Season Preview: Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises has long been a struggling team in NASCAR’s elite series, and there’s really not much else you can say about that. I mean, what they do off the track in terms of charity with their Victory Junction Camp is nothing short of phenomenal. What Richard Petty has meant to this sport is legendary. Kyle Petty is sure to have a future in the NASCAR media world. And, what this organization continues to do to help develop the sport has been key. There’s no denying any of those facts, but the evil truth remains … the truth that what they’ve failed to do is be able to put together a team that can go out there every week and compete with the best stock car drivers in the world.
I tend to get bashed for it every time I talk about Petty Enterprise, because – well, the fans adore this race team. I’ll admit – I quietly root for the numbers 43 and 45 to do well every Sunday, but this blog isn’t about who I’m rooting for. I’m not here to blow smoke up your ass, but rather deliver you with the truth. And, the truth is that this race team is likely to forever remain an underachiever. I’ve heard plenty of excuses about the team being underfunded, they don’t have the right sponsors, they’re not getting the fair breaks, they haven’t been able to land the right drivers, etc. Look, heading into the 2006 campaign, they went out and signed the 2000 Winston Cup Champion in Bobby LaBonte, and in those two years they’ve managed to nearly ruin his career. The truth is that the team’s focus is in the wrong place, no matter how noble that focus may be. Until that changes, fans of this team will continue to approach each week with the mindset that a top 20 finish means something.
Cup Series Roster:
No. 43: Bobby LaBonte – 17 years, 21 wins, and a Cup Series Championship in 2000. Very, very respectable … however, none of his success has come at the hands of Petty Enterprise. Since joining the race team in 2006, Bobby has managed only 3 top 5’s (none last year), and 11 top 10’s, and he hasn’t won a race since 2003. Okay, so that’s the negative. The positive? Well, despite not having a single top five finish to his credit last season, LaBonte still managed to finish the year ranked 18th in points which is a huge sign that at the very least he’s been running consistent. It’s also worth noting that he did look extremely well in quite a few different races last year, only to fall victim to mechanical failures or accidents in which he was not at fault. The average race fan has probably chalked this point in Bobby’s career up to him just basically giving up and going out there only to remain close to the sport, but nothing could be further from the truth. His determination to make this program work is evidenced by the fact that he’s agreed to run a part-time Nationwide Series schedule this year behind the seat of the no. 21 car for Richard Childress. It’s been quite sometime since LaBonte ran outside of the Cup Series, so it should be interesting to see if his Nationwide experiences can translate to better success in the Sprint Cup Series. I’d continue to look for the no. 43 team to make a strong run at cracking the top 15 in points this year.
No. 45: Kyle Petty – No offense to the son of one of racing’s greatest drivers of all-time, but to put it mildly, that’s all he is – the son. Twenty-Nine years running in the Cup Series, and Kyle has managed only 8 wins, the last of which came all the way back in 1995. In fact, prior to his third place finish at Lowe’s Motorspeedway last May, you’d have to go all the way back to 1997 to find Kyle’s last top five finish! That’s amazing. He’ll start the year out with guaranteed starts in the first five races of the season due to finishing 2007 ranked 35th in owner points, but once those five races are over, things could turn quite sour for him. He managed to qualify in only 29 of the 36 races last season, and that third place finish I mentioned earlier was also his only top ten. Basically, anyone out there that may still be holding their breath thinking that this could be the breakout season for Kyle Petty needs to go see their shrink. He’ll be lucky if he can hang onto that top 35 spot.
Driver Roster: D
Off-Season: F
2008 Outlook: D
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4 opinions for Season Preview: Petty Enterprises
Rick B
Feb 23, 2008 at 9:50 am
I can see Bobby being in the chase this year
GO BOBBY GO! i’m a huge fan
Tim Zaegel
Feb 23, 2008 at 11:30 am
Bobby making the Chase this year would be absolutely phenomenal for Petty Enterprises. Truthfully, the things I say about that organization are only regarding what they’ve done on the track in recent years. I really would like to see Bobby crack the field this season, as it couldn’t happen to a better group of guys.
James W
May 11, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I guess some people can’t be embarrased, that would be Kyle. What a waste of time, money,car,crew,gas ect. And as a teammate I don’t think you could get a worse one. The one I feel sorry for is Labonte having to pull a dead horse as a teammate. The way Petty Enterprises has been going at it , looks like all you need to do is put the Petty name on your car and your good to go. If I was the sponser of the car my name would be off the loser. All this sounds harsh and it is. This is not comming from a new wana be nascar fan. I have been a Petty fan from the start. I have been a fan for 40 years. I have enough Petty products, diecast ect., to make my own Petty museum . But I’ve almost had enough. If your not going to try , if your just getting the way you need to find something else to do. I think Kyle would make a great owner and manager , take care of charities ect.. I hope the team does well but I don’t see it. Labonte can’t do it by himsef.
Tim Zaegel
May 12, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I completely agree that Kyle would make for an excellent front man for a team, be it as an owner, GM, etc., but as a driver, the organization should definitely start considering alternatives, especially with General Mills taking off after the season.
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