Petty feels father, team gave him the shaft
KYLE (PETTY) WAS VERY VOCAL DURING DAYTONA REGARDING THE 44’s PAINT SCHEME, HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM ABOUT HIS COMMENTS?
A: "It kind of upset him because that’s where he started. He started with the 44 car at Daytona and was lucky enough to win the race. When we did our deal with Boston Ventures, we never had a place for Kyle at Petty Enterprises. He sort of got out of the loop. When he got out of the loop, he’s been doing his own thing…he run the 24 (Rolex 24) and doing some TV. I’ve not seen him since Christmas. He’s been so busy, I’ve been so busy. He got snow-bound in Pittsburgh for a few days one time; we just really never have gotten together. I’ve really not talked to him. I spoke to him a couple of times on the phone; you can’t get much done on the phone. He talked to his mother. He was really crushed that we didn’t include him in that part of it, and I can understand that. We were so busy trying to get our end of the deal done and make it work with a new team that it fell through the crack and I’m sorry that it did." Dodge Motorsport PR
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| A bitter Kyle Petty does not wish any goodwill to Richard Petty Motorsports |
02/15/09 There won't be a Petty in the Daytona 500 for the first time in more than 40 years. Kyle Petty, at Daytona International Speedway to do some TV work and promote a celebrity golf event he'll host later this year in Phoenix, will be home in North Carolina on Sunday.
"I won't even watch it on TV, that's what it's like," said Petty, who's run the season-opening race more than 25 times. "It's crap is what it's like."
Petty, who was usually a backmarker on race day, lost his job when Petty Enterprises merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports and was rebranded Richard Petty Motorsports. The move kept the Petty name in the business, but Kyle Petty said he could care less about the new team.
When asked about Reed Sorenson posting the fastest time during Saturday's practice while driving the iconic No. 43 Dodge that Richard Petty drove to seven championships, Kyle Petty grimaced.
"It means nothing to me," he said. "Let's be real honest. There's Richard Petty Motorsports or whatever you want to call it. But there is no Petty Enterprises."