6, 8, or 10 years to get competitive with us, and I guess it took us this long to realize they were going to get competitive."
While some of the newer owners look at it from a business standpoint, Richard says racing is his life. "We raced for a living, and we paid our people with what we won," Richard says. "These other people came in and paid workers out of their business."
So, is Kyle on the same wavelength with what these other teams are doing? Petty Enterprises is completely different from 4 or 5 years ago, and a great deal different from 10 or 15 years ago.
"Kyle has to keep pace with these new teams," Richard says. "Daddy was one generation. He started the team. I was the second generation, and I came along and took it to a new level. Now Kyle has to take it to an even higher level. Kyle has to know what the other people are doing and how they do it. Then he has to try to improve on what they are doing."
Kyle says that some strong runs late in the 2002 season provided optimism heading into 2003. "We've been down, but we're on a our way back. We made a turn somewhere during the middle of last year. We're not a championship contending team, but we are capable of getting to Victory Lane."
Richard, too, sees glimmers of hope. "Nobody has better people than we have, and nobody has better cars. Others are out front because they have been doing this their way longer than we have been doing it their way."
Andretti, driver of the No. 43 made famous by Richard, also remains confident that positive change is in the air. "My goal is to make everybody want to drive the No. 43 because it's the best car out there, and we're heading in that direction," Andretti says.
Richard says struggles are all a part of racing, and something all teams have experienced.
"Hendrick struggled for a long time before he got it together and Roush struggled," Richard says. "So has Gibbs. You have to have the right combination. Nobody stays on top long in this sport. Bobby Labonte was at the top a few years ago and Tony Stewart was struggling. Last year, Stewart was on top of the world and Bobby struggled.
"Nobody is going to get there and stay there," he continues. "It's that way in all sports. In 1973, we couldn't do anything right. In 1974 and 1975, we won everything with the same cars and same equipment. Very few companies, even countries, stay at the top forever. I guess it is the way the good Lord recycles everything."
Richard and Kyle both feel they will make it back to the top. They point out that the team has seen harder times.
Lee Petty wrecked at Daytona Speedway in 1960, crashing through the second turn wall and ending up in a heap of twisted metal just outside the tunnel to the infield.
Lee spent more than a month hospitalized in Daytona Beach. Elizabeth, his wife, stayed at his bedside. Richard and Maurice returned to Level Cross and had to operate a business they really didn't understand in detail.
"There were times when we almost closed the door and locked it," Richard says. The folks at Petty Enterprises have seen a lot of changes. "We started getting away from being competitive in 1982 when we took stock bumpers off the fronts of cars and started modifying the fronts with big air dams," Richard says. "That pretty well changed the windflow on cars.
"Then we kept changing a little bit every year; a little change here and a little change there. In 1986 we fussed until NASCAR let us put the big glass in the backs of Pontiacs and Chevrolets. Fords already had a little advantage.
"Everything began to spread from there," he continues. "With every new model car, we moved something around. But we're getting it back together. We have the NASCAR chassis now. The engines are all about the same, and all brands of cars are pretty much the same. I don't believe there will be so many rule changes in the future, and maybe we have gone through the last transitional period for a few years."
Richard's long, sweet roll came in 1967 when he started 48 races and won 27, including 10 in a row. He had 38 Top-5 finishes and 40 times finished in the Top 10.
"We don't expect to do that well again, and we don't expect anyone else to, either," Richard says. "But right now we just want to get back to the top. Kyle will get us there, you wait and see."