Dave: Hey John.
John: Hey.
Dave: First of all, let’s say this right away General Mills is still the sponsor and still supporting John’s Race for Riley with Kroger. The Cheerios Race for Riley presented by Cheerios, so they have not abandoned him. Is that correct?
John: That is correct. I have talked to them and they are very supportive. They love the promotion, they love the event, they love the idea of helping the kids at Riley. So, we are very proud they are going to stick with us on that.
Dave: Hats off again to our friends at General Mills and Kroger for helping out.
Joe: They are class organizations.
Dave: Now lets go back John if we can and look at the calendar. Sunday you go to Pocono, what was wrong with the car exactly?
John: Unfortunately we lost all Saturday practice due to the rain, so it was a real guess going into the race. Actually Kyle and my car were set up really different in a lot of ways, but neither one was worth a hill of beans, so we did not run very well. But we managed to stay out of trouble and brought home a decent finish considering where we were at.
Dave: You finished, what 23?
John: Yea, we shouldn’t have been a lap down, but we managed to get there unfortunately. We dug ourselves a whole and could not get out.
Dave: So, Monday day off, you just got to sit around the house right?
John: (laughs) Actually I went up to Virginia International Raceway and tested for Petty Enterprises on the road course up there. We were tying to get ready for Sanoma. I think we had a really good test, the car was quick and I was really pleased with the changes we made and what we learned from it.
Dave: Was Kyle there?
John: Yep.
Dave: And he said, hey are you coming by the shop like you normally do on Tuesday.
John: He did say that. and I said yes.
Dave: Sure. And so you drive an hour and 20 minutes if I am not mistaken, from your home there in Mooresville to the Randleman shop. As you do on most Tuesdays to work with the crew. So, what happens.
John: Actually I went through the Michigan set up with Gary Putnam my crew chief. We also talked about what road race car to take to Sears Point, because we were not going to have too much time. I had several appearances scheduled for next week. Then Kyle and another gentlemen from the team sat met with me and at that time they released me from driving the 43 car. I was really hoping to be with Petty Enterprises when they found success again and sort of back to the glory days. I guess that is not meant to be, at least not with me.
Dave: So, no warning, no clue, nothing. Out of the clear blue sky.
John: Actually we had talked about things over the weekend, Kyle and I. They were really quite the opposite of that, so I am not sure what happened between the Pocono weekend and then. I guess, things change, whatever. I don’t know what happened, but I know what the end result was. It is, what it is. It is unfortunate, I hate it because I have a lot of friends at Petty Enterprises. I really think Petty Enterprises is a good organization. I guess I will go work somewhere else now.
Dave: It is frustrating for you and all of us that are friends and fans of yours. You had several opportunities to go to other Winston Cup teams this winter and decided to stay loyal. You had a chance to run for your cousin at the speedway this year, which I know is a dream of yours since you were a little boy to win the Indy 500. All you would say was it was sponsor conflicts, and I do not want to put words in your mouth. But basically what happened was you did not want to come here and wear Budwiser and Jim Beam on your uniform knowing Richard Petty’s and his wife’s feeling about alcohol. They do not even run a Bud sticker on the 43 car and you did not want to offend him. That is what is making it really frustrating for all of us.
John: I really appreciate what the Petty’s have done for me. I think of them as family and right now I feel like I am in a mini-tornado. I am spinning around and trying to figure out what happened and obviously where do I go from here. This morning when I woke up I was looking at one race car and now I am looking at the whole world of racing and trying to figure out what I am going to do next and where I want to be. I am not prepared to make the leap of faith and just jump up and do something, unless something seems like it is supposed to happen. We will wait and see what goes on and maybe when I come on next time you won’t be saying driver of the 43 anymore, but maybe you will be saying the driver of something before too long hopefully.
Joe: Is there a 43 in the IRL?
Dave: No.
Joe: We’ll get one up. Is that one thing you might go back to open wheel or dragsters or something like that? Since everyone knows you and you are so aquatinted with NASCAR could you be called up the next time someone gets hurt or they need someone?
