The Richard Petty Motorsports Podcast

In episode 17, we sit down with Ernie Irvan: California-native former NASCAR Cup Series driver.  Ernie is best known for his career in the early to mid-90s driving for teams such as Morgan-McClure Motorsports and Robert Yates Racing.  As mentioned a few episodes back in our interview with crew chief Jerry Baxter, both Ernie and Jerry are West Coast racers whose paths crossed quite a bit over their respective careers.  Hear from Ernie on the connection with Jerry, as well as his incredible story of making the move to North Carolina.  We discuss Ernie's racing career in detail, including both the highlights and the adversity.  A special thanks to Irvan-Smith Inc. for allowing us to use their space for this interview, we hope you enjoy catching up with Swervin' Irvan!  

In episode 16, we sit down with Thad Moffitt: driver of the No. 46 for David Gilliland Racing in the ARCA Menards Series.  Although, you may know him best as Richard Petty's grandson.  We chat with Thad about the beginnings of his racing career, tips and tricks to go-kart success, gaining experience on and off the track, and lessons learned from The King and Kyle Petty.  It was a blast to spend time with Thad, and we hope you enjoy hearing his perspective on racing!

In episode 15, we sit down with Eddie Wood AND Dale Inman!  Not only were we lucky enough to have Eddie join us for an episode of the RPM Podcast, in addition we have a special bonus episode featuring a conversation between the president/co-owner of Wood Brothers Racing and the 8-time championship winning NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief.  The close friendship between the two is clear, their stories and memories from decades spent at NASCAR's highest levels are amazing.  

In Episode 14 (yes that's right, we're skipping over unlucky number 13), we sit down with Eddie Wood of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing!  Son of NASCAR Hall of Famer and pioneer, Glen Wood, Eddie's entire life has been centered around racing at the highest level.  He now serves as President of Wood Brothers Racing, which fields the No. 21 car in the NASCAR Cup Series.  Although fierce competitors, the Petty and Wood families have always been close friends and upheld an incredible amount of respect for one another as is evident in this conversation.  We appreciate Eddie making the trip from Stuart, VA down to Level Cross, NC to join us for one of the most enjoyable podcast episodes to date!  

In Episode 12, we sit down with Martha Jane Bonkemeyer: former executive assistant to Richard Petty.  Martha Jane is Randleman, NC born and raised and is a lifelong close friend to the Petty family.  She has an incredibly vibrant personality and is an absolute joy to spend time with.  Martha Jane was originally hired at Petty Engineering in 1969 in a more secretarial role, left after a couple years, then returned to be Richard's assistant from 1986-2004.  Imagine the things she has seen and been part of in that timeframe! Tune in to hear stories and insight about The King that can only be told from her perspective.  We appreciate Martha Jane's time and storytelling and we hope you enjoy Episode 12 of the RPM Podcast!

In Episode 11, we sit down with Jerry Baxter: crew chief for Erik Jones and the No. 43 Chevrolet team in the NASCAR Cup Series.  Originally from San Diego, CA, Jerry is one of many whose passion for racing brought them from the West Coast to the Carolinas.  After a short driving career, Jerry realized quickly that his best bet was to shift focus and work to become the best crew chief he could be.  Jerry spent a number of years atop in the box in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series working for team owners such as Michael Waltrip and Kyle Busch and collecting a total of 18 race wins.  Before the start of the 2020 season, Jerry became the crew chief on the No. 43 at Richard Petty Motorsports and does an excellent job leading our race team on Sundays.  We appreciate his time, insight and storytelling and we hope you enjoy episode 11 of the RPM Podcast!   

In Episode 10, we sit down with Sean Christian via Zoom.  Sean recently retired after a 21 year career in the U.S. Air Force and played a key role in the partnership between Richard Petty Motorsports and USAF over the last few years.  His career began in the logistics sector, and as time progressed Sean found himself called into recruiting.  It's clear in this interview that Sean is super passionate about the Air Force and more specifically passionate about sharing his story of why he joined the Air Force with others.  Sean's energy is infectious, and his leadership and empowerment qualities are very inspiring.  We thank him for his service to our country, and appreciate his time joining us for Episode 10 of the RPM Podcast!  

