What will Richard Petty and his investors come up with for 2013?
Richard Petty's legendary 43: what's up for 2013? Aric Almirola slapped the wall in Friday qualifying at Michigan and was forced to go to his backup
(Updated)
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
BROOKLYN, Mich.
The future for Richard Petty and his two-car team is up in the air, and even Marcos Ambrose' victory at Watkins Glen may not clinch another major deal with Ford and Jack Roush, at least possibly not at the current price tag.
That's one of the storylines here this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
Grumbling complaints at the low-budget end of the Sprint Cup garage that mega-teams are ruining the sport and that NASCAR needs to limit owners to just two Cup teams is another story bubbling up.
The new asphalt is another.
The new high-speed asphalt here proved troublesome in June, but this time Goodyear's new tires are working well so far, Goodyear's Rick Heinrich says.
New asphalt is typically a low-wear situation, which can create heat issues, which is what Goodyear is trying to mitigate this time.
Martin Truex Jr., though, says there was little grip on the track for most of the afternoon practice session.
And Goodyear, at NASCAR's request, has released all the race day 400 tires early, so teams can scuff them in Saturday morning if they wish. Scuffing generally hardens a tire, making it more resistant to blistering.
Martin Truex Jr. -- going to the championship playoffs, but still needs a win...and a new contract (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Teams were generally practicing on qualifying setups, because pole runs were in the late afternoon, and final pre-race practice will be Saturday morning. Dale Earnhardt Jr., winner here in June, put 17 laps on a set before going into qualifying mode; no Cup driver ran more laps.
That had crews and engineers looking at Truck practice sessions for better idea of how the tires would work on long runs.
"The Trucks have had a lot of time out there. We've seen one set that had 40 laps and it looked good," Goodyear's Heinrich said.
"We have had no indications of any heat issues or wear problems.
"Everything looks good."
Ryan Newman agrees: "The only issue you could say is they don’t really wear out. But that’s on the safety factor right now with the new asphalt. I talked to the Goodyear guys and told them they were safe. Everything should be good."
Matt Kenseth (R) and crew chief Jimmy Fennig: championship contenders...but they haven't won since February (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
Not everyone agrees, like Truex: "The track was really slick (at the start of Friday practice).
"It took really the whole (90-minute) practice to get any kind of grip in the car and track.
"Every time you went out, you're getting a little bit faster. But until the very last run it was just absolutely treacherous.
"Not real sure what was going on there."
And that was after a lot of Truck practice, to put down rubber.
A major 28-team test two weeks ago was held, to check Goodyear's tires.
"When we did the tire test here, and (when) we raced here last time, in practice it was a little bit the same way, but never as bad as this practice was.
"It was kind of strange.
"We never really got a lot of laps on the track today. We went out there and ran a lap or two and then somebody blew up. We had a caution, the track sat, and then that happened again.
"Just took a little while to get some grip in the track. And really until our last two runs, it was pointless to even make laps.
"Hopefully the track will come in... and it finally did."
Juan Pablo Montoya and crew chief Chris Heroy: 22nd in the standings. And most of the teams further down in the points are all sweating the economics of this sport, and looking for some answers -- from NASCAR (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
The balance of power on the Sprint Cup tour seems more unbalanced than ever right now, with Rick Hendrick men dominating.
Yes, Greg Biffle and teammate Matt Kenseth are just a point or two behind tour leader Jimmie Johnson, heading toward next month's playoffs. But Johnson has three wins since Biffle and Kenseth last won, back at the start of the season, and Hendrick men, including Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman, have won 11 times this season to Roush's three.
And until the final lap at Watkins Glen eventual winner Marcos Ambrose was running third behind Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.
Ambrose' win comes at a particularly crucial moment for the Richard Petty-Jack Roush operation. Petty's two-team contract with Ford is up at the end of the season, and Petty's overtures to Dodge irritated Ford execs.
So what will Petty do in 2013? What can Petty do in 2013?
If Petty were to change brands, first off he would need a big, new shop, and equipment, potentially a $10 million investment for someone. Unless Toyota can find some money like that, Petty would likely have to stay with Ford, though almost certainly at a reduced price tag, with Roger Penske joining Ford.