John: It is ironic, because several people have called and said we would love to have you come back to the IRL now. It is really neat the support and other people who have called and actually it is funny I have been in NASCAR so long I think of myself as a stock car driver, but so many people still think of me as an indycar driver. I don’t know that has always been important to me, to wear both hats. I don’t know but I have to say the Indy 500, if there is any way shape or form I will be there next year. Obviously that is something I have been trying to do and hopefully no matter where I land we can put all of that together and run next year. Right now everything is up in the air, so it is wide open.
Dave: Now John you are out of a job so we are searching around here for you. Matt was due to get a raise, but we were able to funnel that money and make you an official member of the WIBC sports department.
(Matt in the background ha ha ha)
Dave: So you are going to have a steady check coming in and we are talking to Pat Sullivan too. He has a few stores and deliveries have been slow.
John: (laughing) We can make sure the packages get there on time.
Dave: We are thinking someone buys a Webber Grill and you beat them home with it.
John: There is no question. It would be lit and the steaks would be done. (laughing)
Dave: Yea you will be sitting on the porch going, hey come on! So anyway Matt’s bonus money is coming your way.
Matt: Aw man.
John: I hope his bonus money is more than his check. You know it is not worth a lot.
Matt: You may be disappointed.
Joe: How does your contract situation work out? Is it like football that when you get cut you do not get paid anymore or is it an annual deal where you continue to earn, like a severance package?
John: There is no severance package, what is what you have saved. As far as…. You are an independent contractor, which does work different than….. I have seen some of your contracts and some of the other professional athletes I have gotten to know and ours are done totally different. So it is up the individual as to what they are going to do. I think Petty Enterprises are going to live up to the agreement of the contract. At least that is what they said, so we’ll go by that. They have always been honorable and stuff. I don’t know what to say about today, it is tough to deal with because I think of them as an extension of our family and I just never expected something to happen like this with family.
Dave: I remember Kyle’s quote saying that " John will always have a job with the 43, as long as he wants it."
John: I still want it for this weekend. Not to say…… I would still like to be there, but that is a piece of light you make a detour and go off. I am hoping for them and I know there will be good things in my future.
Joe: Maybe that is the thing you are such a loyal guy. You wanted to be good to them the whole time, this is probably a blessing. You can go somewhere competitive and show off your airs.
John: It is probably situation where they were going to have to do something to push me out the door, because I really did want to be a part of it and be part of the solution and getting where we wanted to go. You may be right it may be the thing that needed to happen, but when I walked out of there today it did not seem that way. It was tough to walk around to the guys, because I had known them for a long time. Some of the guys in there, not a lot of them. But to walk up to them and say, I won’t be seeing you around here anymore, it was different.
Dave: Don’t be surprised if you hear that Kyle got roughed up in Michigan this weekend. Big Joe is just happens to be going to Michigan this weekend. (laughing) So, if Kyle comes up with a few extra bruises or some misfortune bestows him….
Joe: John did not know this yet but Dave and Oneliners is having a twisted treasure hunt, and I think a broken piece of Christian Fittipauldi’s car and a lock of his hair, maybe the scalp of Kyle Petty, Richard Petty’s hat, some things like that will be a part of it (laughing).
Dave: Because you know nothing of this John.
John: No, I don’t.
Dave: We would hate to see a misfortune bestow them.
John: Na, they are all right. They are just doing what they think was the right thing.
Dave: I know buddy. Well thank you for joining us. Keep your chin up you still have a lot of fans out there. I tell you lots of fans, Is it Sue Iskra (slaughters her name a few times), the gal who is the helicopter mechanic. I got a email from her with a few pictures of you guys walking around the track at Texas. She is I think on her way from Korea to Iraq now (actually she did not end up going). She is a huge John fan.
John: Yea we have done the charity walk around the race tracks for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Which is really fun that we walk around the tracks with the fans.
Dave: Well John take care and we will talk to you next Tuesday.
John: Thanks a lot guys.
THE END