Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com Motorsports FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif Motorsports FanHouse http://motorsports.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Last-Minute Dramatics Put Andretti, Hunter-Reay in Indy 500http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/17/andretti-makes-indy-field-in-dramatic-final-moments/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/17/andretti-makes-indy-field-in-dramatic-final-moments/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/05/17/andretti-makes-indy-field-in-dramatic-final-moments/#commentsFiled under: , ,

John AndrettiRyan Hunter-Reay wasn't fast enough to earn a spot in next Sunday's Indianapolis 500 as he exited Turn 4 on his final lap of qualifying Sunday at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

But somehow, someway, the 28-year-old Floridian conjured up just enough speed in the final few seconds -- the final hundred yards -- to make the field by three hundredths of a second (.03) bumping out Canadian Alex Tagliani, who was sitting in his car, next in line to qualify, as the traditional gun shot sounded ending qualifications.

Only moments before Hunter-Reay's suspenseful run, John Andretti earned a spot in the 33-car field for team owner, NASCAR legend Richard Petty, invoking the loudest cheers from the crowd since Helio Castroneves won the Indy 500 pole position a week ago. It came on the third and final attempt Andretti was allowed to make.

"I can't imagine how embarrassed I would have been to call Richard Petty and have him say, 'I'm coming down for the race, where do you start?' and I have had to say, 'I don't,' " Andretti said.

The four-day, two-weekend format to set the 33-car Indianapolis 500 field may feel tedious and drawn out. Some say, unnecessary. But all it takes is watching the last five minutes of Sunday's final round of qualifications -- called "Bump Day" -- to be reminded what this great tradition can deliver.

"That was a timing issue because Alex Tagliani was pretty quick, we were lucky to go last,'' said Hunter-Reay, who drives for the team owned by Tony George, whose family owns the Speedway.

"I've never been so happy to be in last place. We're lucky right now.''

Only three drivers, including Tagliani, NASCAR driver/movie stuntman Stanton Barrett and 1996 Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier weren't fortunate enough to race into the starting lineup.

But regardless, the field - which is led by front row starters, Helio Castroneves, who is weeks removed from being acquitted of federal tax evasion charges, his Team Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe and 2007 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti - looks strong and competitive.

The speed gap between Castroneves and 33rd place starter Hunter-Reay is the sixth closest in the race's 98-year history. For the third consecutive year, the lineup will include three women; Danica Patrick, who starts 10th; Sarah Fisher, who starts 21st and Venezuelan Milka Duno, who will roll off 31st.

Defending Indy winner Scott Dixon joins Andretti Green lead driver Tony Kanaan as favorites as are veteran Paul Tracy, who will start 13th, two-time runner-up Vitor Meira and 2005 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon.

"I feel so bad for Tags (Alex Tagliani) and the Conquest Racing team,'' Indy Racing League President of Competition Brian Barnhardt said.

"They work their tails off all year, and I'll tell you, leaning in the cockpit and telling them they weren't going to get to go because we're out of time and they're a lame duck and he's either in or out and it's not under his control was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

"It was just a devastating look in his eyes. I know how hard he and the team had worked.

"From a field standpoint, it's what makes Indianapolis special. It's the 33 best drivers and teams under the conditions of what we had. Tightest field speaks volumes about how tight the competition is."

Much of the starting field heads to New York Monday for national media appearances. Final practice, called "Carburetion Day" is scheduled for Friday. The race begins at 1 pm/ET on Sunday.

"It's been a very, very tough day,'' Andretti said. "I'm going to say that one is for my dad (Aldo Andretti). I know this was a challenge that he would appreciate.''

"I'm glad the race isn't tomorrow. I am physically, mentally, just totally exhausted."

Last-Minute Dramatics Put Andretti, Hunter-Reay in Indy 500 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 17 May 2009 20:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>alex taglianiAlexTaglianiBuddy LazierBuddyLazierdanica patrickDanicaPatrickdario franchittiDarioFranchittihelio castronevesHelioCastronevesindianapolis 500Indianapolis500john andrettiJohnAndrettimilka dunoMilkaDunoryan briscoeryan hunter-reayRyanBriscoeRyanHunter-reaysarah fisherSarahFisherStanton BarrettStantonBarrettHolly CainSun, 17 May 2009 20:10:00 EST Kyle Petty 'Crushed', Richard Petty 'Sorry' Over Lapses in Communicationhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/petty-family-showing-signs-of-strain-after-offseason-business-mo/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/petty-family-showing-signs-of-strain-after-offseason-business-mo/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/02/20/petty-family-showing-signs-of-strain-after-offseason-business-mo/#commentsFiled under: ,

Former Sprint Cup driver Kyle Petty made some interesting comments last weekend at Daytona that were somewhat swept under the rug.

Of course, the factors of the race being the biggest on the circuit and the controversy that followed will often do that news stories of smaller value.

However, Petty's words indicated that there was obviously a healthy dose of tension between him and the rest of the leaders at the now-former Petty Enterprises -- including his father, Richard -- thanks to the business moves the team has made in the past year.

Going back to last year, PE inked a deal with an outside investment firm -- Boston Ventures -- in an attempt to bring the struggling race team to a higher level of competitiveness with an infusion of cash and a more marketable product to sponsor on the track.

That didn't exactly go over well with Kyle, and he made that point clear during a press conference announcing a celebrity golf tournament in Phoenix that benefits his Victory Junction Gang Camp charity.