In Episode 9, we sit down with Jarett Andretti via Zoom.  Jarett currently races for Andretti Autosport in the LMP3 class of IMSA, many may recognize him as the son of John Andretti, driver of the No. 43 in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1998-2003.  This episode is filled with stories of growing up around racing, John's passion for driving anything and everything he could, and how the Andretti family is continuing John's mission to bring awareness to the importance of colon screenings.  Jarett continues the Andretti family's reputation of being world class on the track and world class people off the track, and we greatly appreciate his time spent sharing his perspective in this interview.  We hope you enjoy this episode of the Richard Petty Motorsports Podcast!

In Episode 8, we sit down Winston Kelly: Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  Most will recognize Winston by his voice, as he spent 30+ years as a broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network on pit road and in Victory Lane.  A native of Concord, NC, Kelley is a lifelong Richard Petty fan and was inspired to follow in his father's footsteps to work in racing radio.  With his current position as Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Winston is committed to preserving the history of the sport and sharing it with fans from all over the world.  We hope you enjoy this conversation!  

In Episode 7, we sit down with Justin Fiedler: rear tire changer on the No. 43 Chevy driven by Erik Jones, among other things. As someone with 15 years of experience on pit road, Justin has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to shaving as much time off a stop as humanly possible.  In addition to his role on the 43 team, Justin also has a background in marketing, social media and web development.  All of these talents and interests combine for one of our most insightful and technical conversations to date.  

In Episode 6, we sit down with driver of the No. 43 Chevy in the NASCAR Cup Series: Erik Jones!  Joining us is Erik's spotter and former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver: Rick Carelli.  Fresh off the 2021 DAYTONA 500, Erik and Rick recap the early incident that ended his day in The Great American Race.  This is a fun conversation covering how Erik and Rick joined forces, Rick's driving career, skeet shooting, road course racing and much more.  We hope you enjoy listening to this episode of the Richard Petty Motorsports Podcast!  

In Episode 5, we sit down with Chris Hussey: operations manager of Petty's Garage in Level Cross, NC.  Chris is a native of Asheboro, NC and has an impressive racing resume.  From working with the Labonte's in the Busch Grand National days, to changing tires for Mark Martin, spotting for John Andretti, and serving as Adam Petty's crew chief, Chris is as knowledgable as they come and generously shared a number of priceless stories from his career.  

In Episode 4, we sit down with Philippe Lopez: competition director of Richard Petty Motorsports.  A 30+ year NASCAR veteran, Philippe is a wealth of knowledge and experience.  Originally from San Antonio, TX, Philippe relocated to Alabama (later NC) and took whatever job was available in racing.  He steadily climbed the ladder until he found himself atop the pit box for some of NASCAR's heaviest hitters including Ward Burton, Steve Park, Darrell Waltrip, Hut Stricklin, Terry Labonte and many more.  Philippe shares stories of working with the likes of Burton and Waltrip, exchanging pranks with Tony Raines and discovering talented up-and-comers such as Chad Knaus.  His insight into how NASCAR has changed, what is coming in the future, and how to get involved is valuable information for anyone interested in the sport.  We hope you enjoy this episode of the Richard Petty Motorsports Podcast!

In Episode 3, we sit down with NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Dale Inman.  Dale holds the record with an incredible 8 total NASCAR Cup Series championships as a crew chief.  Throughout this conversation, we discuss racing before radios, traveling cross-country to Riverside, calling the shots for The King, and much more!  

In Episode 2, we sit down with crew member Jim "JD" Davis.  JD serves as the tire specialist on the No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Erik Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series.  We discuss JD's journey from midwest ASA beginnings in Ohio to moving to North Carolina to compete at NASCAR's top level.  From working with the likes of Mark Martin, to light at the end of the tunnel for Ohio sports fans, JD provides a light-hearted conversation we hope you will enjoy! 

Hey everyone, welcome to the Richard Petty Motorsports Podcast!

In our first episode, we sit down with pit crew member Ian Anderson.  Ian is the fueler for the No. 43 Chevrolet driven by Bubba Wallace in the NASCAR Cup Series.  We discuss what it is like to compete at the highest level of stock car racing competition and how football and humble beginnings have influenced Ian's journey.  Ian's charismatic personality is as strong as his stature, and that continues to reveal itself as the interview progresses.  We are excited to take you all on this journey with us, hope you enjoy!