Childress Racing to add fourth car next season

No driver has been selected yet, but General Mills will be the sponsor.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Richard Childress Racing will expand to four cars next season with General Mills as sponsor, a partnership that leaves Petty Enterprises searching for financial backing for its famed No. 43 for just the second time since 1972.

General Mills has sponsored the No. 43 the past nine seasons, taking over when STP gave up its role as primary sponsor of the car Richard Petty drove to 200 victories. Bobby Labonte pilots the flagship Dodge.

The car will need a sponsor for 2009, but Petty Enterprises thinks its secure with its driver.

Childress didn’t say Tuesday who will drive his new No. 33 Chevrolet next season, but Labonte’s deal with Petty is up at the end of this year. As the 2000 Cup champion, Labonte would be extremely attractive to Childress because his past champion status would automatically qualify the car for six races.

But Robbie Loomis, executive vice president at Petty, doesn’t think Labonte is leaving. The team has offered Labonte an extension that the driver is considering.

“I think Bobby is extremely happy here and I think Petty Enterprises has done a good job of showing him we’re committed to building him fast cars and continuing the program around him,” Loomis said. “I just don’t see Bobby leaving. I would normally say nothing surprises me in this business, but that would surprise me.”

Labonte said he was pleased with the progress he’s seen since his 2006 arrival at Petty Enterprises, and he’ll continue to work toward returning the car to Victory Lane this season. But Labonte, who is winless with just 11 top-10 finishes in 78 starts with the team, said he won’t talk about his future at this time.

“I’m very humbled by the level of interest in my future,” he said. “Moving forward, I’m going to work hard each week to win races. I want to do the best I can for Petty Enterprises and everyone who puts great cars under me each week. That’s our focus, and that’s what I feel is the right thing to do for all our partners.”

Brian Moffitt, vice president of marketing at Petty, indicated the team will try to sell sponsorship of the No. 43 with Labonte as the driver.

The announcement comes at the same time Kyle Petty has decided to climb out of the driver seat of the No. 45 Dodge this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway to allow Chad McCumbee a chance to qualify the car. Petty failed to qualify for last Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, and doesn’t want to risk the car missing another race.