Will the real owner of Richard Petty Motorsports please step forward?

Where is George Gillett Jr.?

While we watch the weekly drama unfold of whether Richard Petty Motorsports can piece together the necessary funds and forge the needed deals to make it to the race track, we hear nothing from the organization’s true majority owner.

As questions arise almost daily of whether the team is past-due on its bills, whether it can pay current employees, or whether it will make it to the next race let alone the next season, all we get from Gillett is silence.

He’s nowhere to be seen in the NASCAR garage.

Oh, he’ll toss a team public relations representative to the media wolves without a problem, but he stays silent.

He’ll leave NASCAR legend Richard Petty - only a four percent owner in the company - at the track to face all the questions, while he remains safely tucked away from the media frenzy.

The organization’s top driver - Kasey Kahne - bolts before the end of the season, but nary a word from Gillett. It’s not like he is busy with his Liverpool soccer team any more.

It’s far past time we end the charade that has clouded this team since last season.

There is nothing ‘Richard Petty’ about Richard Petty Motorsports.

Whether on purpose, by chance or by accident, Gillett has managed to tarnish one of the truly good names in all of sports, not just NASCAR. And it’s a shame.

Yes, Petty probably bears some responsibility for allowing his name to be attached to an organization over which he really had no control.

But that name was provided by Petty so the team could succeed and prosper in NASCAR and to make a connection to the sport‘s fans and potential sponsors.

It was not designed to act as a shield to insulate the true owner, Gillett, from criticism and responsibility.

I don’t know if RPM will make it to the final race of the season next weekend at Homestead, Fla. I don’t know if the organization - in whatever form - will return in 2011.

The only person who really knows, not only won’t say but won’t allow himself to be asked the questions.

What Jeff Gordon's crew chief thinks of his on-track tussle with Jeff Burton

   While at a news conference on Tuesday to address the pit crew swap between Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 team and Jeff Gordon's No. 24, Gordon's crew chief, Steve Letarte was also asked several questions about his driver's on-track scuffle with Jeff Burton during Sunday's AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

   What did you think of your driver's boxing skills?
   Letarte: I'm proud of him for this: There are a lot of people in the world or in the media who question his gumption and how hard he wants to be here. He didn't get wrecked running third; he got wrecked running in the back. We needed to get better. He was that disappointed getting wrecked running in the back because he wanted to race that race out. He has faith in this race team and I have faith in him. While it may not have been obvious on TV, we were starting to move in the right direction. I am proud of him. I think that's what this race team meant. We haven't laid down all year long, we're not going to lay down now.

   Was what transpired surprising to you?
   Letarte: After the year we've have had, nothing would surprise me.

   Were you glad to see him as he kind of went at it?
   Letarte: I'm just glad to see he's upset. Anytime I make a bad call, I'm sure he's glad to see I take it hard because he knows how much I really care. It's no different when something happens on the race track. I like to see his emotion. Our team likes to see his emotion. It's great because it's not the old days and the driver doesn't come to the shop seven days a week and hang out with the guys and you have very little interaction with each other because we all have huge responsibilities. I think anytime you see a guy like him who is so clean cut and such a good driver and he shows his emotions, it fires everybody up and everybody knows how much he really cares.

Jeff Gordon' pit crew to stay with Jimmie Johnson's team through Chase

   Jeff Gordon's pit crew's temporary move to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson's team will remain in place the last two races of the Sprint Cup Series season.

 

   Team officials confirmed Monday afternoon Gordon's seven-member over-the-wall pit crew will pit Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet in the final two Chase races at Phoenix and Homestead, Fla.

 

   The remainder of the teams' personnel will remain intact. Johnson has won the last four Cup titles and trails Hamlin by 33 points with two races left.

 

   Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, made the change after Gordon wrecked out of Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway on Lap 191 of 334.

 

   Up until that point, Johnson’s pit crew had lost positions on four pit stops in the race.

 

   With Gordon's crew in place, late in the race, Johnson made up positions on pit road in his final two stops.

 

   Mike Ford, crew chief for Chase contender Denny Hamlin - who won Sunday's race and took the points leader - called move one of “desperation.”

 

   "They removed their team,” Ford said after Sunday's win. “Their team got them to this point and they pulled them out. So this is more about trying to win a championship for the company and not the team.”

A look out the rear view mirror

   -I know there is a going to be a lot of people who think that all of the drama that unfolded in Sunday’s AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will do wonders for NASCAR and attract a lot of fans, or perhaps bring some back for another look. That may very well turn out to be true. However, what I think is puzzling, is a couple of the reasons people think Sunday was great – one NASCAR driver showing flagrant disrespect to authority and two others getting involved in a fight on the track – have not one thing to do with the actual sport of racing. Perhaps that doesn’t matter any more. Or maybe it never did.

   -Trevor Bayne is a 19-year-old development driver, now for Roush Fenway Racing, who was thrown into his first Cup start in a team he has never raced with previously and a team that doesn’t run fulltime. He finished 17^th. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a driver in his 11^th season in the series, running for arguably the strongest organization in the sport, was a complete non-factor and finished 25^th. You figure it out because I can’t.