Richard Petty (L) and Marcos Ambrose: will their Watkins Glen win solidify a manufacturer's deal for 2013? Not yet, and things are looking iffy (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
For Kenseth and Roush there seems to be a very pressing question, especially with the playoffs looming: Kenseth hasn't won since February.
Why isn't Kenseth winning? Why isn't Roush winning?
Kenseth seems to wince.
"There are a ton of reasons why guys don't win races," Kenseth says. "There is a lot of competition and great teams out there.
"We try as hard as we can to win every race I have ever entered in my entire life. It isn’t easy.
"We have to get our cars running a little faster, and I have to do a better job finishing some of them off.
"I feel like we are in position to win sometimes and variety of reasons prevents it.
"At Pocono (two weeks ago) I went home, and it was one of the only times I can remember not winning a race and feeling like this -- we went home and thought about what we could do better next time....and I didn’t know. We had great pit stops, perfect strategy, we had two or three more laps of fuel than Jimmie Johnson, and knew the rain was coming and pitted after he did.
"We had a perfect restarts, had ourselves in position, and did all that stuff right... and still came home with our best car wrecked and in 23rd.
"I didn’t feel there was one thing different that any of us could have done about that.
"I think you just keep working on it and keep racing as hard as you can and try to make your cars faster and hopefully the wins will come."
Jimmie Johnson: this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup championship appears his to lose. And odds are he'll earn number six (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
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Richard Petty
Part of Richard Petty's problem is that he thinks he is still the "King." He can't seem to accept that times have changed and he no longer is able to command the spotlight the way he used to do.
I first noticed it when Kasey Kahne won at Sonoma. There was Richard in victory lane. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that he was the one who had won the race. Kasey was practically pushed into the background scenery.
This week we had a similar situation. Richard boasted, "Me and Marcus won." He had the attitude that "his" win somehow would give him leverage for the future.
Other owners do not attempt to upstage their drivers. They pop into victory lane with congratulations, then slip quietly away. Richard seems to have the attitude that the public and the media are more interested in him than they are in the winning driver.
He seems to think that he has the power and influence that he had in the past. It is sad to see a former star trying to cling to his previous glory and refuse to acknowledge that his time has passed.
PS - I hate to keep repeating "seems to" but I am trying my best to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Nancy
Um Nancy, Richard Petty is the \"King\" & they don\'t call him the \"King\" cause it\'s a nickname that happen to stick. He\'s a living legend. He\'s Babe Ruth & if you are a fan with a garage pass you can see him walking around the garage; And trust me, when you do, you will turn twice, cause it happened to me. He\'s the figure head of that raceteam he has put his blood & sweat into it, his whole family has. If Richard Petty was not at the forefront of that team, with his legendery hat & smile; Guess what Nancy, that team would have gone out of business 5 years ago...... But Richard used every inch of his personality, connections, financial networks to keep that team afloat. If that team had some guy named George Gillete running it and calling the shots, it likey could not survive; Oh I\'m sorry, it did & he ran it into the gutter. And guess who saved it, Yes Richard \"King\" petty used every ounce of any sweat and financial equity he had to save the raceteam. It makes you wonder how 2 drivers as unproven & medicore as Marcus Ambrose & Aric Amirola can sustain sponsership at the Sprint Cup Level in the new era of poor or no sponsrship.... Well, this is just a guess, but it\'s likely cause the companies that are feeding money into the #9 & #43 are doing it cause Richard Petty is at the helm. Trust me, if the #9 & #43 were owned and operated by um, James Finch, those cars would be plain and sponserless as his #51 is every weekend..... That\'s why Richard Petty is the face of the team,that\'s why you seem him in victory lane when his drivers are lucky enough to win..........
Petty And The Present
Nancy, you seem a little nitpicky here.
The reality is Richard Petty still commands a respect throughout the sport that few others have, and citing the Dixie 500 in 2009 is a bit much because Kahne got his due - Richard hadn't seen a win in any capacity since Andretti's 1999 Martinsville win and I disgree that he pushed Kahne aside.
