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Sad to See Kyle Petty's Career End Like This
4/11/08: SOZ Studios, MI - By Dennis Michelsen "DMIC" (RaceTalkRadio.com)
Can you imagine how nuts it would have been if Kyle Petty won a race in the No. 45 before retiring? There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the world! New fans to the sport read that first line and wondered if I was in contact with Aaron Fike's dealer. But there was a time when Kyle Petty was one of the guys to beat every week. If my NASCAR wish could be granted I would wish for one more Kyle Petty trip to Victory Lane. It is sad to see Kyle Petty's career end this way.
Back in the Better Days
Kyle Petty made his Winston Cup debut back in 1979 at just 19 years old. That first race showed race fans the promising career that could be expected from the son of the King, Kyle finished 9th in the Talladega 500. Kyle's first win came in the Miller High Life 400 at Richmond in 1986. It wasn't in the familiar Petty colors; Kyle was racing for the equally famous Wood Brothers. Race fans back in the better days remember Kyle Petty most for those cool looking Mello Yellow paint schemes while racing for Felix Sabates in the early 90s. Kyle's best points finishes came in those cars in 1992-93 when he finished 5th both seasons. The last of Kyle's eight wins came in 1995.
From Mid-Pack to Missing Races
It has been 13 years since Kyle Petty's last win. Almost ten years of racing went by between top five finishes for Kyle Petty…a streak of 301 races. Fans of Kyle Petty hoped that the team had turned the corner when he pulled off an improbable third place finish in last year's Coca Cola 600. Yes it was a fuel mileage gamble that paid off for Kyle and race winner Casey Mears among others, but you have to be in position to take advantage of such a gamble. But the remainder of the season would be a struggle with only two more finishes better than 20th. Now this season the team has failed to finish better than 28th in five races. The No. 45 has gone home for the last two weeks.
Just One More Time
Petty Enterprises is in the middle of turmoil this season. After the move from their old home to their new shop the folks at Petty Enterprises expected a better season. Bobby Labonte has posted four top twenty finishes in the first seven races and is 21st in points. But that team is in turmoil with the sponsor leaving after this season and Bobby Labonte's future is up in the air. Just once I would like to see all of the stars align and see those Petty colors back in Victory Lane this season. No one has given more to this sport than the Petty family! If progress in NASCAR ever means a sport without the Petty family involved I say the hell with progress! Let's hope that Kyle Petty finds that magical touch just once more before he decides to climb out of the driver's seat for the last time. It is sad to see his career end this way.
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