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Every time I watch a race and see the number 43, all I can think of is the Petty blue Charger hot roddin' down the track in the lead. The King still leaves an indelible mark on sport and is the model of the gentleman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mczdJenc07A

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Plymouth Stock Car Racer and Racing Legend Richard Petty

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[h=2]Petty set for Chevy switch, RCR alliance - reports[/h] Thursday, 07 December 2017


By Kelly Crandall / Image by Nigel Kinrade/LAT



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Richard Petty's proclamation back in October that a "completely different RPM" would be showing up to Daytona in February is coming to fruition.


After signing Darrell Wallace Jr. to drive the No. 43 car, Richard Petty Motorsports will switch its manufacturer alliance from Ford to Chevrolet beginning in 2018. The team is also moving from Mooresville onto the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina. In doing so, the two organizations will form an alliance.









There have been no official announcements or comments from any of the parties involved. However, SportsBusiness Daily reported details Thursday before Petty then confirmed the news to Kickin' the Tires at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Indianapolis.


"We are off in the corner up at RCR. When you first come in you go by the museum and we've got the first building up there," Petty told Kickin' the Tires. "We're on the campus but we're not really on the campus. We are on the corner of the campus. I guess he [Richard Childress] done that so he could kick us out if we get to causing too much trouble up there."


RPM has been primarily a Ford team since 2010. On the manufacturer switch Petty said, "We're switching to something. ... It's a pretty forgone conclusion what is going on right now. We'll probably be working off [Childress] sort of like we did off of Roush with Ford."


Wallace, 24, replaces Aric Almirola, who had been Petty's driver for the past six seasons. Almirola returned the team to victory lane for the first time since 2011 when he was declared the winner of the rain-shortened July race at Daytona in 2014. He also competed in the playoffs that year.
Almirola is headed to Stewart-Haas Racing and Wallace shined during his tenure in the No. 43 when Almirola was injured early in the summer. In his final race with the team at Kentucky Speedway, Wallace earned a career-best 11th-place finish.


But there are many questions still to be answered. The biggest regards a large portion of sponsorship for Wallace as Smithfield has left RPM to follow Almirola. STP will return for two races in 2018 and Click n' Close was welcomed last month for what will be at least three races.
There has also been no announcement from RCR about the fate of the No. 27 car as Paul Menard has departed the company for Wood Brothers Racing.

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[h=2]Can RPM find a way out of the shadows?[/h] Monday, 11 December 2017


Kelly Crandall / Images by Harrelson/LAT; LAT South; Miller/LAT



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Richard Petty Motorsports is finding its relevance again.

The October signing of Darrell Wallace Jr., a young, talented and engaging personality, was the first step. Wallace is a driver many have wanted to see get an opportunity at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level, and the NASCAR sanctioning body is highly invested in seeing one of its Drive for Diversity graduates in the headlines.

That said, I already expected eyeballs on the No. 43 in 2018. Last week's announcement that RPM is joining forces with Richard Childress Racing and moving under the Chevrolet banner adds to that tenfold.

Aside from having seven-time premier series champion Richard Petty as the co-owner of the organization, there has been nothing to make RPM a story in recent years. The team does not seriously contend for wins, or consistent top 10 finishes, and is a long way from being a playoff-challenging team.

That statement is not meant to be insulting, it's a simple acknowledgement of where RPM currently is.

Aric Almirola – who must prove himself in championship-caliber equipment at Stewart-Haas Racing – was Petty's primary driver for the past six years. Almirola did what he could for the team while being an excellent representative for both "The King" and sponsor Smithfield.

A rain-shortened win at Daytona International Speedway in July 2014 was a feel-good moment for Almirola and generated a week of welcome attention for RPM. Sure, that victory also put the team into the playoffs, but aside from those wearing the No.43 logos, there were no expectations once the postseason began.