"There is no Petty Enterprises," said Petty. "There's Richard Petty Motorsports or whatever they want to call it. Petty Enterprises ceased to exist when it left Level Cross, North Carolina. It further ceased to exist whenever the other group bought it. That's just a fact of life."

That other group -- Boston Ventures -- didn't make significant headway in its efforts which led Petty Enterprises to a merger with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports. It has since taken on the Richard Petty Motorsports moniker, and has left Kyle out.

Things didn't get better when RPM rolled out a new No. 44 for A.J. Allmendinger painted up like the car Kyle used to win his first career race in 1978 during an ARCA event at Daytona.

"They did not ask me about the paint scheme," he said. "That was my paint job and my car and my number and my stuff for my first win - not for Petty Enterprises or GEM or whoever that is. They can look at it how they want to, but I didn't even get a call and that's worse."

Tuesday, his father Richard talked a little bit about the disconnect his son has felt from the new Petty interest in NASCAR during a conference call.

"It kind of upset him," said Richard, discussing the scheme. "That's where he started. He started with the 44 car. The deal with Boston Ventures, we never had a place for Kyle at Petty Enterprises. He sort of got out of the loop.

"He's been doing things on his own. I've not seen him since Christmas. He's been so busy, and I've been so busy. We never really got together."

For his part, Richard apologized for the way things went down involving his son.

"[...] He was really crushed that we didn't include him in that part of it," said Richard. "I understand that. We were so busy getting the deal done it fell through the cracks, and I'm sorry that it did."

Kyle Petty 'Crushed', Richard Petty 'Sorry' Over Lapses in Communication originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DaytonaDodgeKylePettyRichardPettyRichardPettyMotorsportsGeoffrey MillerFri, 20 Feb 2009 14:52:00 EST Stories for '09: The Mega-Merger Erahttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/20/10-for-09-the-mega-merger-era/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/20/10-for-09-the-mega-merger-era/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/20/10-for-09-the-mega-merger-era/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Here's what everyone will be talking about as the NASCAR haulers roll into Daytona International Speedway next month for the start of one the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory.

Especially early on, one of the most intriguing storylines of the season will be the success of the mega-mergers.

Will we see Kumbaya moments or power-plays as some of the biggest names and egos in the sport join hands hoping there's strength in numbers?

Sure, it'll take some drivers half a season to figure out the guy he used run up into the marbles is now his teammate, but that just makes this more fun to watch.

The general consensus is that the power-mergers between teams like Ganassi and Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Gillett-Evernham and Petty Enterprises along with the "alliances" of Yates Racing and Hall of Fame racing teams may be a temporary fix to a pressing problem, not necessarily a permanent solution.

It's also a sort of sentimental survival for NASCAR, which is weathering enough "issues" without having its highest profile names go away. It's hard to imagine the sport without Richard Petty's or Dale Earnhardt's namesake team legacies.

It would be like the NFL without the Dallas Cowboys or Major League Baseball minus the New York Yankees.

The actual benefit on-track and in-competition may be harder to quantify. Other than keeping the car counts up, it'll be interesting to see if the newly-merged teams will be any better equipped to challenge the Hendrick, Roush or Gibbs juggernauts.

I doubt it. At least not initially.

"I do think it's really cool that DEI figured out how to stay and Richard Petty figured out how to stay,'' Michael Waltrip said. "I believe two is stronger than one and it will allow them to get through these times and eventually have more competitive cars on the track.

"I believe things are going to come out on the other end of this looking a lot different than they ever have.''

Stories for '09: The Mega-Merger Era originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>10for09daleearnhardtmichaelwaltriprichardpettystoriesfor09Holly CainTue, 20 Jan 2009 11:00:00 EST Welcome to NASCAR's Silliest Seasonhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/welcome-to-nascars-silliest-season/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/welcome-to-nascars-silliest-season/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/14/welcome-to-nascars-silliest-season/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Did you really think the NASCAR world could keep quiet during this offseason?

First, we had Elliott Sadler being canned from his then Gillett-Evernham Motorsports ride just months after signing a multi-year contract extension. A.J. Allmendinger, they said, was taking over the ride.

Then, Richard Petty and the oh-so-struggling Petty Enterprises worked out a merger with GEM, a fellow Dodge team to create a still unnamed four-car team that includes the famed No. 43. Somehow, such a merger was a positive move for Sadler, as he was reinstated to the ride he had originally been taken out of.

Perhaps the newly-formed team didn't want to deal with a near-certain lawsuit Sadler was going to throw their way?

With Sadler back in, the Petty merger complete, Allmendinger signed up to run a handful of races based on sponsorship for the team, the NASCAR world appeared to slow.

Slow, at least, until the former Petty Enterprises driver (effective December, that is) Bobby Labonte was seen popping up in and around Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing -- propelling rumors that he'd be taking over the No. 8 car based on bringing a solid sponsorship package with him.

(Note: Been under a rock the last few months? Here's some info about that whole DEI not being DEI anymore deal.)

So, it seemed, Labonte was to be in at the No. 8, according to the Coke website, Super 8 hotels was on-board.
Aric Almirola, slated originally to drive No. 8, was now thrown to the backburner without sponsorship for a fourth car at EGR.

But, as they say, not so fast.

Tuesday, rumors bubbled up that Labonte had signed a contract with Yates Racing after the team merged with Hall of Fame Racing. Wednesday, such rumors were confirmed with a press release indicating Labonte will now drive the No. 96 Ford sponsored by Ask.com

Over at ThatsRacin, indications were that Labonte had a lunch meeting scheduled with EGR, but called just before to say that he had signed with Yates/Hall of Fame -- meaning Almirola was back in the No. 8.

