RPM/Yates merge; Sorenson out
- Thread starter HoneyBadger
- Start date
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
WOW!!! What a change
MRM
Team Owner
Guess Yates figured the dealings with Roush wasn't panning out. Only took 4 or 5 years to figure that out.
When you combine two average companies together into one, you have one, big, average company.
Would like to see Kahne get the #43.
When you combine two average companies together into one, you have one, big, average company.
Would like to see Kahne get the #43.
F
foehammer111
Guest
WOW
Petty fielding a Ford.
Petty fielding a Ford.
Spike
Team Owner
And...they will still only have one driver that does anything, good ole #9.
VaDirt
Dirt Track Fanatic
It'd be really shocking if Petty actually had anything to do with the team other than a name/spokesman.
S
SST55
Guest
Petty drove Fords when Chrysler pulled out after Na$car banned the hemi and when he went drag racing.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
S
SST55
Guest
Right you are, for some reason I thought he drag raced a Ford.
He did run a '69 Torino when he came back to Na$car though
http://www.canepa.com/collection/cars/Petty Ford/index.html
He did run a '69 Torino when he came back to Na$car though
http://www.canepa.com/collection/cars/Petty Ford/index.html
2nd in points and 10 wins that 69 season.
wilson89
Team Owner
Wow im suprised i must say. Im guessing Allmaindinger will drive the #43? Also two less regular teams now and we can say Roush wont shove there 5th car on Yates so there will be 3 less teams next year. Guess with the top 35 rule the flood gates will open for ever field filler, and ride buyer on the planet.
F
foehammer111
Guest
Duh! I forgot about the Torino. My bad.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
I would've never known NASCAR had a drag racing league if not for the thousands of pages of research I have on Aquasco Speedway.
M
Mopardh9
Guest
Pretty surprised at this, not sure how this is going to work with the Petty thing. Richard is just window dressing right now, so next year I can't see him being involved hardly if at all.
Spike
Team Owner
Should only be two less teams, those of Sorenson(who probably ends up in the #1 IMO) and McMurray.
wilson89
Team Owner
And the #96 that Bobby Labonte had been driving up until last week.
Spike
Team Owner
I doubt the #96 shuts down. In fact, none of the Yates owners are listed as also being part of the HoF ownership, so who knows if it effects them at all.
RPM, Yates to merge in 2010
(AP) – 2 hours ago
STATESVILLE, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing plan to merge in 2010, with the four-car team running Fords under the RPM banner.
Under the agreement announced Thursday, Yates driver Paul Menard will join RPM drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger next year.
RPM was formed in January when Petty Holdings merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
The team has met with mixed success, though Kahne is in good position to make the 12-driver chase for the championship after picking up his second victory of the season last week in Atlanta. Kahne is sixth in points heading into Saturday's race at Richmond, the final race before the chase begins.
"This is a pretty big deal for us," Petty said. "We're thrilled to partner with Ford. We've talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing."
The switch from Dodge to Ford should ease some of the financial pressure felt by RPM since Chrysler's Chapter 11 filing. RPM laid off employees and cut salaries after Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection.
"If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport, you need a lot of support," said RPM managing partner Foster Gillett. "We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We've won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate in America."
The merger leaves RPM driver Reed Sorenson and former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte — who has been driving for Yates — looking for work while bringing Kahne full circle with Ford.
Kahne was being groomed by for big things by Ford in 2003 when he suddenly left the fold and signed with Ray Evernham's Dodge team, a move that gave Kahne a full-time ride at the Cup level. Ford sued for breach of contract, but the case was eventually thrown out of court.
Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports, called RPM's decision to switch manufacturers "gratifying."
"We will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are," he said. "What's also really good to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford."
Petty, winner of a record 200 NASCAR races, said some of the details are still being worked on. But he added there is little doubt the merger will help RPM make inroads on NASCAR super teams like Hendrick Motorsports.
"I've won races with Ford and plan to again," he said.
Just not with Sorenson, who is 28th in points this year with just one Top 10 finish.
Labonte is 30th while driving for Yates as part of a joint venture with Hall of Fame Racing, but was pulled from last week's race at Atlanta in favor of rookie Erik Darnell. Labonte ended up driving the No. 71 car for TRG Motorsports and finished 18th while Darnell was 30th.
Yates Racing co-owner Max Jones said it will still field two cars for the remainder of the 2009 season. Menard, who is 32nd in points, will drive one car while Darnell and Labonte will split time in the other.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
(AP) – 2 hours ago
STATESVILLE, N.C. — Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing plan to merge in 2010, with the four-car team running Fords under the RPM banner.
Under the agreement announced Thursday, Yates driver Paul Menard will join RPM drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and A.J. Allmendinger next year.
RPM was formed in January when Petty Holdings merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
The team has met with mixed success, though Kahne is in good position to make the 12-driver chase for the championship after picking up his second victory of the season last week in Atlanta. Kahne is sixth in points heading into Saturday's race at Richmond, the final race before the chase begins.
