Petty excited about analyst work, even after strong run

When I called Kyle Petty on his cell phone Monday afternoon I got his voicemail. I wasn't surprised. In fact, I was kind of happy. After all, it was Memorial Day, the day after the Coca-Cola 600 where he finished third, his best finish since Dover on Sept. 21, 1997, when he finished third behind race-winner Mark Martin and runner-up Dale Earnhardt. For the record, Bobby Labonte finished fourth in that race.

On Monday I figured Kyle was relaxing, maybe on a boat on some lake or getting ready to grill out. That's OK, I'll get him on Tuesday.

Forty-five minutes later the phone rang. It was KP.

"I was at the driving range," he said.

"Yeah, I try to go to the driving range on Mondays. It helps to get some of the soreness out. It's a good day to go to the range but Monday is not a good day to play golf."

Especially after 600 miles on Sunday night.

"I hit 'em OK. Nothing big."

So, my first question to him? Are you still coming with us in two weeks?

"Oh, shoot. Yeah, man," he said.

Boy was that refreshing, because after the race on Sunday I started thinking, well, third is an inspiring finish, even more so when you haven't had one in, ah, 10 years. So I was wondering ...

"Yeah, and they asked me about that after the race," Petty said. "They said 'So, you still going to the booth for TNT?' Heck yeah I'm still going."

Petty will join six-year veteran Wally Dallenbach in the booth when TNT begins its coverage of the Nextel Cup series at Pocono in June. Petty will be in the booth for five of the races, and he will report from his car on the road course at Sonoma.

"A couple of reporters asked me about it, but this just makes it easier to climb out of the car and go to the booth," Petty said. "It makes it easier because it shows to me that the team is getting stronger and building. Now I don't have to feel bad about putting someone in the car and it not running good. Our guys haven't quit working and this is a good finish for them and a good finish for Petty Enterprises."

"My deal is a lot like Mark's [Martin] deal. He made a plan and when he was leading the championship people expected him to make a change. He made a plan and didn't deviate from it. I'm 26th in points, I'm at a different place in my career."

I'll tell you what, Kyle can sure talk fast, makes it hard to take notes. Might make it hard to get a word in on the air.

"We're a two-car team, and let me tell you one thing about a two-car team, and I don't know about a four-car team because I have never been a part of one, but a two-car team builds off the success of the other. Even though we have struggled [in the 45 car], we've had good morale because of the way Bobby Labonte has run."

"It's good that we can contribute to that morale, good for the guys at the track, in the shop, everyone and maybe even good for Ray [Evernham, who provides engines to Petty Enterprises]. They haven't had a great year over there so maybe this will even help them."

Back to the top

Kyle Petty had his best finish in a decade on Sunday when he came home in third place.

• Complete story, click here
• Petty gives fans ride along
• Inside the Halls of Petty

That's good ol' Kyle Petty, always rooting for the other guy.

Now, let's not lose sight of reality here. Fuel mileage and that we've-got-nothing-to-lose-if-we-go-for-it attitude put Kyle and crew in the top three at Lowe's Motor Speedway. If it was the Coca-Cola 605, well, I might be writing about traffic on Speedway Blvd. after the race. Nah, I wouldn't do that.

Still, they battled back, worked on race strategy, put themselves in the proper position and in the record book -- it is and always will be a third-place finish. That's nice.

"Listen, there are A, B and C teams. Petty Enterprises is a B team trying to get to be an A team," Petty said. "To get to be an A team we have to have these kinds of runs every week. We have to do that to elevate our status to that of the top teams. I heard some of the [reporters] talking [Sunday] night about the Gibbs guys missing another shot. Yeah, they missed it alright, three teams in the top 10 [second, sixth and ninth). Nice miss. One guy asked about the end of the Hendrick domination. I said, 'Don't you realize what just happened?' They [Hendrick] just got their other car into Victory Lane. That just completes the circle. All four of their cars have won in the first 12 races. That's phenomenal. I don't even think Roush has accomplished that.

"So when you look at what we did, that's the kind of thing that helps to build our organization and make it stronger."

He could see that right after the race.

"Yeah, the guys were all complaining after having to go through tear-down [NASCAR's post-race inspection process]," Petty said. "Oh my gosh, now we gotta tear down, now I gotta tear down the rear-end gear, grinning ear-to-ear the whole time."

