What's in a name? For Gillett and Petty, plenty

CONCORD, N.C. -- Before the marriage with Gillett Evernham Motorsports could become a reality, Richard Petty had a list of demands that had to be met. Strange that a man getting bought out would be in a position to make demands, but he is Richard Petty, and in NASCAR circles he still carries an almost unparalleled degree of cachet. So he wanted the car numbers from his old shop, the 43 and 44, and he didn't want them associated with alcohol. He wanted a place for the Petty blue color, and positions for a few of his best people. And most of all he wanted the name. He had to have the name. Because for the Pettys, the name is everything.

If George Gillett had resisted? "We wouldn't have gotten to the second step," says the King, smiling behind trademark sunglasses and beneath a spotless white cowboy hat.

Petty name remains

Richard Petty stole headlines the first day of the Sprint Media Tour when he announced Petty Enterprises' merge with GEM created Richard Petty Motorsports.

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But Gillett didn't resist. How could he? In the short time since he's ventured into the NASCAR arena, the sports tycoon and Petty have become friends. Gillett's team supplied engines to Petty Enterprises, fostering a close working relationship between Mark McArdle and Robbie Loomis, the chief technical men at their respective shops. Gillett and Petty even talked about merging two years ago, but the time wasn't right. So when the economy tanked, and Petty Enterprises was left without any sponsors, and the King finally called a few months ago offering to sell -- with certain stipulations, of course -- all the pieces fit into place.

"The merger itself was a relatively easy process," said Foster Gillett, George's son, "since it had already been working that way for years."

The official announcement of the merger between GEM and Petty Enterprises, which had been a wholly-owned team in NASCAR's premier division since the sport's inception six decades ago, came earlier this month. But Monday, the opening day of the NASCAR Sprint media tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway, was when the rechristened organization was presented to the world -- quite clumsily, actually, when Foster Gillett accidently knocked the veil off the sign proclaiming Richard Petty Motorsports. Same colors as the old Petty Enterprises, nearly the same logo, same prominent last name. Just who was buying whom again?

Plenty of people have approached Richard Petty over the years about buying his team. The name was always the hang-up. Not this time. (Continued)