Richard Petty and Toyota Relationship Might be Borne of Necessity
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I understand why Richard Petty Motorsports is reportedly considering shifting to Toyota.
Some long-time Petty fans may be aghast that a man who represents old-fashioned American values will likely soon have at least one or more of his four drivers in a Toyota, perhaps as early as next month, but more likely in August.
Frankly, if the rumors are true, Petty probably has no choice if he wants to keep his team going. With Chrysler first declaring bankruptcy and now significantly scaling back its financial support of Dodge teams in Sprint Cup racing, Petty invariably has to go where the support is.
It’s not at bankrupt General Motors. It’s not at Chrysler. Ford likely isn’t interested in expanding its stable. Which leaves Petty with Toyota or nothing.
I really feel sorry for The King. Things have not exactly gone all that well for him and his racing organization over the last 15 or so years, but particularly the last 18 months.
First he sold a majority controlling share in legendary Petty Enterprises to the Boston Ventures capital investment group. Even though great things were promised, little was delivered.
Then George Gillett came into the picture. He essentially bought out most of Boston Ventures’ shares, brought Petty into the picture as the figurehead for a new organization called Richard Petty Motorsports, and then promptly went back into the shadows to let Petty run things as he saw fit.
For the first time in a long time, there appeared to be a great deal of promise in the Petty camp. And there has been, most recently being Sunday’s win by Kasey Kahne in Sonoma.
Petty once told me “you have to do what you have to do to make it” in racing. If Richard Petty Motorsports is indeed soon going to be fielding Toyota’s either alongside or in place of RPM Dodge’s, he’s just living up to his words.
Honestly, as hard as it may be to picture Petty shepherding and cheering for a Toyota in Cup competition, it beats the alternative: not racing at all.