Looking back at all of this, can you imagine how crazy preseason Daytona testing (it would have finished Wednesday) would have been with this driver carousel?

Welcome to NASCAR's Silliest Season originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AJAllmendingerBobbyLabonteEarnhardtGanassiRacingElliottSadlerGillettEvernhamMotorsportsPettyEnterprisesRichardPettyGeoffrey MillerWed, 14 Jan 2009 13:30:00 EST GEM-Petty Merger Brings Elliott Sadler Backhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/gem-petty-merger-brings-elliott-sadler-back/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/gem-petty-merger-brings-elliott-sadler-back/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2009/01/09/gem-petty-merger-brings-elliott-sadler-back/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I suppose you could chalk this up as one of those deals that just makes you want to go "hmmm."

Not only did one of NASCAR's most-storied organizations lose much of its independent identity thanks to a merger cued from financial necessity, but a driver thought to be on axe from the other merged team is back in the fold.

In other words, just another day in the always unpredictable world of NASCAR.

Petty Enterprises, owned by NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty, joined forces with a fellow Dodge racing team, Gillett Evernham Racing, thanks to a lack of sponsorship that saw the team's premier driver walk out the door just weeks ago. On the verge of shutting down its operations, the merger breathes a new hint of life back into the famed operation.

On the Gillett side of things, the biggest story of late has been the reported hiring of NASCAR young gun A.J. Allmendinger to fill the ride of Elliott Sadler -- despite the fact that Sadler had signed a new, multi-year deal with the team last season.

Now, the team has confirmed, the "family" has made up from some in-fighting and Sadler will once again take the controls of the No. 19 for the full 2009 season with Allmendinger signed up to run at least eight races in the fourth car of the operation.

What's all this mean for on-track activiity, you ask?

Well, for now, the plan is for Sadler to keep the No. 19, Kasey Kahne returns in his No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, Reed Sorenson will pilot Petty's No. 43 car and for Allmendinger to drive an unannounced car.

Chad McCumbee, a young driver in waiting at Petty, had hoped to pick up a Sprint Cup ride in 2009, but as of now, those plans are on hold.

The AP's Jenna Fryer mentioned that the team could take the moniker of "Richard Petty Motorsports" in an effort to promote the 7-time champion's connection in addition to creating one of the coolest acronym a team could have -- "RPM".

So, at the end of the day (today at least), the No. 43 is still around, Richard Petty still has a reason to hang out in the NASCAR garage area, Elliott Sadler got his job back and a bit of sponsorship luck will see A.J. Allmendinger in a decent car for 2009.

Not a bad day if you're a NASCAR fan.

GEM-Petty Merger Brings Elliott Sadler Back originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AJAllmendingerElliottSadlerGillettEvernhamMotorsportsKaseyKahneReedSorensonRichardPettyRichardPettyMotorsportsSprintCupGeoffrey MillerFri, 09 Jan 2009 16:30:00 EST '08 Rear-View Mirror: Bobby Labontehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/08-rear-view-mirror-bobby-labonte/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/08-rear-view-mirror-bobby-labonte/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/13/08-rear-view-mirror-bobby-labonte/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Warning: Objects in this post may be the only way to successfully live through the NASCAR off-season. For best results, read rearview mirror early and often.

Driver: Bobby Labonte
Team: No. 43 Petty Enterprises Dodge
'08 Final Standing: 21st (-3236)
Best Race: Amp Energy 500 at Talladega (6th-place)
Worst Race: Centurion Boats at the Glen (42nd-place)

Season in a box: 2008 was Labonte's third season in his bid to return Petty Enterprises to a higher level of competitiveness than it had seen for much of last decade or two. Needless to say, the experiment didn't go as planned.

It's pretty obvious that the Texas driver has done all he could for the PE organization by easily outrunning any driver who has taken the wheel of the other car in the operation. In 2007, his consistency despite a race car that was often out-gunned before it took the green flag led the team to a 18th-place finish in the standings. The slight drop in 2008 to 21st included only two Top-10 finishes, but Labonte's average finish of 22nd was two spots ahead of his average start of 24th.

His most consistent stretch of the season saw the No. 43 finish in the Top 25 for eight straight races starting at Michigan in August, but he ended the season with three finishes lower than 33rd in the final five events.

Through the crystal windshield: With the announcement this week that Petty Enterprises and Bobby Labonte would be parting ways for the 2009 season, the racing future for Labonte is quite cloudy at the moment. His biggest advantage, however, is the fact that he's the lone former Sprint Cup champ looking for a ride.

Labonte's a talented driver and I'll be awful surprised if a race team doesn't find a guy that has built his career on consistancy and loyalty to be a valuable asset to their racing operations.

Next up: Casey Mears

'08 Rear-View Mirror: Bobby Labonte originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteDodgePettyEnterprisesRearviewMirrorGeoffrey MillerSat, 13 Dec 2008 14:57:00 EST Past Champ Labonte, Petty Part Ways for '09http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/11/former-champ-labonte-petty-part-ways-for-09/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Less than a year ago -- February to be exact -- rumors were swirling that Bobby Labonte would finish 2008 with Petty Enterprises and move to Richard Childress Racing for 2009.

