Flying the King of NASCAR Richard Petty

9:32:06 AM EDT

#95

It has been a while sine I have written a journal entry. The last four races have not been too good to the Petty teams. Kyle is now 30th in the points and Jeff is 32nd. Our engine program seems to be good but we still have problems finding the handle on the car and of course Jeff was in the big one at Talladega and Kyle blew an tire and finished 43rd. Kyle wrecked at Phoenix and Jeff had a pretty good night. At Darlington, Kyle blew another tire and Jeff and Michael Waltrip hit each other 4 times. NASCAR had both of them in the Oval office after that race and told both of them to take their problems away from the track. They didn’t get into each other at Richmond. At any rate the Petty teams need to make some changes to get competitive again. It has been a hard road. Then last week we had the 5th anniversary of Adam’s death to deal with. Next week we go to Charlotte. And then start our long summer schedule.

Of course the plane has been real busy traveling around the country. We took the jet to Ft.Worth last Sunday for a big maintenance inspection. The plane will be in Texas for 3 weeks. I and Bill go back to Texas next week for our annual training.

Shane’s truck team, Skinner, has also had an up and down few weeks. They had a great run in St. Louis, but had a bad day in Mansfield Ohio. They race Charlotte next Friday.

The King is still doing well but is trying to figure out a solution to our team’s problems. It is so hard to beat the Hendricks and Rouch teams. They have really got their act together.

On a personal note I am no longer associated with Camp-I-Can. Me and a few others have decided to start a new children charity in Dobson NC. The new facility is Community Pride Children's Resource Center (www.community-pride.com). The center will open June 1st. It will be a good thing for the children in need for the Foothills communities of North Carolina. Check our web site and of course any help will be appreciated. Below is the racing report from Darlington for Petty Racing .Com

In front of a sellout crowd the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit took aim at the “Track Too Tough To Tame,” the Darlington Raceway, for Saturday night's running of the Dodge Charger 500. It was yet another historical night at NASCAR's oldest track as Saturday's race marked the first race ever started under the lights at Darlington and the first time the Nextel Cup circuit had raced on Mother's Day weekend in more than two decades.

At the end of a lengthy but exciting evening a familiar name ended up taking home the checkers, as Greg Biffle led 176 of the 370 laps to win for the third time in 2005. Several cars took turns leading throughout the evening but no matter what happened, it seemed only a matter of time before Biffle found his way back towards to front. Several wrecks early took out some of the favorites including last year's Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch. But, it was the final caution of the evening that set up the second green-white-checkered finish in as many weeks.

Ryan Newman had taken the lead on lap 323 and seemed to be headed for his first win in 2005, until a caution with under five laps remaining set up the two lap shootout. Tires, always being the premium at Darlington, made for interesting strategy during the final caution. Newman, the leader, stayed out while nearly everyone behind him came in for fresh rubber. That decision proved to be costly as Newman was unable to keep the field at bay and Biffle overtook him before they returned to the white flag. For Biffle, it was win number six of his career. Jeff Gordon followed him across the finish line, ahead of Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, and Newman you settled for fifth.

Jeff Green, #43 STP Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge
Finished:22; Started: 23

Avoiding other cars, one in particular, could have helped Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team Saturday night. NASCAR officials obviously agreed, penalizing the #15 of Michael Waltrip after Waltrip turned Green in the fourth turn late in the race – Waltrip a myriad of laps down at the time. The night was a rough one for most teams, and Green and team did their best to avoid the problems and have a solid night.

“Tire wear was the story all night for everybody,” Green said. “It was pretty obvious there at the end with what happened with Ryan Newman. The fact the temperatures were cooler than we've had in the past at Darlington and running a night race helped but it was still the same ol' Darlington. Daytime or nighttime, nothing much changes about the place.”

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge
Finished: 43; Started: 41

Handling and working with the fast-wearing tires was the effort of the night for Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team. Carrying a Mother's Day paint scheme in honor of his mom Lynda Petty, who was also the Grand Marshall, Petty ran a solid race as the team worked to get the car as consistent as it could.

“Odds are that is the best a pink car has ever finished at Darlington,” said Petty. “Of course, odds are that is the first pink car to ever run at Darlington, too.

