Richard Petty Motorsports facts for kids
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| Owner(s) | Richard Petty Andrew M. Murstein Douglas G. Bergeron |
|---|---|
| Base | Welcome, North Carolina |
| Series | NASCAR Cup Series |
| Opened | 2009 |
| Closed | 2021 |
| Career | |
| Debut | Cup Series 2009 Daytona 500 (Daytona) Xfinity Series 2009 NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve) |
| Latest race | Cup Series 2021 Season Finale 500 (Phoenix Raceway) Xfinity Series 2016 Hisense 4K TV 300 (Charlotte) |
| Races competed | Total: 1,027 Cup Series: 900 Xfinity Series: 127 |
| Drivers' Championships | Total: 0 Cup Series: 0 Xfinity Series: 0 |
| Race victories | Total: 7 Cup Series: 5 Xfinity Series: 2 |
| Pole positions | Total: 10 Cup Series: 9 Xfinity Series: 1 |
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) was a professional stock car racing team in America. They competed in the top NASCAR series, the NASCAR Cup Series. The team started when two other racing teams, Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) and Petty Enterprises, joined together. George Gillett, who owned famous sports teams like the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, had the main ownership of RPM.
In late 2009, RPM joined with another team called Yates Racing. This meant they started using Ford cars for the 2010 racing season. Later, in November 2010, the Gillett family had money problems. An investment group, including Andrew M. Murstein, Douglas G. Bergeron, and racing legend Richard Petty himself, bought the team. On December 1, 2021, it was announced that GMS Racing owner Maurice J. Gallagher Jr. bought most of the team. The next day, it was confirmed that the team would become part of a new organization called Petty GMS Motorsports, which later changed its name to Legacy Motor Club.
Contents
The Team's Journey in Racing
How Richard Petty Motorsports Began
In January 2009, during a tough economy, Gillett Evernham Motorsports merged with Petty Enterprises. Petty Enterprises was struggling to find sponsors for its cars. This merger created Richard Petty Motorsports and expanded the team to four cars. Richard Petty and Ray Evernham, who were part of the original teams, only owned a small part of the new team.
Towards the end of 2009, RPM announced they would stop using Dodge cars and switch to Ford. They also merged with Yates Racing, a team known for successful NASCAR drivers like Davey Allison and Dale Jarrett.
Financial Challenges and New Owners
By 2010, RPM faced questions about its future. Their main driver, Kasey Kahne, announced he would leave the team. Kahne left early due to mechanical problems with his car. The Gillett family, who owned RPM, also had financial difficulties. This led to rumors that the team might close.
In October 2010, RPM's cars were briefly taken away before a race because of payment issues with their engine supplier. The situation was fixed in November when Richard Petty teamed up with investors Andrew M. Murstein and Douglas G. Bergeron. They bought the team for less than $50 million. Richard Petty once again led a race team and owned a third of the company. After 2010, the team went from four cars to two. In 2014, Murstein bought out Bergeron's share.
In 2015, RPM started making their own car bodies. By 2016, they began building their own car frames. This made them less dependent on other racing companies. For the 2018 season, RPM changed its partnership to Richard Childress Racing and switched to using Chevrolet cars.
On December 1, 2021, RPM sold most of its ownership to GMS Racing for $19 million. This deal included the team's two special "charters," which guarantee a spot in races. The No. 43 car kept its charter, while the other charter went to GMS's No. 42 car.
NASCAR Cup Series Cars
Car No. 19 History
Elliott Sadler's Time (2009–2010)
Before RPM was formed, Elliott Sadler drove the No. 19 car for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. In 2008, he signed a new contract. However, in December 2008, the team announced that A. J. Allmendinger would replace Sadler in the No. 19 car for 2009. Sadler's lawyer threatened a lawsuit, so a deal was made for Sadler to return to the No. 19.
In 2009, Sadler finished in the top ten five times and placed twenty-sixth in points. For 2010, Stanley was the main sponsor. Sadler left the team mid-season due to poor results, and the No. 19 car was then shut down. The number 19 was later used by other NASCAR teams.
Car No. 43 History
Reed Sorenson (2009)
In 2008, Gillett Evernham Motorsports signed Reed Sorenson. When Richard Petty's team merged with GEM, Sorenson moved to the No. 43 car for the 2009 season. The No. 43 car had many different sponsors that year, including McDonald's and the United States Air Force. Sorenson only had one top-ten finish, which was ninth place at the Daytona 500. He was released from the team at the end of the season.