People forget that he left the team to Kyle after 1999; it was in 2006 that he finally had enough and reassumed more direct control of the team; when the economics of the sport wound up killing both his team and Evernham's outfit, they had to merge, and when Gillett nearly bankrupted the team in 2010 Richard spent his own money to keep as much of it as he could going.
Richard may not have the command of the 1960s and 1970s, but he has more command of the sport and more commitment to it than people seem to want to understand.
If Ford shortchanges him - a distinct possibility given Penske's involvement - Toyota SHOULD buy into the team and help build it into a power, and make all of its teams work together as One Team.
The King
Um Nancy, Richard Petty is the "King" & they don't call him the "King" cause it's a nickname that happen to stick. He's a living legend. He's Babe Ruth & if you are a fan with a garage pass you can see him walking around the garage; And trust me, when you do, you will turn twice, cause it happened to me. He's the figure head of that raceteam he has put his blood & sweat into it, his whole family has. If Richard Petty was not at the forefront of that team, with his legendery hat & smile; Guess what Nancy, that team would have gone out of business 5 years ago...... But Richard used every inch of his personality, connections, financial networks to keep that team afloat. If that team had some guy named George Gillete running it and calling the shots, it likey could not survive; Oh I'm sorry, it did & he ran it into the gutter. And guess who saved it, Yes Richard "King" petty used every ounce of any sweat and financial equity he had to save the raceteam. It makes you wonder how 2 drivers as unproven & medicore as Marcus Ambrose & Aric Amirola can sustain sponsership at the Sprint Cup Level in the new era of poor or no sponsrship.... Well, this is just a guess, but it's likely cause the companies that are feeding money into the #9 & #43 are doing it cause Richard Petty is at the helm. Trust me, if the #9 & #43 were owned and operated by um, James Finch, those cars would be plain and sponserless as his #51 is every weekend..... That's why Richard Petty is the face of the team,that's why you seem him in victory lane when his drivers are lucky enough to win..........
Reply to comment
Nancy, glad to see that you are giving the king
Nancy, glad to see that you are giving the king the benefit of your doubt. I don't know how much you really know about RP but one thing you evidently don't know is that it wasn't RP that bestowed the title of king on himself. It was his fans,his peers, that did that and RP wasn't all that comfortable with it for a long time.
You seem to be confusing his joy of winning with being a glory hound. That win by Marcos meant every bit as much to the king as it did Marcos. Richard Petty has more than earned the right to do or say pretty much anything he wants. 200 wins, 7 championships, 60 years of being in and around the sport he had a very large part in building, that long plane ride with the body of his grandson. He is Richard Petty, the king, and time may pass him by but not before the breath leaves his body.
Richard Petty does not need to seek the spotlight, he will always be a shining light for NASCAR. Yes he's in his seventh decade of life and I hope he has another seven decades to give us and his sport. Yes he is the king and I smile every time I hear his son call him that.
King Richard
I agree with Mike, King Richard more than earned the title. It is good for the sport to have Petty cars in the field. They aren't the strongest bunch out there, but they show up every week and do their best in a sport where they are outspent by the big boys. Unproven drivers? Well, maybe Almirola, but any sponsor on that car is pretty much sponsoring that iconic #43 (you know, Petty) than the guy behind the wheel, and I think Ambrose would do a lot better on a more well funded team. Personaly I don't care what make of car a driver is in-I'm a fan of the driver, and that's another reason I like Petty - always with a smile on his face, just like Ambrose. Who would you rather work with on your job, a guy like Marcos or say a Kurt Busch type? Say, maybe that's one of the reasons the quarter panels on the 51 are so clean.
Nancy:I would suggest you put a little time
Nancy:
I would suggest you put a little time and effort into finding out exactly who Richard Petty is before you continue following this sport. For you to know nothing about Richard Petty is pathetic. Without him, you wouldn't even be a fan because you wouldn't even know what Nascar is. There isn't one person involved in Nascar who would ever begin to call the man a "glory hound". I personally find that offensive. The reason he was in those victory lane photos is because that's where Nascar wanted him. He is royalty, but ask anyone, and they will tell you he is still, after all these years, one the most down to earth humble people there is.