Richard Petty Motorsports will form a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing, which will include RPM shifting manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet and moving its base of operations to RCR’s campus for the 2018 NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series season.
Richard Petty Motorsports aligns with Richard Childress Racing
The alliance includes Richard Petty Motorsports switching manufacturers from Ford to Chevrolet for the 2018 season.
RCR will provide RPM, co-owned by seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty and businessman Andrew Murstein, with engines, engineering data, and chassis. The transition to RCR’s campus in Welcome, N.C., will begin immediately and be completed by January, in time for the 2018 season-opening Daytona 500. RPM had previously been based in Mooresville, N.C.
RPM fields the No. 43 car for rookie driver Darrell Wallace Jr., who replaces Aric Almirola in 2018. Almirola, who left to join Stewart-Haas Racing, drove for RPM for the past five seasons winning one race, earning one playoff berth, and posting a best year-end points finish of 16th. RPM ended the 2017 season ranked 24th in the owner standings.
RCR has fielded a minimum of three full-time Cup cars since 2002 but has only solidified two of its entries for the 2018 season. Austin Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress, will drive the No. 3 Chevrolet, with Ryan Newman driving the No. 31 Chevrolet. The team has not named a driver for the No. 27 car.
An alliance with RPM allows RCR to offset the loss of its third team should it choose to not campaign the No. 27 on a full-time basis.
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