Petty team circling the drain?

UPDATE This SI.com article makes a strong case for why Richard Petty should just let the backmarker team fold.

10/21/10 Richard Petty Motorsports employees have been told that they’re going to be paid through this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway but it is unclear if the four-car organization will be able to finish out the year, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

No Richard Petty Motorsports officials could be reached for comment, but it appears the team is trying to reorganize its operations in order to continue.

The team has a contract with Roush Fenway Racing to supply cars and Roush Yates Engines for motors. Although there was some question whether the team has possession of its cars for Talladega, sources indicated that those cars were in the RPM shop Thursday morning.

The team has faced financial crisis before but has been able to persevere through mergers with Petty Enterprises and Yates Racing in the last two years. Scenedaily.com