“We gave it our best shot and worked to get the car right all night long. Everybody had to go through the same thing,” he said. “The way Darlington is, it's impossible to get the car perfect. Everything you do is a compromise as far as setup is concerned. We just kept compromising all night to get as good as we could.”

Until next time Long Live The King and don't forget the Children. www.community-pride.com. Lets keeps our fingers cross for the Petty Teams at Charlotte!!!

 

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9:23:17 AM EDT

#94 The first half of the pictures are of Martinsville and the second half are of Texas.

Martinsville and Texas

 

The week before last was pretty slow for Petty Air. We actually didn’t fly. However we left for Ft. Worth on Thursday of last week.

 

The Petty car had a pretty good day at Martinsville. Kyle finished 18th and Jeff finished 22nd. I had high hope for the 43 car since he had done so good the last race at Martinsville. But Jeff had brake problem during the race. Both Kyle and Jeff were had spins during the race but didn’t give up and had a fair finish. But the race at The Mart was a good one with Jeff Gordon winning.

 

Shane's truck team driven by Mike Skinner had their first top 10 finish at The Mart finishing 9th.

 

We haven’t done very well at Texas. It seems that we always have trouble there. But I really enjoy going to Ft. Worth. Those Texans really are into NASCAR. And as always the race was a sell out.

 

If you ever go to the Texas race go down to Sundance Square Friday and Saturday night. They really put on a good show down there.

 

As usually we had trouble in the race. The 43 car was involved in the first caution but had very little damage. But the second wreck caused by Mark Martin took the 43out of the race. Jeff finished 43rd due to no fault of his own. Kyle had handling problems all day but hung in there to finish 24th. After 7 races Kyle is 19th in the points and Jeff is 32nd.

 

We head out to Phoenix tomorrow. Usually the 43 runs good out there.  So maybe the Petty teams will have a good Saturday night out West.

 

Below is the report from Petty Racing .com.

Sunday's Samsung/RadioShack 500 got off to tense start at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway. A slick track combined with aggressive driving caused four accidents in the first 40 laps. The race ended with 11 cautions for 56 laps. Drivers never really settled into a rhythm Sunday, but Biffle was dominant most of the afternoon. Although many cautions broke up the race, Biffle was always near or at the top. He led seven times for a total of 219 laps of Sunday's 334-lap race. There were 25 lead changes, but many of them were created because of the number of cautions. Biffle had command and was never really threatened. He did have to overtake Casey Mears for the win, but easily made that pass with 24 laps to go. McMurray raced for second and Jimmie Johnson climbed up to third after overcoming handling issues. Mears had a strong run and led for 15 laps late, but faded to fourth and Sterling Marlin capped off a good day for Ganassi Racing with a fifth-place finish.

Jeff Green, #43 Pillsbury Bake Off Dodge
Finished: 43; Started: 23

The #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team suffered its first DNF of the season Sunday afternoon. It was an early day for Green, driving the Pillsbury Bake Off Dodge. The team was first collected in an accident on Lap Three when he was hit from behind. Green spun down into the grass, but after the “Helping Hands” pit crew made quick repairs, he was back on the track without losing a lap. Green was moving back up through the field when he was again hit from behind. This time Green was sent hard into the wall. He was uninjured, but the car suffered terminal damage. The accident occurred on Lap 32 and involved a total of seven cars. It started when veteran Mark Martin hit Green in the rear.

“Mark Martin has a better head on his shoulders than what he did out there on the track today,” said Green. “I have a lot of respect for Mark, but that mistake tore our car all to pieces. We've had too many cautions early in this race. We've got gas and brake pedals for a reason. People are not using their heads, and now we tore up a good Cheerios Dodge. It just wasn't our day.”

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge
Finished: 24; Started: 28

Petty and the #45 Georgia/Pacific Brawny Dodge team fought handling issues on Sunday. A new Brawny Dodge in the Petty Enterprises stable, the team spent the afternoon finding the best setup for Petty. The team, led by crew chief Paul Andrews, made adjustments, and Petty became comfortable with the car with less than 100 laps to go. Petty, like half of the field, was a lap down, but still set for a good finish. On a restart with 54 laps left, Petty was in the 28 th position. He raced hard the final 50 laps and finished 24 th – the team has not finished outside the top 25 when running at the end of the race this season. Petty did lead one lap to gain five bonus points in the championship chase, where he remains 19 th . He is only seven points behind the 18 th spot.