To be fair, the disappointment extends beyond Almirola. Nine drivers ran full-time in a Petty car from 2009-2017 with five wins earned during that period. Aside from Almirola, there were two road course victories from Marcos Ambrose (2011, below, at Watkins Glen, and 2012) and Kasey Kahne carried Petty to Victory Lane twice in 2009 on his way to a 10th-place finish in the points.



However, the most attention RPM has received in recent years was from Almirola's unfortunate and vicious accident in Kansas: the same accident that ultimately led the way for Wallace to get behind the wheel.

So, if it isn't clear by now, let me spell it out: RPM needed to do something, and quick, if it's to avoid completely fading into obscurity.

"This is our next chapter of Petty racing," said Petty when the announcement of Wallace's arrival was made. "We need to provide Bubba, Drew [Blickensderfer, crew chief] and the rest of the team with the tools necessary to be successful on the track, and I feel strongly this is the best move for RPM, our partners and everyone involved with our team.

"Chevrolet has been a consistent winner in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for a long time and we're proud to be part of the GM family again. We feel we can immediately win with Chevrolet and our new alliance with RCR."

First, kudos to the Petty camp for knowing this was a necessary move. Second, calm down, Richard.

Aligning with Childress and Chevrolet will provide your organization an upgrade in equipment. I think that's a given. RCR may not be on the level of Hendrick Motorsports or Chip Ganassi Racing, but they, too, are working hard to bolster themselves during this rough stretch following the departure of Kevin Harvick.

The good news is that RCR knows it has the people and the pieces, they just need to put it all together for results. RPM will also now know it has everything it needs to succeed and friends to help it do so. Plus, the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is going to be a massive coup for all.

Change is good for RPM. It is also necessary. And it will make them worthy of attention next season.

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RPM enlists Air Force for July 4, Veterans Day weekends

By RACER Staff



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The United States Air Force will partner with Richard Petty Motorsports for the 10th consecutive year, sponsoring Bubba Wallace's No. 43 Chevy during the July 4 weekend at Daytona and Veterans Day weekend at Phoenix.

"The Air Force is excited to partner with Richard Petty Motorsports once again and this year we are 'enlisting' a new driver, Darrell 'Bubba' Wallace, Jr.," said Timothy Hanson, Air Force Recruiting Service Strategic Marketing Division chief. "NASCAR and other motorsports align well with our target audience's interests and the Air Force's commitment to teamwork and technology."

Air Force Recruiting Service, charged with the mission to inspire, engage and recruit future Airmen, sees the continued association as an opportunity to build awareness about the Air Force.
"The combination of Bubba Wallace and the iconic No. 43 provides a continuing sponsorship opportunity that reflects our Air Force core values and has a positive impact on generating public awareness about the U.S. Air Force, our people and our mission," Hanson said. "Like NASCAR, much of our work is based on science, technology, engineering and math principles and this sponsorship is a great way to highlight that connection."
Added Richard Petty: "The U.S. Air Force has been partners with us for a long time. It's a special partnership for us because we get to thank the men and women who protect our freedom each weekend, but also get to talk to new recruits about the Air Force and what opportunities they have. It's been great for both of us."
The agreement marks the Air Force's 18th year as a sponsor in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

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Petty and company riding high with Wallace

Image by Nigel Kinrade/LAT

By: Kelly Crandall

Signature cowboy hat in place and dark sunglasses hiding his eye, the charisma of NASCAR’s king was still easily felt as he spoke about his rookie driver earlier this week.
“Well, that’s what we hired him to do,” seven-time champion Richard Petty said of Darrell Wallace Jr. The quip following a question about how it feels to see the legendary No. 43 running up front in recent Monster Energy Series races such as Daytona and Bristol.
Humor aside, Petty didn’t deny the team has had quite a bit of learning to do. Behind the wheel, Wallace has just 14 starts under his belt in the premier series, and the team is still adjusting to the numerous changes it took on during the offseason.

