband is determined to stay at the wheel of a Cup car.....for someone. Kyle Petty himself ... has been struggling with the entire situation, Patti Petty says. While Petty himself was stoic about whatever turmoil is going on behind the scenes, promising to talk about things eventually, his wife was quite emotional - "Maybe I'm the only one here willing to tell the truth," she said. "They haven't wanted Kyle in the car the last three years. They want a young driver, a 30-year-old, a 20-year-old. "But Wells Fargo, our sponsor, says it's going to stay with Kyle, whatever he does. I wish Chip Ganassi (a fellow Dodge team owner) would take a look at Kyle. He's got a 12-race sponsorship deal for next year that would be a perfect part-time schedule for Kyle. And Kyle could help mentor a young driver. They told him at Watkins Glen - right when he was standing there in his driver's suit - that they didn't want him in the car." There are indications that Michael McDowell, currently driving for Michael Waltrip's Toyota operation, and AJ Allmendinger, currently driving for Team Red Bull, are under consideration for the Petty ride, as teammate with Bobby Labonte. Kyle Petty is tentatively scheduled to run a Petty car at Phoenix in November, but Patti Petty says that looks too iffy.(Winston-Salem Journal)(9-29-2008)
 
Wow! Petty Enterprises without a Petty driving.

In 30 years, '79 to present he has 8 wins, his most recent at Dover in '95. If not racing for the family organization I doubt he would have kept his job with any other team. But he did leave and drive for another team years ago then came back IIRC.

The loss of Adam was devastating. I doubt Petty enterprises will survive when Richard passes.:(
 
Kyle is one of (if not) the nicest guys in nascar but he's just a backfield filler on any other team, just as he is at Petty Enterprises. Nobody is going to hire him as a full-time driver. Part-time, hmm...doubt it.
 
Kyle is one of (if not) the nicest guys in nascar but he's just a backfield filler on any other team, just as he is at Petty Enterprises. Nobody is going to hire him as a full-time driver. Part-time, hmm...doubt it.
I think test driver and/or trainer and/or road ringer would eb the best others might see in him.
 
Unfortunately for Kyle he has no past champianship, and nowadays, thats the only thing keeping some guys driving, even if it is part-time. ie: Bill Elliot, Terry Labonte, Bobby Labonte.. This only lowers his stock to owners looking for experienced drivers to drive part time.
 
Kyle has been mostly just a seat-filler. I'm sure it has to be weird and hurt to be put-out by your own family, but Petty needs to do something if it wants to be competitive. He is one of the nicest guys around, but being nice doesn't necessarily make you a winner.
 
This whole thing actually confuses me a bit. I mean, who's in charge at Petty Enterprises? I was under the impression that Kyle was near the top of that rung, and always felt that he should get out of the car and take a leadership role in the company. Guess I was wrong...
 
One positive - Maybe Kyle can pick up some more TV spots calling races. I really like him on TNT and the show he does on SPEED. I think he's great in the booth. It is sad not to have a Petty driving for Petty Enterprises, though.
 
Time waits for no one. Kyle has already embarked on a kind of self imposed semi-retirement this year. He has some good ideas and is certainly still passionate about what he does, but he's had ample opportunity to take the reins and get something done.
 
I'm really mixed about this, but I just don't think that Kyle has it any more, even though he is still passionate about racing. There was a time when he was driving for Felix that I thought he would win a title or two, but once he got out of that car and back into a Petty car, he just never could get it done again. But for sure, even if he does still have enough talent to win, he won't in the equipment that he's driving now. I don't think that very many people will say that Bobby Labonte doesn't have it anymore, but look at his success, or lack of at Petty. If the new company is going to do anything, it will probably have to be with some younger drivers. Team shakeups can do wonders for the teams and the Petty teams have been stagnant for quite some time now. Kyle wants to drive but I think it's time for him to hang up his helmet and focus on his other interests that are so very popular.
 
Once the merger took place, hints of this started coming out. I'm a big Kyle Petty fan. He's always been super nice to me every time I've met him. But it's sad to see him basically riding around.
 
Nice guys finish last and that's where Kyle Petty has been for a long time. If Kyle has been with any other organization, he would have been gone long ago. Sad day indeed, but rust doesn't sleep. He will be a great addition to the booth, he would be a great mentor to a young driver, just not run for the championship material.
 
Nice guys finish last and that's where Kyle Petty has been for a long time. If Kyle has been with any other organization, he would have been gone long ago. Sad day indeed, but rust doesn't sleep. He will be a great addition to the booth, he would be a great mentor to a young driver, just not run for the championship material.
with what Kenny said about rusty, I think rusty and kyle could split a ride for the heck of it.
 
What I'll never understand is why Bobby left and joined Petty. There had to be better teams ready to snatch him up, but why did he go with Petty?

See, contrary to what my wife of 32 years says, I don't know everything,,,,,:p
 
What I'll never understand is why Bobby left and joined Petty. There had to be better teams ready to snatch him up, but why did he go with Petty?

See, contrary to what my wife of 32 years says, I don't know everything,,,,,:p


From what I remember Bobby, who is deeply religious, felt lead to The Petty's through some "signs" he was given (ie: finding an STP sticker left on the copy machine.) I was fully expecting him to move with Cherrios sponsorship to RCR, but that's not happening. It pains me to see him riding around in the 43 car. He must know something we don't.
 
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