Aaron's 499 - Kyle Petty Notes

Kyle Petty Notes, Quotes: Talladega 500
‘Talladega Is Its Own Entity’

This weekend, Kyle Petty and the #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team head into the 2.66-mile Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway for Sunday’s Talladega 499. The race is the second restrictor-plate race of the season. Petty is one of only a handful of current Nextel Cup drivers to have raced at the track with and without restrictor plates.

Petty, 44, will be making his 721st 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 Talladega:

“Talladega is just a little more than nerve-racking. That’s why the drivers say they don’t like it. I don’t think any of us mind racing at Talladega itself. It’s just the nature of the racing that you have with the restrictor plate that makes it pretty intense. I think they like it as a whole.

“Talladega is about racing side-by-side, bumper-to-bumper and drafting. That is what racing is all about. That’s exciting - if you’re doing it against five or six cars. You throw 43 cars out there at once, and then, yeah, that’s pretty nerve-racking. The restrictor plate is what makes that happen, and that’s what the drivers don’t like about it. It’s not the track or the racing - it’s more about the cause of the plate.

“But, you have to remember why the plate is there in the first place. You have to go back. Everyone remembers Bobby Allison’s car getting airborne and going into the fence. You had a pretty serious safety concern after that accident. Then you had the introduction of the restrictor plate. It was the safety aspect, and that’s a good thing. It has created the big packs, but is has helped decrease the speeds a bunch. It’s not that drivers don’t like going to Talladega or Daytona, but racing in the big pack all day is what is challenging.

“A fan’s perspective, Daytona, Talladega, and Bristol are the great races. They are the ones that sell out and the fans want to see the most. It’s places like Talladega where the sport is a great spectator sport. You’ll see a sellout crowd each time at Talladega. They love the excitement of 43 cars inches apart. They love the side-by-side racing. Talladega is great if you’re a fan.

“Talladega isn’t Daytona either. You hear them compared to each other a lot because we run the plate at both tracks, but in reality they are different. Talladega is 2.66-miles and Daytona is 2.5-miles. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a pretty big difference. It’s amazing what that little amount of distance really matters. Racing three-wide at Talladega is really no problem. Racing three-wide at Daytona, well, that’s more of a struggle. That difference alone makes for an extremely different race.

“Daytona is a lot about handling, but Talladega is more about horsepower and aerodynamics. You can compare similarities and differences between the two all day, but Talladega is still its own entity. That’s good too. Talladega doesn’t need to be like Daytona, and Daytona doesn’t need to be like Talladega. They are both entertaining tracks, and both great for the fans.

“Talladega has its own tradition, and is a very important track in the history of the sport. It’s a gigantic place with very steep banking. It’s an impressive place just to look at. It’s a fun track to race. It’s challenging and it’s tough, but it’s a good track too. Some may be excited to race this weekend, others might not be, but this Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team is one that is ready to go.”