   -I see no difference in Richard Childress Racing’s decision to swap Kevin Harvick’s pit crew with Clint Bowyer’s and the decision Sunday to swap out Jimmie Johnson’s pit crew with Jeff Gordon’s. Yes, the Johnson swap was made mid-race, but it was also made with Gordon out of the race for all practical purposes. If it was done with Gordon still in contention for a race win, that would have been different.

Fundraisers to help driver Shane Hmiel

   Friends of the family of former NASCAR Driver Shane Hmiel have planned several events to help raise money to cover medical expenses incurred by Hmiel and other race car drivers who have been suffered similar serious injuries.

   November 17, 4 p.m. - Lake Norman, NC - Silent auction to be held at the Rusty Rudder, one of the racing community's favorite hangouts right on the water. Come enjoy some good food, live music and friends of Shane, while bidding on rare racing memorabilia from the sports biggest names, tickets to events, and plenty of awesome merchandise donated from all over the Carolinas. Come meet some of racing's stars and have a good time for a good cause. Bidding will end at 8 p.m. Open to public. (A small donation will be appreciated at the door. Items for bid and additional information will be released before the date of the auction).

   November 17, 9 p.m. - Lake Norman, NC - Party hosted by Shane's brother Tyler at the Comedy Zone above Galway Hooker. Party to feature Shaun Jones, one of the nation's top touring stand-up comedians who has been featured on television stand up hours and acted alongside Jamie Foxx in feature films. To attend the event you will need to purchase a ticket in the form of a $40 donation at http://www.lkncomedy.com/. In addition to the party, everyone that attends will receive an exclusive "Heal The Real Deal" T-shirt, and be entered in a raffle for prizes. Food and beverage will be available for purchase, with proceeds going towards Shane's recovery.

   November 30 - IMIS Show Opening Night Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN - Silent auction to be held at the opening night of the International Motorsports Industry Show. Open to all vendors and attendees of the 2010 IMIS show. Racing memorabilia from the biggest names in open wheel racing. In addition, there will be a booth at the show throughout the week, where you can stop by, hang out and make a contribution to Shane's recovery.

   November 30, 9 p.m. - Downtown Indy - Party at Jillians immediately following the IMIS auction. Open to public. A small donation at the door will get you entered in a raffle with some awesome prizes. Food and beverage proceeds to be donated to the fund. You will have a chance to get autographs and take pictures, but most importantly talk racing with racers.

   December 5, Concord NC - Field Fillers Fairgrounds - Cart race featuring some of the biggest up and comers in racing. Located behind the Joi of Seating race shop is an asphalt oval race track. The atmosphere will be festival-like and JAQ's famous BBQ plates will be available for a small donation. All carts are allowed to race. The only rule is that it runs a limited flathead motor. Other than that, its run what you brung. There is no charge to come to the show, but you will have an opportunity to "sponsor" a driver as we try to figure out who can raise the most money.

Let's get NASCAR fans' attention again

   Let’s try to get some people’s attention.

   I’m a history buff and certainly appreciate tradition, particularly in NASCAR. The importance of tradition ranks as high among racing fans as those in baseball in my opinion.

   But there is also a time for a change. And for NASCAR a big one needs to be made now.

   It’s time to shorten the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and shorten the races.

   Yes, that’s right. Cut the season and cut the race lengths.

   I compliment NASCAR on the changes it has made in recent seasons to cater to fans’ desires, in making the racing safer and better, in trying to enhance excitement through rule changes. I’ve never been a proponent of the Chase format, but I give NASCAR credit for at least trying something.

   Let’s face it. Even with the Chase enjoying its closest points race since its inception, TV ratings are still dropping week after week.

   The racing product is good – last week’s Talladega race was one of the better ones I’ve seen from start to finish in my 13 seasons and the race still lost almost a fourth of its audience from last season.

   Is it football? Maybe so, but if it is, then something has changed because NASCAR and the NFL have shared Sundays for decades.

   What I think has changed are fans’ attention spans. In an Internet, Twitter, Facebook, photo-phone world, four-plus hour events are taxing people’s patience.

   Everyone who has watched races have heard drivers saying things like, “We were riding around biding our time,” or talking about “staying out of trouble until we could race for it at the end.”

   Fans – and media – rate Truck and Nationwide series races typically better than Cup and that’s in large part to their shorter length. Cup races have become in large part endurance events rather than a race to see who is truly fastest or has the best car.

   My solution? Cut the Cup schedule by six races so the season ends as the NFL season starts. Every race in Cup should be 400 miles/laps or less except for the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600.

   There are two choices here: Give up and wait the situation out and hope it gets better on its own or try again with a big swing at big change.

   You want to produce better racing? Create more of it by removing all the riding around.

Services set for NASCAR's Jim Hunter

   Funeral services have been set for former NASCAR vice president and Darlington (SC) Raceway president Jim Hunter.

   Visitation is 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Darlington Raceway.

   A celebration of Hunter's life will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Darlington Presbyterian Church, 311 Peark Street, Darlington, S.C., followed by a reception at Darlington Raceway.

   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR Plaza, 550 South Caldwell Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202; or to Halifax Health-Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL  32129.