Kyle handed out credit to crew chief Billy Wilburn and his team, to the guys back at the shop, to the fans for supporting him, to convenience store clerk down the road that sells Coke Zero. OK, I made up the part about the store clerk, but you get the idea. Everybody did it, not Kyle Petty.

"I've won races and been in position to race for a championship; most of these guys have not," he said. "This lets them know what it feels like to run good. They haven't had great runs. I'm glad I could contribute to that."

As you've probably read, Kyle credits Robbie Loomis with getting the job done. Loomis left Petty Enterprises, won a championship with Jeff Gordon at Hendrick, then made the return trip home to Petty.

"He helps more in that position than I ever did," Petty said of Loomis' job as vice president of operations. "His plan is to always get it to the racetrack. I was always looking at the bigger picture. I would be thinking about how we could be better in two years. He's already focused on Dover."

After the race at Dover, Kyle makes the transition from driver to race analyst. We've had a couple of rehearsals at the track and LOTS of meetings. I don't know how Kyle feels about it, but Wally just loves meetings, especially those first thing in the morning. But for once, it's not about Wally.

"I really am looking forward to it," Kyle said. I could hear the enthusiasm in his voice.

"I did an interview with Richard Petty the other day. I'm doing another one with David Pearson. I was excited about interviewing Richard Petty. I didn't know what to anticipate. I was nervous. I'm a nervous wreck about interviewing David Pearson. But you've got to challenge yourself, not always physically, but mentally as well. The booth will be a different challenge."

You bet it will, especially the booth at, oh, never mind. But how does a driver still driving most of the time take on the role as analyst?

"You know, when you're 'in' the sport, and everyone is complaining about this or that, you have a tendency to complain too because you are in the middle of it," Petty said. "People not in the middle of it seem to have a picture that is 180 degrees different. I'm going to try and see that view. I probably won't make it to 180 degrees, but hopefully I can get to 90 degrees."

Petty knows the importance placed on being in the booth. He knows people are always listening.

"I am going to try really hard at this," he said. "My heart is still in the racecar riding around in circles, but I have been following the stories more closely, like Junior and listening to how the fans react to different issues."

Early in the year I talked with Kyle about the outlook for Petty Enterprises in 2007. As I recall, he told me he expected Bobby Labonte to win this season.

"I do believe Bobby Labonte can win a race, he could have last year," Petty said. "I thought he would win a race last year. There were five or six times we could have had a strong finish. This year we have had some good, strong runs. We've taken him out of a few races and he has taken himself out of a few races. When you have a night like we had [Sunday] night, we feel we can win races. We have to get him to a position where he can run consistently up front. We have to get him into a position where he can be like [Jeff] Gordon, [Matt] Kenseth, the 48 [Jimmie Johnson] and those guys because the way to win is be there every race, not just one race. If you're there for 36 races you give yourself a chance. If you're there only once in 36 races it would be like trying to win the lottery. Not that one night it can't happen."

Or one day. And here is the next question: What if that day happens while Kyle is hanging out with us in the booth. Will he be watching the 43 and the 45 cars?

"Good question. You keep you're eye on 'em," Petty said.

"When I'm standing up there, we're really watching the monitor most of the time. If there's a caution I'll probably look for the 43 car. But that's what I do on the track. Hey, those are our cars, I want to know what they're doing so I try to keep up with them when I'm in the race, too. So yeah, I'll look for them, look for the 43 and the 45, see how they're doing, but hopefully people won't notice and I won't treat them different than the other cars."

I'm looking forward to working with Kyle. We have worked together in the past on a couple of projects, including the pre-race show a few years back on, as they say, another network.

But I am also looking forward to the continuing climb of Petty Enterprises, and the long-awaited return to Victory Lane. And when our six races are over, I'll watch intently as Kyle Petty climbs back behind the wheel.

"You know, when I was hurt in '91 and had to sit out a few races and then I came back, I had a different appreciation for what we do," Kyle told me.

"You understand just how special it is to be one of just 43 guys going in a circle. It's pretty cool, whether you're first or dead last, to know you're on the same grid with Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, champions of the sport.

"To stay away from it for five or six races, I'm sure I will have a little greater appreciation for what we do."

And so will we.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.