Rumors of Petty and Gillett Merging - Can It Be?

The Associated Press is reporting that Petty Enterprises (PE) is in the chat mode with Gillett Evernham Motorsports (GEM) to merge. Of course, sources are saying don't tell them I said it, since they're still formulating the business plan.

And the plan is to move the No 43 car into this merged entity, giving the new team a 4-car effort for 2009.

Right now, this makes a bit of sense in the logic department if you recall that Sports Illustrated was saying the Petty Enterprises isn't returning to the field in 2009, but how accurate are these speculations across the board?

Additionally, I have to wonder just what benefit this merge brings to GEM? GEM is fine without PE, unless PE is dumping cash into the bank account of GEM to help them stagger through 2009.

And if this happens, when the storied history of Petty Enterprises, already diluted by their previous sell-out to Boston Ventures, what does happen to Petty Enterprises? Was the first sell out to Boston Ventures the first death knell in the wind? Is this it? Gone. After all this time? It can't hurt in present day, with the lack of performance that PE has been delivering, even if there looked to be a bit of hope here and there for PE from the No 43 camp.

Ideas for names, anyone: Gilletty Entersports? Pettette MotorPrises?

Or will this new, rumored team name just get ridiculously longer: Gillette Evernham Petty Motorssports. GEPM?

Of course is it possible that Gillette will remove Evernham's name from the team, since they bought him out in November? Evernham is not looking to own another team (source), but he did buy a dirt track (source), so hence starts his new racing endeavor. I guess we'll have to watch ray in the broadcast booth, but I can hope he sticks around NASCAR with a bit more intervention than that.

Then again, do you think his unspoken, surmised engagement to Erin Crocker might have some bit of fuel under his decision making?


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