A. J. Allmendinger (2010–2011)
The team moved A. J. Allmendinger to the No. 43 car for the 2010 season, and he finished 19th in points. In 2011, Allmendinger improved, especially when he worked with crew chief Greg Erwin. The team finished 15th in points. However, they lost their main sponsor, Best Buy. Allmendinger then left RPM and joined another team.
Aric Almirola (2012–2017)
To replace Allmendinger, RPM signed Aric Almirola. Almirola earned a pole position (starting first) at Charlotte in May 2012. He had one top-five finish and four top-ten finishes, ending the season 20th in points. His best race might have been at Kansas, where he led 69 laps but crashed due to a tire problem.
In 2013, Almirola continued to drive the No. 43. At Martinsville Speedway, the team used the No. 41 to honor Maurice Petty joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Almirola had his best career points finish, 18th. For 2014, Richard Petty's nephew, Trent Owens, became the crew chief.
In January 2014, RPM extended Almirola's contract for three more years. Their sponsor, Smithfield Foods, agreed to fund 29 races each season. Almirola had a tough start to 2014, being in a large crash at the 2014 Daytona 500. At Bristol, he achieved his best career finish, coming in 3rd.
At the 2014 Coke Zero 400, Almirola won his first career Sprint Cup Series race. He avoided two big crashes and was leading when the race ended early due to rain. This was the first win for the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 car. It was also the first win for the No. 43 car in the Cup Series since 1999. The win happened exactly 30 years after Richard Petty won his 200th race. Almirola's victory guaranteed him a spot in the playoffs.
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In 2015, Almirola's teammate Marcos Ambrose left, and Sam Hornish Jr. took his place. Almirola had a top-five finish at Dover but just missed the playoffs. He finished 17th in points, which was the best among drivers not in the playoffs.
For the 2016 season, Brian Scott replaced Hornish. Almirola felt excited about working with his crew chief Owens again. However, after a good start at the 2016 Daytona 500, the team struggled. Almirola finished the 2016 season 26th in points. After the season, RPM decided to focus only on Almirola's No. 43 car.
In the 2017 Daytona 500, Almirola finished in the top ten. But in May 2017, at the 2017 Go Bowling 400, Almirola was in a serious crash. His car hit another car and went airborne. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken bone in his back. He missed several races. Regan Smith and Bubba Wallace filled in for him. Almirola returned to racing in July. In September 2017, it was announced that Almirola and his sponsor, Smithfield Foods, would leave RPM for another team.
Bubba Wallace (2018–2020)
For the 2018 season, Bubba Wallace replaced Almirola in the No. 43 car. He competed for Rookie of the Year. He had an impressive second-place finish at the 2018 Daytona 500. Wallace finished the season 28th in points and was second in the Rookie of the Year standings.
Wallace started the 2019 season with a crash at the 2019 Daytona 500. He often finished outside the top 15 but managed to qualify for the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race. At the 2019 Brickyard 400, Wallace ran in the top 10 for most of the race and finished third. In November, Wallace was fined and lost points for intentionally spinning his car after a tire failure.
On September 10, 2020, Wallace announced he would not return to RPM in 2021.
Erik Jones (2021)
On October 21, 2020, RPM announced they had signed Erik Jones to drive the No. 43 car for multiple years. During the 2021 season, Jones had six top-ten finishes and ended the season 24th in the points standings.
Car No. 44 History
2009–2015: The No. 9 Car
Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola (2009–2010)
Kasey Kahne had been driving for Evernham Motorsports since 2004. He continued to drive the No. 9 car after the merger that created Richard Petty Motorsports. In 2009, Kahne won his first road course race and another race at Atlanta. This earned him a spot in the playoffs. However, early problems in the playoffs meant he couldn't compete for the championship, finishing 10th in points.
The 2010 season started well for the No. 9 team with a win in a qualifying race. But the team had inconsistent results and missed the playoffs. Kahne left the team before the Martinsville race and was replaced by Aric Almirola for the remaining races. Almirola's best finish was fourth at Homestead.
Marcos Ambrose (2011–2014)
Marcos Ambrose took over driving the No. 9 car at the start of the 2011 season. He had a great year, winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International in August. He finished the season with 12 top-ten finishes and 19th in points. Ambrose won again at Watkins Glen in 2012 but had fewer top-ten finishes. In 2013, he didn't win or finish in the top five but had six top-ten finishes.
Sam Hornish Jr. (2015)
In September 2014, Marcos Ambrose announced he would leave RPM to return to racing in Australia. The team's main sponsor, Stanley Black & Decker, also left. On October 8, 2014, it was announced that Sam Hornish Jr. would drive the No. 9 car starting in 2015. Hornish struggled during the year, with only three top-ten finishes. Richard Petty announced that Hornish would not return to the team after the season ended.
