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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Petty, GEM Still Talking
Despite reports that the merger between GEM and Petty are off, both teams said talks are continuing and that nothing has changed...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted December 17, 2008   Harrisburg, North Carolina
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Richard Petty said he is excited about the new partnership. (Photo: Marc Serota, Getty Images)

Despite published reports that merger talks between Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises are off, representatives of both teams told SPEEDtv.com Wednesday morning that talks are continuing and that nothing has changed.

The two squads announced last week that they had begun talks about joining forces in attempt to become a single four-car team, with the No. 43 Petty Dodge to move over to GEM to join the No. 9 of Kasey Kahne, the No. 10 of Reed Sorenson and the No. 19 of Elliott Sadler. If the deal doesn’t go through, Petty Enterprises said its plan B is to run the No. 43 as a single car next season.

Several Internet sites reported that the merger talks had stalled, but spokesmen for both teams told SPEEDtv.com that the process continues to move forward. “The Petty discussions are proceeding well from what I have been told,” said a GEM official, while a Petty representative added, “As far as I know, nothing has changed.”

Petty Enterprises last week released driver Bobby Labonte from his contract to drive the No. 43, so whether the team merges or remains independent, it will need a new driver.

Team owner Richard Petty sold controlling interest in Petty Enterprises last June to the investment firm Boston Ventures, which at the time said it was committed to making a major investment to return the team to the upper echelons of NASCAR racing.

But the brutal global economic climate has resulted in a number of teams, including Petty Enterprises, having difficulties in retaining sponsors or finding new ones. It is expected that next year’s contingent of full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup teams will shrink from its high of 47 two years ago, to perhaps as few as 36 or 37 next season.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to


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