It made sense at the time because Labonte's sponsor, General Mills, signed on at RCR to sponsor a 4th team at the operation and Labonte had a contract to drive 15 races for RCR in the Nationwide Series. Eventually, that rumor fell apart and Labonte re-signed with Petty for four more years.

Thursday, however, those plans completely changed again when Labonte and Petty agreed to amicably part ways immediately -- leaving the 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion without a ride for the moment in 2009 and continuing a nasty downward spiral of Petty Enterprises.

Petty plans to still run, at a minimum, a single-car team in 2009 but doesn't yet have a driver lined up.

Looking back, I can imagine that if the opportunity was available for Labonte to move to RCR like the rumor said, he's probably kicking himself slightly right now. However, we don't know for sure if such an offer was on the table and you surely can't fault Labonte for his loyalty.

After all, the combination of Bobby Labonte and Richard Petty has the sound of a great partnership and one of the most-respected name combinations in the garage area.

However, respect and loyalty don't always produce results in the Sprint Cup series.

Labonte first moved to Petty Enterprises for the 2006 season after suffering through a disappointing season at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2005. Petty wasn't much more than it is today, but many hoped a driver of Labonte's caliber could bring in resources for long-struggling team.

2006 saw the team score three Top-5 finishes but since then the team has scored zero. His best points position with the team came after 2007 when Labonte finished 18th in the final standings. In 2008, he finished 21st.

Looking ahead, Labonte's future should definitely see him finding a full-time ride for the 2009 season. He's easily the most-qualified driver on the market now (the only one with a championship ring) and an opening for the No. 41 car at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing might fit the Texas driver perfectly.

Past Champ Labonte, Petty Part Ways for '09 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteNASCARSillySeasonPettyEnterprisesSprintCupGeoffrey MillerThu, 11 Dec 2008 12:08:00 EST Future Getting Darker for Petty Enterpriseshttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/10/future-getting-darker-for-petty-enterprises/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/10/future-getting-darker-for-petty-enterprises/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/12/10/future-getting-darker-for-petty-enterprises/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The famed No. 43, the legendary Petty blue and everything that NASCAR's "King" Richard Petty helped to produce in his legendary 200-win and seven-championship career at Petty Enterprises seems to be slipping fast.

The team released 35 to 39 more employees this week on top of over over 30 that were let go immediately following the Sprint Cup season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, bringing the total to nearly 70 people. ESPN says roughly 54 people remain at the shop.

Those 54 people are apparently waiting on any bit of good news that may come their way in terms of their employment -- and that news might just involve a merger with Gillette-Evernham Motorsports. Such a deal would see the famous No. 43 and possibly 2000 Sprint Cup champ Bobby Labonte move to the GEM stable to create a four-car team.

ESPN's David Newton said a possibility remains that the merger would happen and Labonte move to the GEM No. 41 Target ride while A.J. Allmendinger takes over the No. 43.

Petty's problems come directly from the fact that the team lacks full-season support for the two teams it wants to race in 2009 -- Labonte's No. 43 and a car for the young Chad McCumbee. General Mills left the team at the end of 2008 and will sponsor Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer in 2009.

Even more surprising is that a face of Petty Enterprises no longer associates himself with the team.

Kyle Petty, Richard's son who has driven for the team and served as the team's CEO from 1998 until early this season, said Monday that he's no longer an influence or an employee of the team his father co-owns.

In the article, Kyle said that when Boston Ventures invested in the team in the first part of 2008, it ousted him from being CEO and the team said that his driving services would no longer be needed in 2009.

Granted the decision wasn't too hard to make -- Petty hasn't won a race since 1995, and PE has a whole hasn't won a race since 1999 -- but its still pretty shocking to know that one of the most well-liked faces of the garage area not only got ousted from his father's team but will apparently be ride-less in 2009.

Before the season's penultimate race at Phoenix, we talked about how Petty could be looking at his final career race in NASCAR. He is scheduled to run the 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race.

Obviously, I don't expect Kyle to disappear from the NASCAR world -- he's a go-to guy for the beat writers, has the small television contract with TNT and, in my opinion, should be a constant member of a NASCAR broadcast team -- but the dire straits for PE sure are interesting.

Could we be seeing the end of NASCAR's winningest organization? At this day and age, that seems entirely possible.

Future Getting Darker for Petty Enterprises originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 09:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteGilletteEvernhamMotorsportsKylePettyPettyEnterprisesRichardChildressRacingRichardPettySprintCupGeoffrey MillerWed, 10 Dec 2008 09:43:00 EST Kyle Petty's Cup Career Might Close at PIRhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/09/kyle-pettys-cup-career-might-close-at-pir/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/09/kyle-pettys-cup-career-might-close-at-pir/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/11/09/kyle-pettys-cup-career-might-close-at-pir/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There's been a lot of turmoil in the Petty Enterprises camp as of late thanks to a number of problems facing the once dominant (like, 20 years ago) but now struggling race team thanks primarily to the funding coffers starting to dry up.

The problem is simple -- PE wants to race two teams next season with Bobby Labonte and Chad McCumbee full time with current driver Kyle Petty on a part-time basis without having any sort of adequate funding. So naturally, when money gets tight, people turn sour, and problems arise.

