RPM oh hold ....Menard in the #10 at Phoenix?

[DeeDee]

Richard Petty Motorsports on hold: The situation at Richard Petty Motorsports remains tenuous at best, despite reports to the contrary. Last week team officials said everything was set for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway as well as the season finale the following week. But five truck drivers remained in Fort Worth at Texas Motor Speedway waiting for the call as to whether they were heading west to the next race or back to the shop in the east as of Tuesday evening. The organization has been in limbo as team owner George Gillett is still reeling from the financial hit he took Oct. 15 when the English soccer team he co-owned -- Liverpool Football Club -- was taken over.
RPM had planned to run two cars next season with AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose. However, until money can be secured to settle the current debts at RPM, it's uncertain how much longer the organization will be around. Sources told FOXSports.com that Richard Petty, the team's namesake, was in talks with Andrew Murstein, President of Medallion Financial Group, in a bid to gain financial control of the company from Gillett.
As a backup plan for Paul Menard, who has already announced that he will leave RPM to drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2011, the #10 Stavola Labonte Racing Chevy stayed within two hours of Texas Motor Speedway in case it needs to turn around and head to Phoenix for Menard's use. Stavola Labonte Racing has a technical alliance with RCR.(FoxSports)(11-10-2010)~jayski

[RacingDude]

Be surprised to see him not finish the season in the 98.

[TeamBlueOval]

.........I thought they had everything lined up for the rest of the year. :( Still hope they make it to Phoenix and Homestead. Maybe RP will have control before Daytona.

[moenemdown27]

I'm not sure whether I'm happy to see him in a Chevy early or sad to see he can't finish in the 98. I was really looking forward to seeing him finish strong with RPM this season.

[TeamBlueOval]

This doesn't sound good ... Roush still holding RPM cars in Texas, waiting for payment.


Eight Richard Petty Motorsports Fords scheduled to compete this weekend at Phoenix remain at Texas Motor Speedway today, waiting to be paid for so they can be released to travel to PIR. Sources tell Sirius NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that as of 1:00pm/et today, the cars sit on an unmarked, white Roush Fenway Racing transporter in a parking lot at Texas Motor Speedway. Alongside sit the respective Richard Petty Motorsports transporters, empty and waiting for permission to load the cars and begin their drive from Fort Worth to Avondale, AZ.
"The plan was to take RPM's Phoenix cars to Texas and hold them there until the check cleared," said a source close to the situation, speaking on the condition on anonymity. "The money was supposed to be there Monday, but that didn't happen. It didn't happen again yesterday, and everyone's still there today, on hold. Everyone knew this was going to happen before they left for Texas. Our hands are tied and there's nothing we can do but wait." A resolution must come soon, since federal regulations allow transporter drivers to drive for only 10 hours before getting 10 hours of rest. It is approximately 18 hours from Texas to Phoenix.
A similar situation occurred last week, when RPM's Texas cars were withheld by Roush Fenway until late Wednesday, pending payment. "The #9 and #98 trucks loaded up and left last week before they had been cleared to go, and that created a big issue," said a second RPM source. "The cars were finally released at 4:00pm last Wednesday, but until then, there was considerable doubt whether Richard Petty Motorsports was going to race in Texas at all. Now, they're right back in the same situation. The transporter drivers are sitting in Texas, waiting to find out of they're heading to Phoenix, or back to North Carolina."
Richard Petty Motorsports employees have been required to work on their cars at Roush Fenway Racing in recent weeks, since Roush will not release the cars until they are paid for. RPM faces other financial obligations in the near future. The team is scheduled to make a winnings and retainer payments due to each of its drivers on the 15th of this month. A call to Richard Petty Motorsports seeking comment was not immediately returned.(Sirius Speedway)(11-10-2010)

[JiggaStyles09]

.........I thought they had everything lined up for the rest of the year. :( Still hope they make it to Phoenix and Homestead. Maybe RP will have control before Daytona.

me too. they must have just said that to buy them some time & hope that the situation improves, i guess it didn't :/

[TeamBlueOval]

Cars being released, about to leave for Phoenix (update from 5:45 PM ET)


The NASCAR Sprint Cup cars that Richard Petty Motorsports will race at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend are en route to Arizona after being delayed at Texas Motor Speedway.

Earlier today, the four RPM transporters were still sitting at the track with a fifth hauler, a car carrier, that belongs to Roush Fenway Racing. The two No. 98 Phoenix cars are loaded on the Menards transporter. Six additional Phoenix cars — primary and back up — for the Nos. 9, 19 and 43, remained on the RFR car carrier. Those are now being moved to the RPM transporter, which should clear the way for the team to race this weekend.

The organization has been in limbo as team owner George Gillett is still reeling from the financial hit he took Oct. 15 when the English soccer team he co-owned — Liverpool Football Club — was taken over.

Sources tell FOXSports.com that Richard Petty is meeting with officials from Best Buy in New York today about sponsorship for 2011.
FOXSports

[yatesracing]

Maybe I was being a bit optimistic but never doubted it for a second.;)