Inside the Halls of Petty: Solid foundation in place

Rome wasn't built in a day, but it doesn't mean that they sat on their hands all day as they were building it. There was a lot of work and effort put forth. That's what is happening at Petty Enterprises as we finish this season and look forward to 2007.

We're continuing to build on the momentum that the No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker and No. 45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/Tire Kingdom teams have gained this season. That gives us a lot of confidence heading into the final 10 races of 2007 because, right now, we feel like our teams are strong. Can we be stronger? Yes. Do we want to be stronger? Yes. Are we going to get better? Yes. The future of Petty Enterprises is bright. We expect to be in contention for wins and a championship spot next year.

Bobby Labonte

Career Cup Stats

Starts	500
Wins	21
Top-5s	113
Top-10s	195
Poles	26
Run. at Finish	430
Avg. Start	16.3
Avg. Finish	16.7

Store: Bobby | Kyle | The King

Here's why: We have a solid foundation.

• The cornerstone is champion Bobby Labonte. His attitude and desire to be a champion again is something that we all build around. We know what his presence means to this team. He has been one of our sport's winningest drivers over the last 10 years. He knows how to be a winner and he makes the people around him winners. That's powerful, and that's what is driving the 43 team to top finishes right now.

Bobby is as knowledgeable a driver as there is in the garage. There is a reason he won the 2000 Cup championship. He knows what he wants out of his car and he can communicate that well with Doug Randolph. Ask anyone around the garage and they will tell you that communication is a large part of what it takes to get to the top. Bobby and Doug Randolph seem to both be on the same page. Doug will tell you he is not "instant offense." He stepped into a team that was already talented thanks to Paul Andrews. He just added a missing element. That will carry us into the end of this season and the future as well.

All of us at Petty Enterprises want Bobby Labonte to retire in the legendary No. 43 car. The team that is now in place around him is already one of the top Dodge teams in the garage. With time and seasoning they can become one of the best teams, period, regardless of manufacturer.

• We have an unmatched leader. Kyle Petty is a natural born leader. Look at his youth. It is easy to see why he was such a successful high-school quarterback. Guys just want to follow someone like Kyle. He is also a heck of a racecar driver. You don't win eight Cup races without having some serious talent behind the wheel.

Kyle can relate to the chairman of the board or the fan sitting in the stands. He has that adaptability that you need to have at the top of the organization. He has a vision of what he believes Petty Enterprises can become and he is passionate when talking about the future of the family business. We all share in that same passion.

I tell people that Kyle has just as much fire as any driver in the garage. He might have more. He wants to win and put Petty Enterprises back up front. He talks and people listen. He is very, very serious about this organization. This is his family's operation and I know the desire he has for it. He's going to make it a success.

• In The King Richard Petty, we have the sport's iconic figure. Not only does he have more wins than anyone in the history of NASCAR, he is the face of Petty Enterprises. The King is just as visible now as he was when he was winning those seven NASCAR championships. That means a lot when your organization has someone like that, someone that has seen just about everything there is in stock-car racing. We draw more from The King than people realize.

The future for Petty Enterprises holds a lot of promise. You guys have heard me talk before about a possible move to the Charlotte area. That is something that is still on our horizon and something that we think will make us even more competitive. We are also planning to start a Busch Series team as well. Chad McCumbee is a driver that we've had an eye on for a while. Chad has a lot of potential and we want to make sure that he is in the best equipment possible for him to showcase his talents.

Petty Enterprises grew a lot during last season. This year we set out to bolster that improved performance. If you look, Bobby is only 64 points out of the top 15. Kyle has missed some races, but a third-place finish at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the sport's most grueling race proves he is ready to win again. I see Richard and Kyle moving the company forward and they have made smart decisions. We are still making them and moving forward.

See you in Victory Lane,
Robbie Loomis