As a result, Kyle Petty (Richard Petty's son who has been in the NASCAR game since 1979 with eight career wins) might be ride-less in 2009 in a move that would likely end what has been a slow trickle down of the number of races he's entered in the past two years.
"Right now, I got nothing," Petty said Saturday at Phoenix, where he'll start 35th in his last race of the year. "Straight up, I got nothing. So I'm still just looking."
Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway (FanHouse is live-bloggin' it again!) will be Petty's last race of the 2008 season because the up and coming McCumbee will try to make the season finale next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Petty has tested with and considered running in a road course racing series in 2009 -- a medium of racing he has some prior experience in.

Regardless, the way things have been shaking out for PE and Kyle have been more than unfortunate in 2008. There's been rumors of in-fighting in the organization and Petty has been a little outspoken on how the way he thinks things should be run are in stark contrast to that of the other PE executives.

That being said and my disappoint for how the PE situation has run such an ugly course in really the past decade, I feel that Kyle's benefit to NASCAR as a whole would be higher in a role other than a driver. The guy truly has a fantastic personality, is a tremendous analyst of all thing's going on in the sport and has been able to pull off some of the biggest charity work this sport has ever seen (which tops any race win by any race driver in my book).

I'll be cheering on Kyle Sunday afternoon if it is indeed his final Sprint Cup race, but I'll be happy to know he'll be making positive impacts on the sport we all love for a long, long time.

Kyle Petty's Cup Career Might Close at PIR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sun, 09 Nov 2008 12:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteChadMcCumbeeHomesteadMiamiSpeedwayKylePettyPettyEnterprisesPhoenixInternationalRacewaySprintCupGeoffrey MillerSun, 09 Nov 2008 12:54:00 EST Earnhardt-Petty Racing? Teams Talk Mergerhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/18/earnhardt-petty-racing-teams-talk-merger/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/18/earnhardt-petty-racing-teams-talk-merger/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/18/earnhardt-petty-racing-teams-talk-merger/#commentsFiled under: , ,

NASCAR's two biggest names -- Earnhardt and Petty -- might fall under the same banner in the near future in the latest sign of how NASCAR's middle-of-the-road teams are struggling to keep pace with multi-car and mega-supported teams in the Sprint Cup Series.

While Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty never were true rivals on-track, the competition between each drivers' stats always persisted. Earnhardt never matched Petty's incredible 200-win total, but in 1992, he reached seven championships in NASCAR's top division to tie "The King".

Knowing that, it seems especially weird that at least one team representative acknowledge this weekend that Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises have had discussions about joining forces.
"I think in this time, in this sport, anybody running from one team to three teams is talking to somebody, and anybody with four teams is trying to get to eight teams," said Loomis, vice president of race operations for Petty Enterprises.

Loomis likened it to what has been taking place throughout the financial world in recent weeks. Organizations such as Petty Enterprises and DEI, which are short on sponsorship dollar commitments for next season, are trying to align themselves with larger companies that are on more solid financial ground.
So there you have it.

Tough times in NASCAR have made a merger of two teams that either have a history themselves or the history of its founding member that have dominated much of NASCAR's 60 years of competition.

Is that good? Is It bad?

Overall, I don't see mergers as a bad thing -- especially in the racing climate NASCAR has grown to. An Earnhardt-Petty Motorsports (or King Intimidator Racing?) is the only way either of those teams has an viable shot at race wins in the future, much less the unlikely championship.

Let's face it: NASCAR has nearly reached Formula One in how effectively large conglomerate teams dominate the sport. Granted the number in NASCAR fills a counting hand closer to capacity, but in all reality, Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing are the only teams that have a shot at winning each weekend at this point.

The combination of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Petty Enterprises is an interesting twist if it goes through, but at the same time, it indicates how delicately smaller teams in NASCAR will have to tread in order to stay afloat in the future.

Earnhardt-Petty Racing? Teams Talk Merger originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:13:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>DaleEarnhardtDEIMartinsvilleMartinsvilleSpeedwayPettyEnterprisesSprintCupGeoffrey MillerSat, 18 Oct 2008 19:13:00 EST LFL: Kyle Busch, Labonte & Sadler Go Pinkhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/11/lfl-kyle-busch-labonte-and-sadler-go-pink/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/11/lfl-kyle-busch-labonte-and-sadler-go-pink/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/10/11/lfl-kyle-busch-labonte-and-sadler-go-pink/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

FanHouse's Geoffrey Miller is at the track in Concord, N.C. for Saturday night's Bank of America 500 in full fan mode. He's hoping to avoid Kevin Harvick's motor coach driver from his location in the Ford Grandstand, Section I.

It's no outlandish statement to say that Kyle Busch could use a change in his Chase for the Sprint Cup fortunes.

He'll try to change it by painting his No. 18 Toyota pink for Saturday night's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway -- and its for a great cause.

Busch, as well as Bobby Labonte's No. 43 and Elliott Sadler's No. 19 will sport pink paint schemes in the Bank of America 500 in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure grassroots breast cancer awareness group -- and I've got to say, the paint jobs look pretty good.

The cars will be sporting the new look thanks to the initiative from each team's respective sponsors making an effort to help promote awareness of breast cancer, and NASCAR having 40 percent of its fan base in women -- according to the press release -- is certainly a great place to do so.

Stanley Tools, M&M's, and General Mills are all also making contributions to the Komen foundation with Stanley pitching in $100,000, M&M's making a minimum donation of $650,000 and General Mills has already tossed $2 million into the cause in 2008.
All of the companies are also having products with a pink theme to them -- though I can't really see someone using a pink Stanley hammer. Of course, I say that in the same mindset thinking that Kyle Busch would have never driven a pink car, but this weekend has proven me wrong.

