Richard Petty said he hopes to have a new deal with Ford completed within the next three weeks but acknowledged that it will not be as good financially for the team. Much of the manufacture money that had been going to Petty’s team will now go to Penske Racing as the organization moves from Dodge to Ford in 2013.
Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) will field two cars next season. “We’ve always been here, so we’re going to be here,” said Richard Petty in an interview with ESPN’s David Newton.
The driver lineup may change at RPM though. Marcos Ambrose has won at Watkins Glen in each of the last two seasons and has talked about racing for the team in 2013 but questions remain about the status of Aric Almirola.
Almirola is currently 22nd in the driver standings and Petty only offered a “We’ll see” when asked about his future with the team. “Right now, everything we’ve got going is in the air, just like it has been the last three or four years.” Almirola signed a one year deal with RPM last winter after AJ Allmendinger was allowed to leave for Penske Racing to drive the No. 22 car.
RPM was one of a few teams hoping to put together a deal with Dodge for 2013. A deal never got completed and the manufacturer opted to pull it’s support for NASCAR for next season.
If Almirola does not return to the seat of the No. 43 car there will be no shortage of names to toss around all. Last year many had RPM talking to Clint Bowyer and Kurt Busch about driving for the team. Busch will again be a free agent this off season after his one year deal with Phoenix Racing ends.
