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Published on Friday, Dec 05, 2008
From Beacon Journal wire services
Petty Enterprises is in discussions to merge its storied franchise with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, the Associated Press has learned.
Multiple people familiar with the talks told the AP on Thursday that the two teams were discussing a deal that would merge Petty's famed No. 43 Dodge with GEM to become a four-car operation. They requested anonymity because the negotiations are ongoing.
SI.com first reported that Petty Enterprises' top operation will not return in 2009. But David Zucker, CEO of Petty Enterprises, said the report was ''not accurate.''
He would not discuss a potential merger. ''We're not going to comment on rumors and speculation,'' he said.
Petty, the team founded by seven-time series champion Richard Petty, has no full-time sponsorship lined up for next season. The team fields its flagship No. 43 for 2000 NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte and a second car that Chad McCumbee and Kyle Petty shared this season. Kyle Petty was expected to have a minimal role — if any — with the organization next season.
Robbie Loomis, vice president of Petty Enterprises, told the AP nothing has changed with the organization, and that the team is continuing to talk to potential partners.
''We're in the same place we were a month ago, when everyone was saying we were going to merge with [Chip] Ganassi,'' Loomis said. ''We're still talking to everybody and seeing what's out there.''
Ganassi, which like Petty fields Dodges, instead merged with Chevrolet-backed Dale Earnhardt Inc. late last month.
Drew Brown, a spokesman for Gillett Evernham, said the team would not comment on any potential merger with another team. But it's no secret that majority owner George Gillett Jr. has canvassed the industry looking for a partner that would help his team expand to the NASCAR maximum four cars.
Two for Kansas?
NASCAR chairman Brian France said earlier this week in New York that it is more likely that Kansas Speedway could get its second race date on the 2010 Sprint Cup schedule than for Kentucky Speedway to have its request approved for an inaugural race there.
International Speedway Corp. is planning to ask NASCAR to move one of its dates to Kansas, and Speedway Motorsports Inc. is planning to seek to move a date to Kentucky.
Neither ISC nor SMI has indicated which track it wants to move a date from in its realignment requests.
Extra laps
Rodney Childers will join Michael Waltrip Racing as crew chief for David Reutimann's No. 00 Toyota in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series next year, the team announced. Childers, who served as crew chief on the No. 19 Gillett Evernham Dodge driven by Elliott Sadler in 2008, replaces Ryan Pemberton, who sought his release from MWR to join Red Bull Racing as crew chief for the No. 83 Toyota driven by Brian Vickers. . . . Donnie Wingo will serve as Jamie McMurray's crew chief for the 2009 Cup season, Roush Fenway Racing announced. Wingo served as McMurray's crew chief for three seasons at Ganassi Racing. . . . Gillett Evernham Motorsports founder Ray Evernham announced he has purchased East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C. Evernham says he bought the track in an effort to help up-and-coming drivers find an affordable way to hone their skills.
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