NASCAR fans can even jump into the action with a $5 donation made from a cell phone by sending the word KOMEN to 90999.

If nothing else, do it for Kyle and his pink car.

LFL: Kyle Busch, Labonte & Sadler Go Pink originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:49:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BankofAmerica500BobbyLabonteChasefortheSprintCupElliottSadlerKyleBuschLiveFromLowesLowesMotorSpeedwayPettyEnterprisesSprintCupToyotaGeoffrey MillerSat, 11 Oct 2008 14:49:00 EST Teams Outside Top 35 Deserve Betterhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/09/teams-outside-top-35-deserve-better/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/09/teams-outside-top-35-deserve-better/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/08/09/teams-outside-top-35-deserve-better/#commentsFiled under: ,

Boris Said has ended up with a ride for Sunday's Sprint Cup event at Watkins Glen thanks to Kyle Petty and his No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge.

By offering their equipment to the road racing ace, Petty's team hopes to learn something for the future.

But for Said, he's just happy to actually be in the race because of what looks like an unfair system for drivers not inside the Top-35 in owner points.

And for Brian Simo -- who also didn't qualify and doesn't have the luxury of another ride -- the method NASCAR used on Friday at Watkins Glen after rain came was even more unfair.

NASCAR canceled the Sprint Cup series' first practice and the qualifying session thanks to the rain, but still had time to get a full practice in for the Nationwide Series, in addition to a Grand Am series race.

I'll let Boris explain why that isn't exactly fair:


Said had previously stated that a rainout would cost his team about $250,000 as he failed to make the show with his No Fear Racing group.

Said needed to get in Sunday's race via qualifying and spoke of his situation prior to NASCAR's decision to cancel the session.

That's the risk part-time teams like Said's take when trying to make Sprint Cup races. [...]

"We put so much money into coming up here and not even to get a chance to qualify is a little disappointing."
Now I understand that there are days at the track that are completely dominated by rain and there's nothing anyone can do about it, but Watkins Glen on Friday wasn't one of those days.

Can't NASCAR have at least a little more flexibility when it comes to the weekend schedule?

Or at least, can't they have a little more flexibility in trying to help out the teams outside the guaranteed Top-35 in owner points?

I understand that Friday turned into a time-packed schedule thanks to the rain and that two things needed to definitely happen -- Nationwide Series practice and the Grand Am race.

But what if NASCAR took the stand to say that the Top-35 positions in the Sprint Cup series will not qualify and will be set by points, but all the teams outside the Top-35 will get a chance to qualify Friday afternoon or Saturday morning?

That at least should be a thought for the sake of teams like Said and Simo who put up a ton of money to just go to the race, only to be snubbed by what on the outside looks like a sanctioning body that doesn't want to pull the audible trigger.

It seems simple to me -- give the 9 cars who were at Watkins Glen and weren't guaranteed a spot 20-30 minutes of practice, and then run a quick qualifying session for them. All told, the amount of time involved for Sprint Cup with a Nationwide Series practice in between would be about an hour.

And to think, this system seems even more logical when there was actually on-track activity on Friday that didn't involve rain tires for a few hours, rather than a complete washout of a day.

I say if they are willing to show up at the track without a guaranteed spot, give 'em a chance to make it in. If nothing else, it's more drama and more "show" -- something that NASCAR has become increasingly more about.

Teams Outside Top 35 Deserve Better originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 09 Aug 2008 01:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BorisSaidKylePettyPettyEnterprisesSprintCupWatkinsGlenGeoffrey MillerSat, 09 Aug 2008 01:02:00 EST Kyle Petty Out Again, Returns at Watkins Glenhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/kyle-petty-out-again-returns-at-watkins-glen/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/kyle-petty-out-again-returns-at-watkins-glen/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/kyle-petty-out-again-returns-at-watkins-glen/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In case you hadn't noticed, Kyle Petty hasn't been in a race car since May for the Coca-Cola 600.

Since then, a number of things have taken precedence over him returning to the No. 45 Petty Enterprises Dodge. First, it was his daughter's wedding, then he had the six race TV commentator stint with TNT. Last weekend at Indy, Petty put Terry Labonte in the car to make sure the No. 45 made the race thanks to Terry's past champion provisional.

And after that Brickyard tire fiasco, it was pretty obvious that he made the right choice to not be behind the wheel.

But, after missing seven straight races because of the other commitments, Petty will also miss this weekend's Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway, instead having young gun Chad McCumbee in the driver's seat.

Petty is supposed to return to the No. 45 for next weekend's road course event at Watkins Glen -- at track he won at in the early 90's. Terry Labonte, though, will be in the car for the race at Michigan International Speedway the following week.

So, in total, Petty will have intentionally sat out of eight races in 2008 which seems pretty significant for a driver who is supposed to be a full-time driver in the Sprint Cup Series. To me, this just furthers the thought that Kyle Petty needs to put some deep consideration into retiring as a full-time driver.

And I say that because I think he could devote himself to many other roles both in and out of NASCAR that he would be simply marvelous at. One of those would be taking a bigger role in the TV commentator business -- something I think Kyle is great at.

And of course, he would still have the two Victory Junction Gang camps to operate as well as having a the leading role in Petty Enterprises.

The results haven't been good for a while in the No. 45 Dodge for Petty, and potentially putting a driver in the car that would truly have nothing else on his plate than driving a race car both during race weekends and testing could make a big difference for the team as a whole, including Bobby Labonte's No. 43.

