Petty Says It May Be Time for Rolex
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran Kyle Petty didn’t really want to talk Tuesday about the tenuous situation at Petty Enterprises, so, instead, he talked about his future.
While navigating the twists and turns of Daytona International Speedway during sports-car testing for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Petty made it clear that he will not drive in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series or Craftsman Truck Series in the future.
“That’s a step down from the Sprint Cup Series -- this is a step over,” Petty, said who drove the No. 45 Orbit Racing BMW Riley Daytona Prototype as he prepares for his seventh career start in the Rolex 24 At Daytona and his first since 2006.  “I don’t look at this as a step down.  This is a step to the top of road racing.”
Avoiding the details about his status with the NASCAR team his grandfather, Lee, founded and his father, Richard, drove to legendary status, Kyle talked about what he wants if the Sprint Cup Series doesn’t occupy the majority of his time in 2009.
“We’re trying to put something together to run not only the 24 Hours, but all year long,” Petty said.  “Obviously I’m in a place with the Cup stuff where I don’t really have a ride right now.  I have always said this is where I wanted to be.  From the time I came here for the first time, I said to run the Grand American division would be the next step up.”
Petty said he Orbit Racing owner Rodger Hawley are discussing a plan to run for the entire Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season.
Petty has made six previous starts in the Rolex 24, at Daytona -- three with Orbit Racing between 2001 and 2003.  He has three top-15 finishes overall, including a sixth-place finish in 2003 and a seventh in 2001.
Petty remembers fondly his 2004 Rolex 24 At Daytona, a race in which he shared driving duties with the Hollywood film icon Paul Newman, who later in life scheduled film work only when his racing schedule allowed the time.
In a car driven by Petty, Newman, Gunnar Jeanette and Michael Brockman, the team finished 48th overall and completed only 185 laps.  The memories of that start are special to Petty because he got to drive with Newman.
“I had the privilege of driving with Paul one of the last times he came down here and drove,” Petty said.  “Obviously, it was for the Hole In The Wall Gang camps and Victory Junction and Boggy Creek over here in Eustis.  It was for his group of camps.  That was the main reason I did it.”
Even with his family’s history at Daytona – his father won the Daytona 500 seven times and his grandfather won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 – the 2004 Rolex At Daytona holds a place in his heart.
“We came down here and probably didn’t have a shot at winning it,” Petty said.  “Now, here I stand today, it’s one of my most cherished memories to come down here.  It rained the whole time, and we threw windshield wipers off the thing, but it was fun no matter what.”
Getting back to the fun in racing entices Petty now.
“That’s what’s so great about the 24-hour race.  You bring people from all over the world, from all walks of life, from all forms of motorsports, from all forms of entertainment who want to be a part of it,” Petty said.  “That’s the way the 24-hour race was back when I was growing up, and that’s what it’s becoming again.”
Tickets to the 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona, which takes the green flag about 2 p.m. on January 24, are available by visiting DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.
Posted: 10/28/2008 4:55:34 PM
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