Chevy American Revolution 400 - Kyle Petty Notes

Kyle Petty Notes, Quotes: Chevy American Revolution 400
‘What Makes Richmond so Popular?’

This weekend, Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team head to the .750-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway for Saturday night’s Chevy American Revolution 400. The Richmond (Va.) International Raceway has always been viewed as one of the drivers’ favorite tracks. The only raceway on the circuit its size and shape, competitors believe that it’s one of the most entertaining tracks for the drivers and fans.

Petty, 44, will be making his 723rd career start this weekend. He is 10th on the all-time list in NASCAR Cup career starts, and fourth among active drivers. His eight career victories place him 45th on NASCAR’s all-time list in Cup wins. One of the most recognizable names in international motorsports, as is his sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, Petty’s driving career began with a five-race season in 1979. The native of Level Cross, N.C., has won over $21 million.

The thoughts of Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge driver Kyle Petty heading into Richmond:

“Is Richmond the perfect track? I don’t know. It’s tough to call any track perfect. It’s popular, I will say that. I think a lot of the fans like it, and I think a lot of the guys in the garage love this place. If you kept doing polls about the best tracks, or favorite tracks, Richmond is always going to be at or near the top for the drivers. The fans love the Bristols and Daytonas, but a good many of the drivers don’t. I think Richmond is where we find that common ground. The fans enjoy Richmond probably just as much as the drivers do.

“The track, through all of its changes over the years, has really become one of the most unique tracks on the circuit. It stands out as being different than a lot of the other tracks, and that is where it has laid its foundation. It’s not too big, but it’s not too small. It’s not super fast, but it’s a little bit bigger than a place like Martinsville, so it doesn’t really have that shortest short track mentality. It fits into a category all to its own, and that is what makes it so different and unique.

“It has cornered an area that no other track has. Daytona has Talladega, Infineon has Watkins Glen, Lowe’s has Atlanta, but you can’t really compare Richmond to anything else. It doesn’t have a counterpart. The same is said about Darlington. There are just a few tracks that we race at that are unique - Richmond is one of them.

“There probably isn’t such thing as a perfect track. You need to define the term, but Richmond has a lot of the qualities. It’s a good start with a lot of the ingredients. It’s wide enough to pass, it has two and three grooves, and it’s the perfect size to race. We really don’t get too spread out, but we aren’t on top of each other either. There’s no need for someone to tear off your bumper to get around you. There is still plenty of room, even though in reference to a lot of the other tracks we race at, it’s relatively small and tight. It lends itself to good racing.

“It’s just a good combination of things, but there isn’t that one single thing that makes it so great. You can’t pinpoint any one reason. I just think we all like going to Richmond. It has its two Saturday night races each year and both races are entertaining. It’s a real plus on the schedule, and I think a lot of guys look forward to going there. It’s a fun track for a lot of the guys.

“We’re excited. Jeff (Green) and the Cheerios guys tested and had a good test. We want to learn from them and see how much we can benefit from that. We’ve been testing too at other tracks and gathering more information. We’re getting ready to really get into some long months ahead with June, July, and August. We just want to be prepared. A lot of teams have been testing, and a lot of guys tested for this race. It’s important for us to stay up front with these guys. We are looking to have a good showing at Richmond. That’s what is on the minds of this Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team this weekend.”