"This is a pretty big deal for us," Petty said. "We're thrilled to partner with Ford. We've talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing."
The switch from Dodge to Ford should ease some of the financial pressure felt by RPM since Chrysler's Chapter 11 filing. RPM laid off employees and cut salaries after Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection.
"If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport, you need a lot of support," said RPM managing partner Foster Gillett. "We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We've won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate in America."
The merger leaves RPM driver Reed Sorenson and former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte — who has been driving for Yates — looking for work while bringing Kahne full circle with Ford.
Kahne was being groomed by for big things by Ford in 2003 when he suddenly left the fold and signed with Ray Evernham's Dodge team, a move that gave Kahne a full-time ride at the Cup level. Ford sued for breach of contract, but the case was eventually thrown out of court.
Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports, called RPM's decision to switch manufacturers "gratifying."
"We will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are," he said. "What's also really good to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford."
Petty, winner of a record 200 NASCAR races, said some of the details are still being worked on. But he added there is little doubt the merger will help RPM make inroads on NASCAR super teams like Hendrick Motorsports.
"I've won races with Ford and plan to again," he said.
Just not with Sorenson, who is 28th in points this year with just one Top 10 finish.
Labonte is 30th while driving for Yates as part of a joint venture with Hall of Fame Racing, but was pulled from last week's race at Atlanta in favor of rookie Erik Darnell. Labonte ended up driving the No. 71 car for TRG Motorsports and finished 18th while Darnell was 30th.
Yates Racing co-owner Max Jones said it will still field two cars for the remainder of the 2009 season. Menard, who is 32nd in points, will drive one car while Darnell and Labonte will split time in the other.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
H
HUTfan
Guest
I really thought McMurray would be in a Yates Ford. I guess Roush will have to form a partnership with the Wood Brothers if he wants to run more than 4 cars next year.
You know what will happen if Jack Roush has any say in this matter...
An RPM spokesman said it is still to be determined which shop the team will work out of as well as whether there will be any alliance with Roush Fenway Racing (as Yates had) and whether the engine shop would be separate from the Roush-Yates engine shop.
Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said the organization hoped it could work with the new group.
"The RFR Yates contract goes through the rest of this year," he said in a statement. "We do not know at this time what, if any, opportunities there are for Roush Yates Engines or RFR to service RPM, but we hope there are some."
An RPM spokesman said it is still to be determined which shop the team will work out of as well as whether there will be any alliance with Roush Fenway Racing (as Yates had) and whether the engine shop would be separate from the Roush-Yates engine shop.
Roush Fenway Racing President Geoff Smith said the organization hoped it could work with the new group.
"The RFR Yates contract goes through the rest of this year," he said in a statement. "We do not know at this time what, if any, opportunities there are for Roush Yates Engines or RFR to service RPM, but we hope there are some."
P
PettyBlue
Guest
Hmm. Petty has two wins with Dodge this year.. does Ford have any wins at all other than Kenseth's two to start the season?
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
Well thay are using Rays equipment. If Petty is involved in the team and money spent...IT will go down the tubes.
R
Restrictor Plate King!
Guest
man first it's Evernham Petty, RPM racing & now Yates has to merge into them as well. Things are pretty tough right now it seems. At least they're still keeping the Petty name in the field...
Wow, down to one Dodge team...
buckaroo
Here kitty, kitty, kitty
I think that we're heading towards manufacturers teams with all the merging going on. I heard on the grapevine that the new RPM teams will get their bodies and chassis from RFR. And how long will Penske stick with Dodge? Roger has been with GM and Ford...maybe his next move will be to Toyota.
I wonder now what they are going to do with that Budweiser commercial that was filmed with Kahne in a Toyota? That made it appear that RPM was heading towards Toyota. Maybe there was some interference run by Ford.
Spike
Team Owner
I fully expect Penske to switch to Saturn Auras 
G
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN
Guest
NASCAR silly season is not just for drivers anymore. Petty has been jumping in and out of bed with teams and owners and manufacturers and racing series( Indy with Andretti this year)more than Paris Hilton. Where will his hat rest next?
G
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN
Guest
I thought they already tried that.
HoneyBadger
I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
ESPN: Merger actually a takeover -- http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/cup/news/story?id=4466212
C
carsntunes
Guest
Looks like Yates is bailing out, going back to being a mechanic instead of a car owner. It will be a good situation for all. Yates can focus on making great horsepower, GEM can build some good chassis and Petty can have some dignity once again.
Bucky Badger
Go Kyle Go
No, a buy out.....
racer8
Team Owner
Wonder how Robert Yates feels about this.
be9ak7ts16
Johali Lives
I'm just tickled that the 9 car is a Ford again...........
C
carsntunes
Guest
Kinda ironic that that Ford sues Kahne for breach of contract for not sticking with Yates and the fact that Sadler was ditched by Yates middle season for Gilliand and that the only reason Menard is driving anywhere is because of his daddy's sponsorship.
