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INDYCAR: Petty Indy 500 Chat Transcript
Read today's chat transcript with Richard Petty, John Andretti, Robbie Buhl, Dennis Reinbold, and Todd Whitworth of Window World.
IZOD IndyCar Series  |  Posted April 06, 2009   Indianapolis, IN
'The King' and the rest of his Indy 500 cast took part in a Q&A session this afternoon. (LAT)
Enjoy the transcript from today's IndyCar teleconference where driver John Andretti, Todd Whitworth, president of Window World, Dennis Reinbold, Robbie Buhl from Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Richard Petty shared their thoughts on the formation of their new Indy 500 program.

Q: Richard, obviously you remember A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti both had a pretty good session in NASCAR driving stock cars down in your country, yet I wondered if you ever had the inclination to say, ‘If you can come over and drive stock cars, why don't I jump into an open-wheel car and try Indianapolis?’ Did you ever get to that point yourself?
RICHARD PETTY: My career never crossed over. You got to figure that we were in the stock cars, and we owned our own cars. We didn't have big sponsors and stuff. That was our business.

So I never ventured out to run Indy. I always kept up with what was going on, but as far as being able to go to the race and stuff, last year was the first time John invited me up. Last year was the first time I was ever here when they threw the flag at a 500. That was very impressive. Made it easier for him to talk about bringing me back in this year.

Q: Richard, can you talk about how this deal came about? Did John approach you about it? Also, would you have done it for any driver? You seem to think a whole lot of John. He drove for you. Would you have done it for anybody else at Indy? Do you actually own the car or is this pretty much fully funded by the sponsors?
PETTY: John, like he said, he was the second-longest driver we had in the 43 car. He had approached me sometime last year before the race, and we just never could put anything together. And, as you know, over last winter and this winter we done a bunch of changing at Petty Enterprises. It's now Richard Petty Motorsports. That let me look at some more things once we had partners in our business there.

So when John approached me on this deal, then we got Window World, a bunch of North Wilkesboro boys, that made it that much more icing on the cake, I guess. Then they wanted to paint it red and blue and put a big 43 on it. They just kept doing things and running at me. I finally said, ‘Yeah, let's just give it a try and see.’

From that standpoint, we are vested in what's going on, OK? I'll put it that way. Because it's not just a publicity stunt like I told you. We're up here; we're serious with this deal. We've got a good car. We've got a good crew that's capable of doing what we need to do with it.

It's going to be up to John now. We just gonna turn him loose with it.

Q: Richard, how many days in May will you spend at the Speedway? Are you planning to stay for the duration of the 500 or will you leave early to go to Charlotte for the 600?
PETTY: I will definitely be here for qualifying day. I'd like to spend another couple days up here, according to what my schedule is. You know, I told them a while ago, according to how good John's doing, if he's leading, I ain't leaving, OK? I guess I really come to see the race. I come to be involved with our car, Richard Petty Motorsports car.

From that standpoint, we're gonna be here as long as John is, OK? Then I think they can probably start the 600 without me. I just wouldn't want them.

Q: Richard, Dreyer & Reinbold handling the preparation and everything of the car, but are you going to kind of get your hands in it some, see what it's all about? Might you take part in decision making on pit road race day and also during qualifications and everything?
PETTY: I'm gonna tell you, I'm not doing too good a job with my stock cars, so I don't think they're looking for my expertise in the IndyCars, OK? I'm just here to observe and learn, really. I'm interested. I've always been interested in the mechanism of an IndyCar over a stock car, so more delicate and all this kind of stuff.

The mechanical part I'm dead interested in, but I don't understand it. So I come to learn a lot.
Window World sponsored Andretti's run at the Daytona 500 earlier this year. Now the two will reunite for the other big 500 at Indy. (LAT)

Q: John, could you tell us the story of how this all came together, from your perspective?
JOHN ANDRETTI: Well, actually when I was thinking -- I was actually talking to Robbie Loomis. I said, ‘It would be good if I get Richard up here to experience what I experience up here.’ The Indianapolis 500 is so different than most other races I've ever been a part of, especially for me because of my family history.

They took me up on it. With a lot of people's help, we got Richard here. Actually, Richard came up on his own plane, brought Dale Inman with him, Robbie Loomis, Brian Moffitt. It was Race Day. Wherever Richard went, you knew where he was at. There was a glob of people.

It was a pretty unique day. I think that was one of those things where Richard said earlier, you can talk about it, you can show him pictures, but to see it firsthand is what probably tripped the whole trigger, to kind of get me to be able to say, ‘Why don't we do this together?’

I would say it's been some time, and we talked about it even when I drove the 43. We were busy racing down in Charlotte, doing those things, I kept talking about Indianapolis. Although I don't think they wanted to hear as much about it then when I was driving for them as now. I think it's one of those things that's natural because I spent a lot of time at Petty Enterprises, have a huge amount of respect for the family, and consider them like they're part of our family. I hope they do the same with us.

But I wouldn't think, you know -- I would hope that nobody else could come and jump in the 43 for the first time up here, other than Richard. He said he wouldn't do it, so I gladly stepped in for that spot.

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