A commentary by Paul Jensen
It is well known that Richard Petty does not accept any beer or liquor money for his race teams. That's why Petty Enterprises never participated in the Busch Series. The company also never participated in the Bud Pole awards or the Coors Light Pole awards.
Of course that didn't keep him from taking tobacco money for decades. The reasoning he gives is since Philip Morris did so much for the sport (which they did), that was O.K. Morality does indeed have a price.
So now along comes the merger with Gillette Evernham Motorsports. Whose primary sponsor is Budweiser. No problem, said the King. Just keep the King of Beers off of the #43 and #44 cars, the cars that once belonged to Petty Enterprises. Well that's not a problem, since Budweiser is sponsoring Kasey Kahne in the #9 car, which came to the merger from GEM.
So this week Richard Petty Motorsports pulls into Las Vegas and what do we see? A casino sponsoring the #44 car driven by A.J. Allmendinger.
Huh?
So beer is out (kinda), tobacco is O.K. and so is gambling.
Now I love Richard Petty as much as the next person, and I hope we see the King in Victory Lane again soon. Hell, I have Reed Sorenson on my fantasy team. But beer is out so here is a casino?
It is well known that Richard Petty does not accept any beer or liquor money for his race teams. That's why Petty Enterprises never participated in the Busch Series. The company also never participated in the Bud Pole awards or the Coors Light Pole awards.
Of course that didn't keep him from taking tobacco money for decades. The reasoning he gives is since Philip Morris did so much for the sport (which they did), that was O.K. Morality does indeed have a price.
So now along comes the merger with Gillette Evernham Motorsports. Whose primary sponsor is Budweiser. No problem, said the King. Just keep the King of Beers off of the #43 and #44 cars, the cars that once belonged to Petty Enterprises. Well that's not a problem, since Budweiser is sponsoring Kasey Kahne in the #9 car, which came to the merger from GEM.
So this week Richard Petty Motorsports pulls into Las Vegas and what do we see? A casino sponsoring the #44 car driven by A.J. Allmendinger.
Huh?
So beer is out (kinda), tobacco is O.K. and so is gambling.
Now I love Richard Petty as much as the next person, and I hope we see the King in Victory Lane again soon. Hell, I have Reed Sorenson on my fantasy team. But beer is out so here is a casino?
To be fair, the listed owner of the car is George Gillett Jr., but what does that really mean these days? It's the #44 car. That was a Petty Enterprises car.
I guess what irks me about all of this is the apparent hypocrisy in his statements verses his actions.
As Richard Petty Motorsports becomes more successful, and I believe they will, it will be a big story. Make that a huge story. When the King returns to Victory Lane, that story will make it into all the news, not just racing news. As this happens, expect more scrutiny of the operation.
If there's one thing I have learned in this business, it's if you want to be competitive you have to push every envelope to the limit and just a little bit beyond. That's why Chad Knaus was suspended awhile back. He was seeing just how far he could push that envelope. Now he has three Cup championships. Those two facts (suspensions, three championships) just may be related.
Part of pushing that envelope includes getting every dollar possible to fund your team. Richard Petty never pushed that envelope.
Obviously he didn't need to for many, many years. But as the sport grew and became more competitive, he never pushed that envelope harder like other teams did. And Petty fell further and further behind the competition.
He was well aware that other teams were outspending him. Petty knew other teams had things they didn't have. Yet he continued with his selective morality, not accepting ever last dollar he could have to help fund his team.
Would a little extra Budweiser money over the years have helped Petty Enterprises? Maybe not. But we'll never know. The point is, guys like Hendrick and Roush and Gibbs and Childress came along, willing to do whatever it took to be competitive.
Petty certainly has the right to pick and choose as he pleases. But as success hopefully comes to Richard Petty Motorsports, I hope the King realizes that he may have to bend his rule a little more to get to the next level. If RPM hits a glass ceiling that they cannot move beyond, this might be one small thing they need to consider.
Go Reed! (2/28/2009)
11 comments:
Aren't you assuming he even has a say in it anymore?
My understanding of RPM is that Petty is just a figurehead with no real say in what the team does or who it has as sponsors...