“We fought itall day, but that was a good run,” said Petty. “We've got to work on this new car a little bit, but the guys did a good job with it this weekend. It's a new car and we just missed it a little. It's good, but we've got to get the setup a little bit better. We did a good job of overcoming a lot.”

Next week at Talladega I start my 10 year full time with the King. I can say ithas been the best 10 years of my life. Thanks Richard for the good times.

Until Next Time Long Live The King!!!!

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10:16:15 AM EDT

#93

Kyle finished 8th at Bristol !

 

It has been another busy and good week. We started the week Tuesday and Wednesday in New York with Kyle. He had to do an appearance at the New York Auto Show. Needless to say the Big Apple wasn’t ready for the Petty Air Crew. I and my copilot Bill had a really good time in New York.

 

Thursday we went to Louisville, Nashville and Bristol with Kyle. Friday we went to Louisville, Bristol and Nashville. Both Richard and Kyle had appearances in Louisville. Friday night we stayed in Nashville. Kyle and Pattie had to get their daughter, Gummy moved into an apartment in Nashville. Nashville is always a fun place to visit. Friday night we hung out with our good friend James Gee at Legends Conner on music row.

 

We left Saturday evening for Bristol. Kyle did one of the nicest things in Nashville. Four guys fromArkansas were stuck in Nashville at the airport due to bad weather. They were trying to get to Bristol to see their first race. When Kyle got to the airport I told him about the guys and asked him if we could give them a ride to Bristol. He said yes. Can you imagine going to your first race on Richard Petty’s jet riding with Kyle Petty. I am sure these guys will never forget that first race. But that is the kind of people that the Pettys are. Not many people would have done what Kyle did. Way to go buddy!

 

Below is the race report from the Petty web site.

Weather dominated the headlines throughout the weekend. Friday's qualifying session completed, and cars impounded, heavy rains and wind moved into the area. The rain began Friday evening and never stopped until very early Sunday morning. Although the Food City 500 was run under sunny skies, temperatures were very cool and the wind still gusty.

The impound procedures meant teams had not been on the track since Friday. In fact, other than an occasional jet dryer, there had been no cars on the track. The heavy rains swept any rubber built up and thus creating a very “green” track for competitors. It was anyone's guess as to what the track might be like on Sunday. That might have been a good reason why there were 14 cautions for 115 laps. The biggest accident came when a rookie clipped another car in front of the entire field on a restart. The result was a 12-car accident that ended with many top competitors with damaged cars. Once the carnage cleared, only a dozen cars were left on the lead lap, and only 10 cars managed to finish all 500 laps Sunday. Harvick ran a clean race and won by over four seconds at the end. Pole winner Elliott Sadler was second with Tony Stewart third. Harvick snapped a 55-race winless streak with his victory. He had not won since Indianapolis in 2003.

The Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team had a strong start to the weekend on Friday. The team qualified and started in the sixth position. A strong beginning, Green was again strong early on Sunday. The car was slightly loose, but he was able to maintain a top six running position. After pit stop cycles Green was racing with the leaders again. A long green-flag run followed and that's when the team ran into problems. Temperature build-up caused a right-front tire to blow, sending Green into the wall on Lap 300. The “Helping Hands” crew made repairs and returned to the track on lap 374 in 35 th . Green gained several positions and finished the race 29 th .

“We just blew a right front tire,” said Green. “We were getting ready to pit, but we didn't make it. It was going to be a good day for us. We just didn't want to be behind the wall near the end. Then again, there were a lot of people there today. We were lucky enough to get back out there and gain something.”

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge
Finished: 8; Started: 37

Petty and the #45 Georgia/Pacific Brawny Dodge team avoided any trouble on Sunday and walked away with their best finish of the early season. A charge from the back, Petty was fast all afternoon. He lost a lap early, but was fast enough to be the “lucky dog.” Petty fell back a lap down, but was still able to race with the leaders. Driving skill and great awareness helped him avoid the 12-car accident. Petty then set sail to gain his lap back. The Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team did just that and the final 100 laps they had one of only 13 cars fighting for the win. Petty charged forward and finished eighth by the end of the day - including a last corner pass of Greg Biffle for that position. It is Petty Enterprises first top-10 of the season. Petty is now 19 th in the championship standings.