Switch to No. 44 (2016)
Brian Scott (2016)
Brian Scott, a driver from the Xfinity Series, replaced Hornish for 2016. The car number was changed from 9 to 44, a number previously used by Petty Enterprises. Scott had his career-best finish, 2nd place, at Talladega in the fall. A few weeks later, he announced his retirement for family reasons. Petty later sold the No. 44 equipment to another team.
Car No. 98 History
2009: No. 44 Richard Petty Motorsports Dodge
A. J. Allmendinger (2009)
The merger of GEM and Petty Enterprises in January 2009 meant the team suddenly had four cars. A. J. Allmendinger was signed to drive the newly renumbered No. 44 car. The team was guaranteed to race in the first eight races, with more possible if they found sponsors. The team used a classic Valvoline/Petty Blue paint design for the 2009 Daytona 500 and finished third. Allmendinger later finished ninth at Martinsville. He had a good season, with one top-five and six top-ten finishes, ending 24th in points. He moved to the No. 43 car the next year.
2010: No. 98 Menards Ford
Paul Menard (2010)
In 2010, after RPM bought Yates Racing, Paul Menard drove the No. 98 Menards Ford Fusion. Menard had similar results to Allmendinger the year before, with one top-five and six top-ten finishes, ending 23rd in points. Menard left the team for 2011, taking his sponsor with him, which led to the No. 98 car being shut down.
Xfinity Series
Car No. 09 History
Richard Petty Motorsports (2011–2014)
The team returned to the NASCAR Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series) in 2011. RPM prepared a car for Marcos Ambrose to race in Montreal. Owen Kelly practiced and qualified the car while Ambrose was at a Cup Series race. The team started from the back but Ambrose still won the race.
In 2013, Marcos Ambrose drove the No. 9 Ford Mustang at Mid-Ohio and finished seventh. The No. 9 car also raced at Homestead with Corey Lajoie driving, but he was in a crash and finished 33rd.
In 2014, Ambrose returned to the series in the No. 09 Ford Mustang at Watkins Glen International, where he won the race.
Car No. 43 History
Michael Annett (2012–2013)
In 2012, the No. 9 car was renumbered to No. 43 for Michael Annett. He brought his sponsorship from Pilot Flying J. Annett had a strong year in 2012, finishing in the top ten in many races and ending the season 5th in points.
Dakoda Armstrong (2014–2015)
When Annett moved to the Cup Series, RPM hired Dakoda Armstrong to drive the No. 43. He brought sponsorship from WinField. Armstrong drove for two seasons before leaving in 2015.
Jeb Burton (2016)
In 2016, Jeb Burton joined the team to drive the No. 43. Despite being 11th in points in June, the team was suspended. This happened because a sponsor did not fulfill their agreement with RPM.
ARCA Racing
Empire Racing Alliance (2016)
In 2016, Richard Petty Motorsports partnered with Empire Racing. Empire Racing used the No. 43 Petty's Garage truck in some Camping World Truck Series races. Young drivers shared the truck. Austin Hill drove at Daytona, and Korbin Forrister tried to qualify at Eldora but didn't make the race.
Thad Moffitt (2017–2019)
The partnership with Empire Racing moved to the ARCA series starting in 2017. This alliance focused on Richard Petty's grandson, Thad Moffitt. Moffitt raced part-time in the No. 46 car, and Sean Corr drove the No. 43 in a few races.
Images for kids
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Elliott Sadler making a pit stop in his No. 19 RPM car at Dover in 2010
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Reed Sorenson's No. 43 during the 2009 Aaron's 499
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A. J. Allmendinger in the No. 43 at Pocono Raceway in 2011
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Aric Almirola's 2013 Sprint Cup car, the same Air Force design he used to win at Daytona in 2014
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Aric Almirola in the No. 43 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2017
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Bubba Wallace in the No. 43 at Sonoma Raceway in 2018
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Erik Jones in the No. 43 at Sonoma Raceway in 2021
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Kasey Kahne at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2009
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Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 at Pocono Raceway in 2011
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Driver Sam Hornish Jr. (second from left) and the No. 9 team at Sonoma Raceway in 2015.
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Brian Scott in the No. 44 at Daytona International Speedway in 2016.
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Paul Menard in the No. 98 during the 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350
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The No. 43 driven by Michael Annett at Road America in 2013
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Dakoda Armstrong at Road America in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Richard Petty Motorsports para niños