I don't think morality even comes into play here. Just because someone takes money from a tobacco company and a casino doesn't necessarily make them immoral. There are actually quite a few people out there who do not find smoking and gambling to be immoral activities. I think you also failed to realize that Richard Petty's refusal of alcohol sponsorship was not his choice, rather it was a choice first made by his mother when the Pettys began racing in the 1940's. Richard simply followed her wishes for so many years because she lived until the mid 1990's. If you look closely at the 43 and 44 you will see that neither car carries any decals related to alcohol, even after the merger.
"I guess what irks me about all of this is the apparent hypocrisy in his statements verses his actions."
"His actions" is the operative word isn't it?
To mimic Chris, Richard has had little to no say in the company since the Gillet merger.
You'll recall it was Gillet who pulled Kyle out of the car in the middle of a race weekend. (Watkins Glen if memory serves)
If the King had the slightest say in the day-to-day running of the organization that never would have happened.
For full disclosure, I've been critical of NASCAR/ISC for it's ever closer ties to gambling and the casino business.
Glen - As the anonymous poster after you noted, the #43 and #44 cars are not carrying any alcohol stickers this year, which means no Coors Light contingency award. Which is my point.
Morality is an individual choice. For some, alcohol is immoral. For others it is not. Some find gambling immoral. Some do not. Some find smoking immoral, although stupid is probably a better word. Some do not find smoking immoral or stupid.
Whether it was the morality of Richard or that of his mother, Richard was in charge of Petty Enterprises for many years and it was his choice.
My obervation is that Petty Enterprises never pushed the funding envelope to the absolute limit, and figurehead or not, neither is Richard Petty Motorsports.
The reason Richard Petty has never had alcohol sponsorships on his cars is because when he first started out, he promised his mother he wouldn't. That is the only reason. No morality or hypocrisy...just a promise to his mother.
Hey, PAUL!
Pretty chicken**** commentary; way to kick a guy when he's down.
Until you come to NASCAR with a team, the best you can do is criticize.
I'm not a diehard Petty fan, but I do respect Richard Petty enough not to stick the knife in his back.
Paul... you have displayed a characteristic that isn't defined as noble nor courageous.
Try to stand taller with a straighter back going forward, k?
Uhhhh..... there is a little difference in refusing to endorse alcohol as a sponsor, as opposed to tobacco and gambling. An alcoholic behind the wheel of a car can (and does) kill many innocent victims, A chain smoker or compulsive gambler does not. Clearly, you're running out of creative ideas to write about. Perhaps another line of work is in your future - let's just hope its not trying to create controversy to sell yourself by needlessly criticizing others. Doubt you have the courage to allow this to be posted.
David
I've been fuming about this holier than thou article for 2 days. This was an uncalled for cheap shot at Richard Petty. You are the one that has decided that those who smoke or go to a casino are immoral. I do both and don't consider myself immoral. Richard Petty never made any such judgement. He is too classy for that. You on the other hand are anything but. Richard Petty never advertised his opposition to having a beer sponsor on his cars, That was left to others to advertise. He had a personal conviction and his actions were completely congruent with that belief. If most people had half the integrity Richard Petty does, the world would be pretty well off.
Yes, do read up on RP's history before trying to tie him to some kookish "selective morality conspiracy theory". The guy's mom made him promise to her that he'd not run a car with an alcohol-based sponsor. He didn't. That's not being morally ambiguous, that's living up to a promise made to a parent. Good Lord. Are things so slow in this sport that *that* is the best you could do for a post?
Rodney Combs and Lance's Snacks - remember that combination?
Petty Enterprises competed in the Busch series for awhile.
You are correct - Petty Enterprises did run a team in the Busch series for a time in the 1990's and Rodney Combs was a driver on that team. Petty sold the team in 1997.
I stand corrected. Thank you for your contribution to this discussion!
With all the name-calling and childish insults that have been posted here, other than your comment on Rodney Combs, I still don't see any challenge to my point: Petty Enterprises did not push the funding envelope to the absolute limit, nor does Richard Petty Motorsports today.
BTW, Comb's last race in NASCAR's top three levels was in Nashville.
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