“I've got to hand it to (crew chief) Paul Andrews,” said Petty. “He came over here and calmed everyone down. We felt like working closer with Evernham Motorsports and Dodge was going to help us, but not necessarily on a short track.

“We were good in practice and then we sat down and talked about everything. Both cars had a good weekend. I thought we had a top-10 car, but we managed to sneak up there with the way everything played out. It's a real shot in the arm for this Brawny team.”

It was a good weekend for Kyle. After 5 races Kyle is 19th in the points and Jeff sliped to 29th.

Martinsville is next. I expect the Petty teams to do a good job.

Until next time Long live the King!!!!

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7:29:40 AM EST

#92 The firat set of pictures is of the Atlanta race. The last 10 pictures are of the beautiful Opery Land Hotel in Nashville.

Atlanta, A bad day for the Petty teams, During the entire race in Atlanta both Petty teams strugled with handling problems. It was a long day. Then with about 50 laps to go Kyle blew an engine ending his 3 race performance of finishing in the lead lap. Maybe Bristol will be better.

We at Petty Air have been real busy last week being in New York 3 days with Pattie Petty doing a A&E special. Then on Friday we spent all day in Nashville will Kyle and Pattie. This week we will be back in New York Tuesday and Wednesday then move on to Louisville Thursday and Friday.

Below are the Atlanta race reports form www.pettyracing .com.

After 4 races Jeff is 23rd in the points and Kyle fell to 24th.

A long afternoon for Green and the #43 Cheerios/Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge ended in a 28 th- lace finish on Sunday. The Cheerios Dodge just never found the right setup for the fast Atlanta Motor Speedway, and handling problems kept the team from finishing better. Green fought a very loose handling car all afternoon and that kept him from challenging the leaders. Staying clear of trouble, Green was able to safely race to a 28 th place finish.

“We were just wicked loose out there at the start,” said Green. “We didn't get the result we hoped for, but we did help out a lot of children on Sunday with the help of General Mills and First Book. The Spoonfuls of Stories Dodge looked good out there. I just wish we had a better result.”

 

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge

Finished: 36; Started: 41

 

Petty and the #45 Georgia/Pacific Brawny Dodge team had an engine failure after completing 271 laps of Sunday's race. The team finished 36 th . Petty was fighting some handling issues with his Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge, but was moving forward at the point of the problems. Petty was hoping to escape with a solid finish to continue to his great start to the 2005 season, but the first engine failure cut things short.

 

“The car just blew up,” said crew chief Paul Andrews. “We'll take a look at it and go from here.”

 

13,975 new books donated First through Spoonfuls Of Stories: Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team didn't have the type of finish they had hoped Sunday, but Atlanta children still had a big win. Green ran into handling problems, completed 321 laps of 325] and finished 28th in the race. Cheerios Spoonfuls Of Stories and First Book, a national non-profit organization, had agreed to donate 43 books to Atlanta children through the new Atlanta-area First Book chapter for every lap Green completed in the race. Cheerios and First Book made the maximum donation anyway - 13,975 new books. The books-per-lap donation is part of the ongoing Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program, which gets books into the hands of children. More than 60 percent of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children. Racing audiences shared in the excitement by cheering on the #43 Dodge, which sported a special Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories paint scheme for the race.(Williams Company), see an image of the car on my #43 Teams Schemes page.

 

Pattie Petty on A&E Special Presentation: Pattie Petty, wife of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kyle Petty, driver of the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge, will be one of four wives featured in A&E's special presentation:SPORTS WIVES, premiering Wednesday, March 23, 9:00-11:00pm et. The behind-the-scenes feature will profile Petty at the track and at home giving viewers a look at what it is like to be a wife of a professional athlete. The feature will also highlight Petty's dedication to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a charitable organization aimed at enriching the lives of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Victory Junction was founded by the Petty's in honor of their son Adam. The A&E Network spent time filming Petty during the later part of the 2004 season.

 

Until Next Time Long Live the King!!!

 

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10:35:47 AM EST
Hearing Country

#91

Eight days in Wyoming and four days in Vegas, what a way to spend to send time in early March!

We left for Wyoming on March 2nd. I knew it would be a good time.  We are now doing about 10 trips a year to Wyoming and the more I go the more I love it. This trip was a really good one. As usually we hung out with our great friend DC but on this trip Dustin’s parents (my good friend that was lost in a tragic accident in October) was out there. I had known Dustin Dad (Kenny) for about year but had never met his mom and sisters. After meeting them I knew why Dustin was such a great kid. It was an honor to meet them. They are good people and my heart goes out to all of them. I hope to see them again soon. They are friends for life. That is one thing great about this job is meeting really good people. Sharon (Dustin’s Mom) you are the greatest. Let’s keep in touch.

On Sunday of the week in Wyoming, Bill, Dustin’s family, and my cowgirl Tara went a snowmobile ride in the high Mountains of Wyoming. It was a beautiful day for riding.  We all had a great time. Sunday night Tara, me and bill went down to the Bull Moose saloon and spent the evening just having a good time.

We left for Vegas on Thursday.

 

Vegas Race!!!

 

I knew Vegas would be a good time. The flight to Vegas is a short one about an hour. On this trip we stayed at Bally’s. We didn’t spend much time at the hotel. My friend Kevin has a great setup in the infield at the track. We spent most of our time hanging out with him and his wife Laraine at the track. My sister and her friends Becky and Julie were in town for the race. It was great spending time with Carla (my sister). Thursday night Bill (my copilot), Kevin and his friends went to a go cart track and had a super race. I finished second.Friday morning my cowgirl Tara got to town. She knows how to have a really good time. She made the trip. It was her first race. She had a great time in Vegas. Friday night we had our third annual NASCAR party at Laraine’s Resort, Sheri’s. Laraine did a great job entertaining all of the NASCAR fans and team members.

Saturday night we met my sister at the Hilton for diner. After dinner we went to a club at the Hilton. Later that night Tara and I went to Coyote Ugly for a short time then headed back to the hotel for an hour or so of gambling.  It was only the second time in a casino for her. She was lucky. In about an hour she took 20 dollars and turned it into 500 dollars.

 

Race Day:

 

It was a good day for a race. It was clear and about 80 degrees at the track. As usually Ryan Newman started on the poll. Kyle started 35th and Jeff started 39th. The race started really bad for Jr. and Brain Vickers with an early wreck. Jr. finished 42nd and Vickers finished last. After 3 races Dale Jr. is 27th in the points, but he will make a come back. Kyle and Jeff ran steady all day and ended up 25th and 23rd. Jimmie Johnson won and Kyle Busch finish second. After 3 races Kyle is 16th in the points and Jeff is 20th (a pretty good start for the Petty’ boys).

 

Kevin for Affordable Frames 702-220-7850 made some great pictures for me, Bill, and the King. Thanks Kevin you do the best work.

 

I leave for Atlanta today.

 

Until next time Long live the King and don’t forget the camps, Victory Junction and Camp-I-Can. www.campican.com.

 

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6:47:04 AM EST

#90 I am leaving for Wyoming today and will do the text for California tonight.

 

Well I am out in Wyoming now and it is beautiful here. I always enjoy coming out here.

 

The California race: We left for our trip out West on Wednesday the 23rd. Our first stop was in Vegas. Richard had a couple of personal appearance there. As usually I had a really good time in Vegas visiting my friend Kevin and Laraine. Thursday afternoon we took the short flight over to Ontario. It was good to be back in southern California.

 

Friday night was the truck race. Shane got into town around noon. It was good to see him. Since he started full time with Bill Davis Racing I only get to see him at the race track. His truck (#5 Mike Skinner had qualified on the pole so everyone was excited about the race. Mike had trouble with the handling and finished a disappointing 18th. After the race me, Tony (my copilot) and Shane went out to eat. I took Shane back to his hotel and he left early Saturday for North Carolina.

 

Saturday was qualifying day for the Cup cars. Kyle qualified 36th and Jeff qualified 37th. Kyle Busch won the pole. I think he was the youngest pole winner ever in NASCAR.

 

Race Day:  The race wasn’t a competitive race. After a few laps the cars would spread out because of handling problems.  I think most drivers was racing the track rather than racing each other. The race did get a little exciting at the end with Jimmie Johnson trying to catch Greg Biffle.

 

Kyle had a pretty good day staying on the lead lap and finishing 18th. Jeff cut down a tire about mid race and finished a lap down in 27th position. After 2 races Kyle is 16th in t

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