Petty expects to keep Labonte for remainder of career
Quote selected text Published April 2nd, 2008 in NASCAR News
Petty Enterprises lost the sponsor of its famed #43 car to Richard Childress Racing on Tuesday, but officials don’t expect the driver to follow. Robbie Loomis, the vice president for racing operations at Petty Enterprises, said the organization is in the final stages of negotiating a deal that would keep 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte there for the remainder of his career.
He said losing General Mills, the current sponsor of Labonte’s car, will have no bearing on that. “I’m not worried about that at all,” Loomis said of losing Labonte to RCR. “I feel as good about it as anything I’ve felt about in a long time.” Meanwhile, Childress is left with finding a fourth driver. Scott Wimmer is a potential candidate. He already has a Nationwide Series win for RCR this season and is scheduled to drive a handful of Cup races in a fourth RCR car.
- Petty considering switching cars with Labonte
- Labonte to make 500th career start this weekend
- Petty expects Labonte back in 2009-UPDATE
- Bobby Labonte to stay at Petty Enterprises
- Terry Labonte set to join his brother at Pettys
Well, I hope Loomis checked with Labonte before he issued this statement. When the rumors about Bobby leaving sooner rather than later began to circulate, a few weeks back, Labonte was pretty tight-lipped; he didn’t confirm or deny the story. I hope Bobby does stay with PE.
Rumor has it that Bobby is leaving, McCumbee takes over the 45, and Kyle Petty takes over the 43.
I read just today yahoo sports says it’s a done deal, Bobby’s going to RCR.
Most couples think their marriages will last too. Money makes the world go round so we’ll have to wait and see what happens next. As nice a guy as Bobby is, he’s entitled to do all he can for his family. I personally would like to see Bobby being competitive in the #43 car until he retires. Unfortunately I just don’t see that happening.
Donnie the thing on Yahoo is not true. If its the same article I’m thinking about they even have a quote from a NASCAR.com article in it where Bobby says he has not made any decision to his future yet. (or something along those lines)
IDK, UPS is looking around, and they want a “Rock Star” driver, and their idea of a “Rock Star” driver is Dale Jarrett… Well if Dale is a Rock Star, then that makes Bobby a Super Rock Star.
So I think We MIGHT be seeing something like this on track next year (in COT form ofcourse)
http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/9855/pettyupsrenderwg6.jpg
Please let’s not pick on DJ; he was a rock star once, if only briefly. Last time I checked LaBonte had as many Cups as DJ
Well, the obvious candidates for these vacancies are McMurray, Yeley, Stremme maybe, youngish guys who might do better with better equipment than they’re getting. You can only shuffle the same veteran drivers for so long until you face diminishing returns. Stephen Leicht is another driver who should be considered for a Cup ride, but he could use another year or two of seasoning.
It’s April 3; can you believe we’re talking about this crap already?
Fisha695 wrote:
How do you know it is not true?
Because the of the articles that that one Yahoo article quoted. Look at the other articles and they all have Bobby saying he has not made a decision one way or the other yet.
Jeff Burton likes it pretty well.
Here is something I just remembered about Yahoos NASCAR coverage when I was on another message board.
Remember Yahoo is the site that last year was dead set in their story that it was a lock that in 2008 Dale Earnhardt Jr and Martin Truex Jr would both be driving JR Motorsports Cup Cars.
Fisha695 wrote:
It wasnt just yahoo nascar now reported that too,I think bobby has quite a few good years left I think it would be a mistake to stay with petty,rcr can give him a lot better cars.
You just can’t believe anything you read at all until it becomes official…
Lee88-20 wrote:
NASCAR Now also reported the thing about Truex leaving with Jr last year……
Fisha695 wrote:
Thats what I was saying jr and truex.
Ah ok I thought you were talking about NASCAR now reporting on the Bobby/PE/RCR thing