Kyle Petty To Step Aside?

T

TonyB

Guest
Sporting News / Fox Sports

At some point this season, for the first time in the history of NASCAR there will not be a Petty in the roster of drivers. Shane Hmiel is in line to replace Kyle Petty in the No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge. Petty would remain CEO of Petty Enterprises. "It's really not going to affect anyone but us," said seven-time champion Richard Petty, Kyle's father. "But it will be a family thing because we won't have anyone out there. We might have to adopt someone." . . .


Hmiel could be reinstated to compete in NASCAR as early as this week and be ready to race as early as Daytona. After failing a drug test last fall following the Busch race at Richmond, Hmiel, 23, was suspended from racing in NASCAR events. Gary Smith, NASCAR's director of event logistics, said last week that Hmiel has been involved in a rehabilitation program administered by an independent agency and is doing well. . . .
 
Not that Kyle is exactly a factor anymore, but that is still pretty sad news. :(

Yet another reason to think of Adam and what might have been :(
 
I figured Kyle would announce at some point that 2004 would be his last season but i figured he would run all season, so I am a little shocked dbut not completly shocked.

The only bad thing about this other than no Petty in cup as a driver is that the replacment driver is someone i have NEVER liked and even disliked him more since his suspension. They need to look at somebody eles or they might lose this long time PE fan. ( 15 years out of my 21)

Another bad thing is both my favorites my not be in a cup race again.

:( :( :( :( :(
 
While I have mixed feelings as to Kyle stepping out of a racecar this season, I don't have mixed feelings regarding the potential replacement. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!!!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: Please, I certainly hope that they find someone else to replace Kyle, if and when, he decides to hang up the firesuit! Shane Hmiel is NOT the answer to the problem(s) at Petty Enterprises! :wacko:
 
Originally posted by 4xchampncountin@Jan 25 2004, 08:07 PM
Yet another reason to think of Adam and what might have been :(
Click to expand...
I have never been a big Petty Family fan, but that is kinda sad if you think about it. Especially after you mention Adam, 4X. This year is going to be filled with "first time" events I think.
 
I was a big Adam Petty fan..... I never like Kyle that much... but i hate to see him go..

Shane Hmeil is a good bgn driver til he screwed up... I cant wait til Dover to see him the 45 car
 
I hope PE is not putting shane in the car just because he and Adam were best friends.

It will be a little wierd without a Petty in the car.

I be Christian is a little upset with that, shouldn't he get the first nod at an open seat at PE since he is still undercontract with them? ( not saying CF is better than Shane)
 
From Jayski:

UPDATE: being told by Petty sources that this is not true and Petty plans to run the full 2004 season, Hmiel could run a few select races in the #44. No idea what the plan is for Christian Fittipaldi in 2004.(1-26-2004)
 
And as usual Lee Spencer, the hack writer serves up a bunch of :bslfag: . I bet the quote from Richard came from a question asking him what will you do when Kyle retires and theres no Petty out there or something of the sort. Maybe Kyle will be her new target to constantly make :bslfag: up of now that Steves in the Truck Series.
 
And NASCAR.com confirms what I knew already, showing once again why Lee Spencer is the worst writer in Nascar.

The Buzz: No 2004 retirement for Petty
January 26, 2004
2:50 PM EST (1950 GMT)




Contrary to a unconfirmed Internet report, Kyle Petty has no plans to retire in 2004, a source close to Petty Enterprises said.


Kyle Petty
The report said that some time during the 2004 season, Petty would be replaced by Shane Hmiel in the No. 45 Dodge.

Hmiel is currently undergoing a NASCAR-mandated program to gain reinstatement to the sport after being suspended last year for an undisclosed substance violation.

Hmiel attempted to qualify in a Petty car last year in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona but was too slow to make the field.

The report that Hmiel would replace Petty, however, is "not true at all," a source said.

"(It) was never checked with anyone at Petty Enterprises and had the quotes taken out of context," the source said. "Richard (Petty) was asked, as he has been more than once over the past few years, of the day that would sometime come when there would not be a Petty driving at Petty Enterprises, and this was not in any way a reaction to this 'story.' But the quotes were placed to make it look as if it were."

Petty has been in NASCAR since 1979, competing in 678 races, making him ninth on that all-time list. He hasn't won since 1995, however, as Petty Enterprises has struggled in recent years.

Petty has taken on the role of car owner, running the two-car team out of the famed Level Cross, N.C. shops.

But retirement as a driver? A "baseless" claim, a source said.
 
Well................................maybe second worst!!! ROTFL!!!!!
 
I am glad Kyle's not leaving. Be bad not to have a Petty on the track. Even if Kyle has seen his better days. :lol:
 
That is good news. I can't see Kyle hanging it up in the middle of a season like that. He has a lot of class and even though he isn't a top flight driver anymore he still has quite a few fans out there. I think his fans deserve some kind of "farewell tour".

I sure would love to see one last win out of that team this year, even though we probably have a better chance of seeing Kurt Busch win the "favorite driver" award. It would be sweet. That family has been through so much over the years. If he did win I would be in tears, and that hasn't happened in years.
 
pheeeew!!!


Thats good to hear!!!!
Glad KP will be in cup all year, better news is that Shane is not driving for PE!!!
 
Kyle Petty isn't quite ready to hang up his driving suit. Petty on Monday denied a published report that he would step out of the #45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge and into retirement at some point this season. "I don't know where that (rumor) came from; I don't have a clue," Petty said during a break in testing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. If I was going to retire, I wouldn't have come out here and run in the half-marathon and then got up this morning at 6 o'clock to come to the track." Petty said that "there is no plan at all" for him to turn over the driving duties of the Petty Enterprises car to Shane Hmiel, as was rumored. Hmiel currently is serving an indefinite suspension by NASCAR for violating its substance-abuse policy. Although both Petty Enterprise's cars struggled last season, Petty said the addition of veteran driver Jeff Green in the #43 car already is paying dividends. Both Green and Petty finished in the top 20 during testing earlier this month at Daytona International Speedway. "Realistically, Jeff brings a lot to the table," Petty said. "He drove for DEI and he drove for Childress, so he came in and looked at our stuff and he said, 'look, you guys are not a 40th-place team; we've got to get this thing straight.' Jeff has done a lot to get us turned in the right direction.

Good to see Jeff is really helping them out. The fact that's he's probably the most hands-on driver in Nextel Cup can't hurt either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom