Parrott Flies to Petty

RacingOne Report

Posted Tuesday, December 6, 2005

The No. 43 will have a new driver/crew chief combo.

LEVEL CROSS, N.C. – Petty Enterprises has always been "Home of Champions," but perhaps never as much as today.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Todd Parrott has been named crew chief for the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team and driver Bobby Labonte. Robbie Loomis, Executive Vice President of Operations and a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion himself, made the announcement.

"While few can match him in knowledge and strategy, no one can match Todd Parrott when it comes to the desire to win," Loomis said. "Working together with Paul Andrews (crew chief for Kyle Petty's No. 45 Dodge and a former NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion) and the talent we have here, we feel we have the ingredients to return Petty Enterprises to victory lane."

Labonte is a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship driver. Petty Enterprises, the winningest organization in major league motorsports history, has 10 championships going into the 2006 season.

Greg Steadman, who had been serving as crew chief for the No. 43, has been named Competition Director for Petty Enterprises and is involved with both race teams.

"I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be a part of Petty Enterprises," Parrott said. "I've been a fan of Richard Petty since I could talk, and one of the most exciting times of my life is when my dad (Buddy Parrott) was crew chief for Richard.

"When I see the people who are coming into the organization and how hard everyone is working to get Petty Enterprises back to the top, I can't help but be excited to be a part of that," Parrott continued. "Robbie Loomis, Bobby Labonte...these guys are coming here for one reason, and that's to win."

Parrott, 41, is a native of Charlotte, N.C. Winner of the 1999 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship with driver Dale Jarrett, Parrott begins his 12th year as a leader of NASCAR race teams in 2006. He grew up in the sport and began working on race cars when just 14 years old, developing into one of the top mechanical and strategy-minded names in motorsports.



I really like the things Petty is doing. Think these changes and additions will get them back in the winners circle.

I have always felt bad for Petty as a car owner to have all those personal wins and such not to have many (if any) wins as an owner. It looks like they are getting serious about winning and I hope it pays off for them.

acegear wrote:I have always felt bad for Petty as a car owner to have all those personal wins and such not to have many (if any) wins as an owner. It looks like they are getting serious about winning and I hope it pays off for them.

Never understood why they didn't do better..they have the money.
I do think with the way they are going they will be in the winners circle soon.

Actually I think the reason they haven't won is because of the testing rules that have been in place up til now. They gave multi-car teams a HUGE advantage. While I think the new testing rules are still an advantage for the multi-car teams, I think it is less so now. I suppose only time will tell.