Kyle Petty Out Again, Returns at Watkins Glen originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>KylePettyMichiganInternationalSpeedwayPettyEnterprisesTerryLabonteWatkinsGlenGeoffrey MillerWed, 30 Jul 2008 21:15:00 EST Predicting Petty Announcementhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/11/predicting-wednesdays-petty-announcement/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/11/predicting-wednesdays-petty-announcement/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/06/11/predicting-wednesdays-petty-announcement/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When I woke up Wednesday morning, inside my box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (It's got the swirls!) was a toy die-cast car of Richard Petty's No. 43 with Fruity Cheerios on the hood.

Naturally, I was inspired to put on the hat of Kyle Petty, and predict what would happen at the Wednesday news conference hosted by Petty Enterprises -- or at least predict what I think should happen.

On the PE website, there is a word of of a news conference for "news about the future of the organization". So then, what really should be in the future of the organization? Here's my list and the odds that it will happen:

1) Get an outside investor: It's been obvious for many years now that PE has been heavily underfunded compared to the biggest teams in NASCAR. Now, there's been rumors galore this season of a new influx of cash coming on board, and I certainly hope its true.

Petty needs that investor to make the team viable in the Sprint Cup world again. Odds: 1/1

2) Sign Bobby Labonte: It's been frustrating for Bobby Labonte fans since his 2000 championship with Joe Gibbs Racing because the driver simply hasn't had the equipment to do more after his move to Petty Enterprises. There have been flashes of the Bobby Labonte of old but each time, it seems, the equipment he's in from PE holds him back.


I have a feeling Bobby is going to re-sign with news of an investor today, but that option to head to Richard Childress Racing is still on the radar. Odds: 8/1

3) Move Kyle Petty to Retirement: Petty, now in the TNT TV booth for the next five races, simply needs to hang it up for good. I am a huge fan of having him in the television booth, in addition to his frequent radio appearances on PRN. This season, Petty has made a case for someone to look at his performance and say "He only drives because he's the owner".

Come on, Kyle, give in, step down, and help your team. Odds: 37/1

You can enjoy the Petty news conference at 11:00am/ET on SPEED or ESPNews. Then, come back to the 'House and see how I did.

Predicting Petty Announcement originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteKylePettyPettyEnterprisesSprintCupGeoffrey MillerWed, 11 Jun 2008 07:58:00 EST Loomis "Not Worried" About Labonte Leavinghttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/02/loomis-not-worried-about-labonte-leaving/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/02/loomis-not-worried-about-labonte-leaving/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/02/loomis-not-worried-about-labonte-leaving/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Not so fast says Petty Enterprises' Robbie Loomis about Bobby Labonte bolting the team in 2009.

Labonte, who currently drives Petty's No. 43, lost his primary sponsor General Mills Tuesday when the company announced it would head to Richard Childress Racing for 2009.

That announcement fueled speculation across the NASCAR world that Labonte would leave the struggling Petty operation and follow his sponsor to RCR.

Loomis, Petty's vice president of racing operations, had another opinion:
"I've led a race after 499 laps and gotten turned on Turn 2 of the final lap and lost," Loomis said. "But when Bobby came to Petty Enterprises he wanted to be a part of the rebuilding process. I believe now more than ever he wants to see that through and be the driver that puts the 43 back in Victory Lane.

"I see us being together for a long time."
I'll admit, I don't really understand why Loomis is talking about leading a race -- especially given that Petty hasn't been leading too many races lately, but his words about Labonte seem to make sense.

The driver signed with Petty to rebuild an organization with a plethora of history behind, and he hasn't exactly done that yet.

If Labonte does leave, however, the best coming down the pipeline is Chad McCumbee for PE, and a rookie isn't the greatest guy to rebuild a race team. Darker days would be the name of the game in Petty country if that were to happen.

Part of me wants Labonte to go to a competitive program at RCR, but another part wants to me to see if Petty Enterprises can turn their program around.

Loomis "Not Worried" About Labonte Leaving originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabontePettyEnterprisesRichardChildressRacingGeoffrey MillerWed, 02 Apr 2008 21:18:00 EST Bobby Labonte Appears Headed to RCRhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/01/bobby-labonte-appears-headed-to-rcr/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/01/bobby-labonte-appears-headed-to-rcr/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/04/01/bobby-labonte-appears-headed-to-rcr/#commentsFiled under: , ,

So after some tom-foolery here on FanHouse this morning, here's today's real news:

Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, looks to be more convincingly headed to Richard Childress Racing for the 2009 season with sponsor General Mills.

Yahoo! first reported some possibilities between Labonte and RCR, and with today's announcement from General Mills about moving to RCR for 2009, the Labonte rumor only heats up.

Here's some text from the General Mills announcement by way of the Charlotte Observer's David Poole:
General Mills will sponsor a fourth team at RCR, the No. 33 Chevrolets. No driver was named for that car, but there has already been at least one published report that Bobby Labonte will move along with the sponsor to RCR.

"RCR is honored to represent General Mills and its Cheerios, Hamburger Helper and many other brands in the NASCAR Cup Series," team owner Richard Childress said.
Labonte seems like an ideal fit for that ride, as he already is driving for Childress in the Nationwide Series. The move to Petty Enterprises for the champion hasn't panned out like he thought it would with a resurgence of success at PE.

You've got to think that Petty Enterprises has to be feeling a little bit of heat in losing a primary sponsor when Kyle Petty is having a tough time even making races and Labonte isn't able to perform at his level due to equipment.

Silly season each year in NASCAR just can't start soon enough anymore, can it?

Bobby Labonte Appears Headed to RCR originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>BobbyLabonteChevroletKylePettyMartinsvilleSpeedwayPettyEnterprisesRichardChildressRichardChildressRacingSamsung500SprintCupTexasMotorSpeedwayGeoffrey MillerTue, 01 Apr 2008 15:55:00 EST Yahoo! Says Bobby Labonte to RCR in '09http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/23/yahoo-says-bobby-labonte-to-rcr-in-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/23/yahoo-says-bobby-labonte-to-rcr-in-09/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2008/02/23/yahoo-says-bobby-labonte-to-rcr-in-09/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Richard Childress Racing could be bringing in that fourth car that they tried to unsuccessfully land for 2008 quicker than anticipated.

Yahoo! Sports' Bob Margolis reports that he has a source saying Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup Champion, will move from Petty Enterprises to the RCR stable beginning in 2009. From Yahoo!'s Margolis:
"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.

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."
This report, it if holds true, might set the record for the quickest time in which NASCAR's silly season -- the time when drivers and teams swap around -- has started.


Labonte would be a great pickup for RCR's operations, especially if he can bring along a sponsorship. On the other hand, it would be a huge blow to Petty Enterprises.

I'm still taking this report as a grain of salt because Childress' quote isn't directly aimed at the report and during the Dale Earnhardt Jr. circus in 2007, Yahoo!'s coverage had some inaccurate reports coming out about the specifics.

2008 may have changed that, but we'll see. Look for this story to gather steam this weekend.

Yahoo! Says Bobby Labonte to RCR in '09 originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>AutoClub500Geoffrey MillerSat, 23 Feb 2008 00:53:00 EST NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review<br>Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodgehttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/17/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-bobby-labonte-no-43-p/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/17/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-bobby-labonte-no-43-p/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/12/17/nascar-fanhouse-top-25-year-in-review-br-bobby-labonte-no-43-p/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Welcome to the 2007 NASCAR FanHouse Year in Review. Follow along each day until the end of 2007 as we look back on the top 25 drivers of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series for the 2007 season. Heck, bookmark us if you have to! Today, we review the season of 18th-place Bobby Labonte.

Driver: Bobby Labonte -- Corpus Christi, Texas
Team: No. 42 Betty Crocker/Cheerios Dodge
Points: 18th (-3206)
2006: Finished 21st in Season Standings
Key Stats: 3 Top-10s, 3 DNFs
Back in 2008?: Yes

Bobby Labonte won his first, and thus far only, championship in 2000 with a dominating mix of speed and consistency with Joe Gibbs Racing. That consistency part hasn't changed much despite his departure from Joe Gibbs Racing a few years ago.

Labonte didn't have incredibly telling statistics for 2007 like wins, poles, or even Top-5s. He scored just three finishes in the Top-10 during the 36-race campaign. How, then, did Labonte finish the highest position a car from Petty Enterprises has finished in the final season standings since 1999?

Consistency.

He wasn't consistently great, but he wasn't consistently bad, either. Labonte's three DNF's in 2007 came at the expense of only 4.8% of the total laps run in all of the 2007 races. Stack those numbers with the abilities of the lower-budget Petty team, and Labonte is really doing some good work in the No. 43.

Six spots outside of the Chase in 2007 could lead to a surprise victory in 2008 for Labonte if Petty is able to step up their next-generation car program to a nearly level field at times. A victory for Labonte and the No. 43 would be very well-received in the stands.

NASCAR FanHouse Top 25 Year-in-Review
Bobby Labonte, No. 43 Petty Enter. Dodge originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Top25DriversGeoffrey MillerMon, 17 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST Hendrick's Meendering Heads to Pettyhttp://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2007/11/26/hendricks-meendering-heads-to-petty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Be sure to let voice be heard at the FanHouse NASCAR FanVote.

Petty Enterprises picked up a new crew chief this week.

Jeff Meendering, a now-former employee of Hendrick Motorsports, will take over the top of the pit box for former Cup champion Bobby Labonte, effective immediately.

Meendering served as Jeff Gordon's crew chief during the six-race stretch over the summer that normal crew chief Steve Letarte was suspended for infractions at Infineon Raceway. During that stretch, Gordon was winless but still picked up 4 Top-5s and didn't finish outside of the Top-10.

A relationship with Robbie Loomis, Gordon's previous crew chief and now vice-president of race operations at PE, helped Meendering land the job.
"Robbie Loomis gave me the opportunity to join the No. 24 team in 2001 and I learned from him, and Steve Letarte, how to prepare and execute at the track," said Meendering.

In 2007, Labonte's No. 43 Dodges finished 18th in points with no Top-5s and just 3 Top-10s. Labonte hasn't won a Nextel Cup event since Homestead in 2003 with his former team, Joe Gibbs Racing.

Petty Enterprises has suffered through a long winless streak as well. Their last win was in 1999 with John Andretti at Martinsville. However, Labonte's 17th-place finish in the final Nextel Cup Standings was the highest for any Petty Enterprises team since 1999.

Hendrick's Meendering Heads to Petty originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Mon, 26 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>crew chiefsCrewChiefsHendrick MotorsportsHendrickMotorsportsJeff MeenderingJeffMeenderingSprint CupSprintCupGeoffrey MillerMon, 26 Nov 2007 20:23:00 EST