Dustin Long

From Daytona to California, Dustin Long covers the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Read all of his stories on PilotOnline.com's Auto Racing channel. He also writes a regular column for SportsIllustrated.com. Follow him on Twitter.

Category: NASCAR

■ 08 November 2008 | 1:41 PM

Kyle Petty discusses his future in the car and on TV

Kyle Petty is making his last start of the season _ and what could be his final start at Petty Enterprises _ Sunday at Phoenix.

Petty's future is uncertain. Petty Enterprises will have Bobby Labonte and Chad McCumbee as its two drivers but any plans for Kyle depend on sponsorship (and any merger plans the Pettys have).

Kyle says he's talked to team executives but also talked with other teams about a part-time ride next year. He still wants to race. He also wants to continue with his TV stuff on TNT and Speed and even suggested that his role could expand on TV.

An interesting twist to this is sponsor Wells Fargo. Kyle says he believes Wells Fargo is more aligned with him than it is Petty Enterprises, meaning Petty might be able to take the sponsor with him to a team that needs some sponsorship money if he doesn't remain with the Pettys. Obviously, one team that is looking for additional sponsors is the Wood Brothers, a team Kyle drove for years earlier.

So, what does Petty make of all the talk going on now?

"There's a lot of people talking and not a lot happening,'' he says. "It's like being in a bar. Same thing. Exactly the same thing.''

But Kyle had some free time Saturday before practice and he did a good bit of talking. Here's what he said about some of the main questions surrounding him.

WHAT’S THE STATE OF THE FUTURE FOR KYLE PETTY AND PETTY ENTERPRISES:

KYLE: “I don’t know. OK, here’s the deal. We have, I think David Zucker at Atlanta … said we’re committed to Bobby (Labonte), we’re committed to Chad (McCumbee) and we’re moving forward. That was important. I think that was important for our guys. I think that was important for our guys at the shop to know we had a direction.

“And I was not included in that, except as to say if Kyle has money and we can put some stuff together, we’ll run a limited schedule. That’s what this team needs. I’ve not a run full schedule for the last two years because of TV. I’ve not run a full schedule because of that because I’ve missed races. Let’s be honest about that. When you look at it, for a team to move forward in this sport, they’ve got to commit to (a driver) and say you’re my driver and I’m going to stand behind you for 36 races next year and that’s what we’re going to do.

“We’ve not been able to do that at Petty Enterprises except for one car. For Petty Enterprises and Boston Ventures to get better we’ve got to do it with two cars. So, the opportunity, if we come up with money is here to run here. I’ve talked to a couple of other teams in the garage area who have some partial deals to say, OK, run five races, run 10 races, do that. I’ve looked at the Grand American stuff because that’s something that I would really like to do. To be able to dabble in that and do some of that stuff maybe and do something over there. I’m looking at a couple of different things there.

“Obviously, I’m doing my Turner stuff, I do my “Tradin’ Paint’’ stuff with Speed. Maybe my role with a couple of those can expand. Maybe I can expand with the Speed stuff to maybe do some more race stuff and do some stuff there. So, who knows.

“I don’t want to quit racing yet, but I’m not in a position where I really want to run 36 races a year because I’m committed to my TV stuff and I’m committed to Turner to do that because I enjoy working with those guys and that’s a big deal. When I go down that ride, then I’m not a fulltime driver but I haven’t been for four or five years, that’s the way I look at it.

“Right now I’ve got nothing. That’s straight up.

CLARIFY THIS, IS WELLS FARGO ALIGNED WITH YOU OR ALIGNED WITH PETTY ENTERPRISES?

PETTY: “This is my understanding of Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo is an extremely healthy bank right now as evident with their merger of Wachovia. I think they see with their merger with Wachovia, and this has been relayed to us, … that the Southeast is an important place for them to be. Wells Fargo is in the Southeast with their financial brands and with some of their insurance brands but not with their banks. So to make that connection to the customer in Concord, N.C., or in Sumner, S.C., or wherever it may be, hey, that Wachovia branch is now associated with Wells Fargo and Wells Fargo is with NASCAR so it gives them a little bit of a hook.

“I think they still like the sport. The association that they’ve had with us, meaning me, I think they still like that. As a spokesperson and that part of it. Now where they go with their race stuff, I think that’s what we’re trying to figure out. What do they want to do with their race stuff? Do they want to stay with Kyle Petty and Petty Enterprises? Do they want to move to another team and have Kyle Petty be a spokesperson for them? I think they’ve got options. And they’re looking at where they’re at. So, I think that is a big deal.

“Wells Fargo says they’re still committed to the sport. I think they’re still committed to Kyle Petty but I’ve got to wait and see where they go and what they do and how that shakes out and then we’ll figure out where it goes from there. I don’t think that’s a Petty Enterprises deal as much as it is a NASCAR, slash, Kyle Petty deal.

ONE OPTION FOR YOU THEN COULD BE THE WOOD BROTHERS?

PETTY: Oh yeah. I drove for them before and I like them. They’ve got a little bit of (sponsor) money. There’s a couple of guys that have a little bit of money and you put one of your deals with one of their deals and next thing you know you’ve got a fairly healthy team. So you’ve just got to look at that. At the same time and we’ve talked about it before, no matter what I do here, the 45 number is still important to me because of Adam. That’s an emotional hurdle that I have and if I do something (else) I would have to get over, but this group (Petty Enterprises) has committed to running the 43 and I think the 44 with Chad and let the 45 sit if I don’t drive it, so that’s good. But I think when you’re look at it, we’re still talking with this group and with Boston Ventures and Petty Enterprises trying to figure out what their future is and where they’re going because they’re still working on sponsorship for Chad and for the 45.

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