Despite needing both a driver and sponsor, Richard Petty Motorsports intends to remain a two-car team for 2015, the organization said in a statement Tuesday.
Richard Petty Motorsports commits to 2 cars for 2015
A sponsor defection to a rival team and the loss of Marcos Ambrose has placed Richard Petty Motorsports in a state of flux.
Jared C. Tilton
RPM announced driver Marcos Ambrose would be leaving the team Saturday and vacating the No. 9 car at the end of the season. Ambrose is returning to his native Australia to race a V8 Supercar for Roger Penske, a deal made official Sunday night.
Aric Almirola will continue driving RPM’s No. 43 car with full sponsorship from Smithfield Foods next year. But Stanley, which had backed Ambrose and the No. 9 car, is leaving to join Joe Gibbs Racing in a move announced Wednesday. Stanley will sponsor Carl Edwards in 12 races, while its DeWalt brand will adorn Matt Kenseth’s car for six races.
The departure of Ambrose and Stanley has created a void within RPM and questions about the viability of the mid-level team. But RPM CEO Brian Moffitt said the organization plans to utilize a similar aggressive business and growth model that it used to build Almirola’s team, which qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup this season and won the July race at Daytona International Speedway.
“Today, we are excited to build new partnerships on the No. 9 team,” Moffitt said. “We have a vision that our ownership group and sponsors support and believe in. We have built upon that vision in two short years to become championship eligible. It’s that belief that will help us support the No. 9 team.
“One partner that has supported us is Ford Racing who will again be our manufacturer partner as we continue our relationship that has helped us become a Chase organization.”
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