Inside the Halls of Petty: 'Lady in Black' meets COT

Hey guys, it's Robbie Loomis again. I hope you have enjoyed the past few weeks with Bobby and Kyle. They are both top-notch drivers as well as solid ambassadors for the sport -- being a former crew chief, I can give you that perspective. Those two guys are great at giving insight into what it is like to drive both the "standard" car and the Car of Tomorrow. We will have them back as the season goes along.

Now, we are really getting familiar with this COT. We are beginning to figure out what it needs and how it is reacts to setup changes. Obviously, some teams have picked up right where they left off with the other car. There is a lot of talk about Hendrick Motorsports running up front with the COT; some other teams are really struggling with it, but I think Petty Enterprises is getting a better grasp on it.

Inside Petty

Each week on NASCAR.COM, Robbie Loomis will take fans "Inside the Halls of Petty Enterprises." A championship-winning crew chief, Loomis has 26 victories atop the pit box and as Vice President of Operations oversees both Petty cars.

• Andretti, McCumbee to fill seat in 45 when Petty calls TNT races

We have had some decent runs with this car, most recently this past weekend at Richmond where Bobby finished 15th and Kyle finished 25th. We can see ourselves making gains at every COT race. As we have said before, it is a work in progress. Paul Andrews (Labonte) and Billy Wilburn (Petty) are two of the best crew chiefs in the garage. They both call a great race and keep their teams running at a high level. You can see it as we are starting to make up some ground in the points standings.

This week we head to Darlington. That race will be another stern test for the COT. It will be interesting to see how these cars drive when the tires get worn. The "Lady in Black" is notoriously hard on tires. This year will be no different. As you have seen so far this season the biggest thing with the COT is getting the thing to turn. Try getting it to turn, while in a four-wheel slide right up next to the wall at around 160 mph -- that is what you will be seeing Saturday night, under the lights, at Darlington.

A lot of people were wondering when we would announce the driver that would fill in for Kyle when he steps out of the car and into the broadcast booth for the races to be broadcast by TNT Sports. As it turned out we will put two drivers in the No. 45. We are excited about bringing back a familiar face, while also working with an up-and-comer.

John Andretti, who drove the famous No. 43 for 5 1/2 years in the late 1990s and early 2000s, will pilot the No. 45 in four of the six events. We are extremely happy to have John back in a Petty Enterprises car. He did an outstanding job during his time here. His events will be Michigan, New Hampshire, Daytona and Chicago. He is strong at those tracks. We're glad he's on board.

Chad McCumbee is a 22-year-old wheelman that we are really high on. He has built an impressive resume during his 10 years of driving as he has won on nearly every level on which he has competed. His most recent victory came in an ARCA Re/Max Series event at the Nashville Superspeedway. McCumbee will be behind the wheel of the No. 45 at Pocono on June 10. He's going to be doing a lot of testing for us, too. We are keeping him busy and helping him grow. We see a lot of potential.

Kyle will be in the car at Infineon Raceway. He is going to provide in-car commentary for that event. There is not a driver in the garage better suited to take on such a task. You have a lot going on at a road course, but you know Kyle will do a great job.

This weekend is also Mother's Day. We used to have Mother's Day weekend off, but with NASCAR growing like it is we needed the date. But, we have Sunday off because I know drivers and crew members alike want to spend time with their families. So Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there, especially my mom.

See you in Victory Lane,
Robbie Loomis