“We’ve struggled to a certain extent because we had to move our shop and get oriented in that,” said Petty. “Then we’re working with a bunch of new people that we’ve never worked with before. Got a different car than we’ve ever had before. All that stuff is starting to come together now.”
Richard Petty Motorsports is now located on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina. The alliance with RCR and its staff has been “great,” said Petty, and the organization gives RPM everything it asks for. Then again, Petty admits, “we maybe don’t know what to ask for.”
Of course, the other change is Wallace driving Chevrolet Camaros. For the last nine years, Petty had represented the Blue Oval for Ford.
“I think we’re still learning and he’s a rookie, he’s still learning also,” said Petty. “If we don’t make a mistake and he don’t make mistake, we finish pretty good – and we’ve done that three or four times so far.
“But if you look back at some of the races, he’s either made a mistake or we’ve made a mistake and took him out of the race. So, those are the things we’ve got to overcome.”
Help may have arrived through the addition of a new sponsor. The organization announced Tuesday that World Wide Technology will be a primary sponsor for six upcoming races. However, the deal extends beyond a paint scheme and financial terms as Petty engineers are working closely with engineers from WWT.
World Wide Technology analyzes and dissects data. Petty believes WWT doing that with racing information, such as aerodynamics, chassis, even the weather impacting the engine, can be a performance benefit.
“We’ve had the information, we just don’t know what to do with it,” said Petty.
Wallace is 22nd in points going into Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway.

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Maurice Petty, 2020

Gregg Forwerck/Getty Images via NASCAR
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emailBy RACER Staff | 8 hours ago

Sad news today from North Carolina, a statement from Richard Petty Enterprises noting Maurice Petty, famed engine builder, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, and foundational member of the Petty family stock car racing dynasty.

The statement read:

The Petty family announces with great sadness the loss of Maurice Petty, Maurice, a stock-car racing pioneer whose career supplied the horsepower that propelled Petty Enterprises to victories, was 81 years old.

Born in 1939 into the Petty’s of Level Cross, N.C., a legendary family known for their wins and championships, Maurice would soon become an integral part of continuing the dynasty. Maurice was a participant at track even before his teenage years, and would be part of his father Lee’s three championships and 54 wins.

Maurice, chief engine builder at Petty Enterprises, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014. He was the first engine builder to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Brothers Richard and Maurice Petty comprised part of a Petty family dynasty that netted 198 victories and seven titles in the sport’s premier series. He built engines that roared, and was a talented mechanic and driver, an occasional crew chief and team general manager who became known in the garage simply as “Chief.”

Maurice’s talent building engine secured his place in history — credited with 212 wins as an engine builder among six different drivers. In addition to Richard Petty, the drivers who won with his engines were Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton.

Maurice was the crew chief for Pete Hamilton for the 1970 Daytona 500 and the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway victories. As a driver, Maurice had 26 NASCAR Cup Series starts with seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes between 1960 and 1964.

Patricia, his wife of 52 years, Patricia’s loving support was integral to his legendary career, and provided the foundation of the family.
Petty Enterprises patriarch Lee Petty (at left), driver Pete Hamilton and engine builder Maurice Petty celebrate after Hamilton’s 1970 Daytona 500 win. Image by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Later, NASCAR chairman and CEO Jim France, issued a statement, commenting: The ‘Chief’ was one of the most talented mechanics in NASCAR history. He provided the power that helped Petty Enterprises define dominance in sports. While he was known for his work under the hood, Maurice played multiple “behind-the-scenes” roles, doing whatever it took to help deliver his cars to Victory Lane. On behalf of the France family, I offer my condolences to the friends and family of Maurice Petty, a true NASCAR giant.

Richard Petty Motorsports, Cup Series, NASCAR

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This Racing Accident Ended Richard Petty's Drag Racing Career during NASCAR Boycott

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In 1965, NASCAR's King, Richard Petty was in a dilemma when rival OEM's were unhappy with the dominance of Chrysler's Hemi motor. This would result in Richard Petty leaving NASCAR to drag race in 1965, which would lead to one of Richard Petty's darkest days.