Petty to Chevy?
 

Petty to Chevy?: According to sources, principals from RPM met with Richard Childress Racing management earlier this week to discuss the possibility of becoming a satellite team similar to the relationship that the Welcome, N.C.-based organization has with #78 Furniture Row Racing. "No comment on anything because I don't have a clue what's going on," Richard Petty said. "When we get everything squared away, we'll talk to you. Other than that, there ain't nothing. There ain't nothing there 'til we bring something there, and right now we have nothing." Sources say the move to Chevrolet would include technical support from the manufacturer in the form of sheet metal, wind tunnel time and engineering. Petty Enterprises last ran Pontiacs under the General Motors banner before switching to Dodge in 2001.(FoxSports)(9-8-2012)

Ambrose hopes to return to the #9 in 2013: #9-Marcos Ambrose admitted Thursday that his contract status remains unsettled for next season and beyond at Richard Petty Motorsports, which fields his #9 Ford. "Does that worry me? Yeah, that worries me a little bit," Ambrose said. "I've had a pretty good season, and I want to be in NASCAR. I'm working with RPM. Hopefully I can be with them for a long time to come, but there is no guarantee. Obviously RPM has been through a lot this season, as they have the last few seasons. And I'm here to help them get to where they want to go, and hopefully it works out for me." Sammy Johns, director of operations for RPM, recently said that the company is working hard to keep Ambrose and Aric Almirola, driver of the #43, in the fold for next season. But he admitted that there are other matters that must be determined, such as which manufacturer umbrella RPM will operate under. "We've got a lot of things in the works right now," Johns said. Ambrose understands. He said he's also very confident it all will work out and he will remain in the #9 car for RPM. "They're telling me that they're good for two cars. And I believe 'em," Ambrose said. "I would love to drive one of them, but it's a matter of making it all work. We're hopefully going to get serious here soon and see how it all stacks up. But right now, we're just going to focus on this Chase. We've all got good intentions to keep it all together, so I don't see why it wouldn't all work out."(NASCAR.com)(9-8-2012)

Feel sorry for Marcos . . . he bleeds Ford blue.

He will most likely leave if Petty switch to somebody else, just like he did at Daugherty.

I feel as if I am waking up to a bad dream.

Petty expects to stay with Ford; Ambrose and Almirola to return: Richard Petty is busy lining up his team for 2013 (and, hopefully, beyond), and he is moving in waters that remain choppy and with changeable tides. Discussions about Richard Petty Motorsports' future continue, but the landscape as it currently is painted appears to keep the RPM cars in the Ford camp for the next season, although the King has been talking with more than a few other possible partners. "It looks like there is not going to be a lot of change there for next year, but there's no concrete stuff yet," Petty said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. "We're figuring on staying in exactly the same place, with the same operation from a manufacturing standpoint. We don't see a change unless somebody else comes up with something." Petty said he expects drivers #9-Marcos Ambrose and #43-Aric Almirola to return but admitted the die is not cast.(SPEED)(9-15-2012)

His options for next year are fairly limited, but 2014 becomes interesting if Dodge builds a new team and looks for a name to slap on it. If he's going to stay 2nd-tier team he should probably just stick with Ford, though.

UPDATE: The director of Ford Racing said on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway that the manufacturer is "very close'' to a new deal with Richard Petty Motorsports. "All the pieces are in place,'' Jamie Allison said before the Chase opener. "We're working on giving them the tools so they can be competitive. It's all going to work." There was a report last week that Chevrolet might be in the mix for RPM, but sources close to the situation said the plan is to re-sign with Ford. Allison was excited about the prospects of keeping RPM in the Ford camp. He also mentioned maintaining a relationship with Marcos Ambrose, the driver of RPM's #9 car who is in the final year of his contract. He did not mention Aric Almirola, the driver of the #43 who also is in the final year of his contract.(ESPN)(9-17-2012)

Lets get it done! Long tern Deal but Petty is still a Dodge guy, I dont think he would ever go with Chevy or Toyota... At least I hope not...

He drove for GM (Chevy, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick) back in the 1970s and 1980s.

http://api.ning.com/files/0hVUuwN6Ea...lrichChevy.jpg

I refuse to remember those days... Especially the Pontiac..LOL

Too young to remember; thank God. :)

I had a model of his STP Pontiac, got it at the same time my parents bought a Ponty. By the time that model was finished, we HATED Pontiacs.

#43 was a Pontiac in the 90s too wasn't it? I thought I remember it was When John Andretti was driving it.

The Petty group started with the Olds and dabbled in the rest of GM garbage and settled on the Pontiac. In between, they made their bread and butter with Plymouth/ Dodge. In (I believe if memory serves me right) 1969 , they tried a Ford and had a very good year with it! Of course, what's not to like?!

It was Richard Petty alone who switched to Holman Moody Ford in 1969 (Petty Enterprises continued to use Plymouths) because he wanted to drive the new 1969 Dodge Daytona, but Chrysler insisted that he stays with Plymouth. Because of that he went to Holman Moody and drove 1969 Ford Torino Talladega. I think he won 10 races in 1969 and finished 2nd in standing (behind David Pearson, another Holman Moody's driver). When Plymouth introduced the 1970 Superbird, he went back to Plymouth ...

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Cool Pics!!

I wonder how Lee Petty felt about Richard going to Ford that year?!

From what I've read, Richard and Lee didn't really get along too well ..

Yup and just like some folks forget Dale Sr. Drove a T Bird also!!

So did Jeff Gordon ...
He was actually supposed to drive for Roush, but Jack Roush and Gordon's stepfather couldn't agree on the crew chief. Gordon's stepfather wanted Ray Evernham (which he eventually got at Hendrick) and Jack wanted to pick his own crew chief. Gordon's stepfather actually hang up the phone on Jack when Jack told him that. Gordon then went to Hendrick and won 3 championships with Evernham ...

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