NASCAR: Richard Petty Motorsports rumor involves Andretti Autosport, Honda

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Mike Wallace believes that Richard Petty Motorsports will become Petty-Andretti Motorsports with Honda as their manufacturer.

NASCAR Cup Series team Richard Petty Motorsports are set to make a big announcement next week between the Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

While there has been nothing confirmed as to what this announcement might pertain to, there has been plenty of speculation and many rumors flying around, many of which negative and some involving the potential shutting down of the struggling team in the near future.

However, former Richard Petty Motorsports (before they were known as Richard Petty Motorsports) driver Mike Wallace believes that this announcement will feature great news as opposed to bad news.

More from NASCAR Cup Series

Wallace believes that Andretti Autosport, which currently compete in IndyCar, will form an alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports and that they will bring Honda along with them as the team’s new manufacturer and as an altogether new manufacturer in the Cup Series.

Andretti Autosport have used Honda engines in IndyCar since the 2014 season. The three manufacturers that currently compete in NASCAR are Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. Not since the 2012 season when Dodge competed in the series has any other manufacturer aside of these three done so.

Here is what Wallace had to say about the matter on his Facebook page.

"“Petty- Andretti [sic] Motorsports coming to NASCAR with Honda cars and funding. Not a much better way for Honda Motor Co. To enter NASCAR with two iconic names to be the spokesman for there [sic] team Richard Petty and Mario Andretti. Michael Andretti is the best positioned team outside of NASCAR to bring Honda into Stock car racing and with former NASCAR crew chief and NASCAR Excutive [sic] Robin Pemberton already employed at Andretti. Sounds like it’s all done but the announcement.”"

In a comment replying to his original post, Wallace added the following statement.

"“Been told it will actually be Andretti Motorsports but since Petty has the #1 charter in position from all years in NASCAR and are needing help this works best for everyone. NASCAR has been saying they want another manufacture [sic] or two? I’m just disclosing to all of our wonderful race fans what I was told from what in the past is a good source. The other comment in that same conversation was a couple semi retired past winning drivers on on [sic] the top of there [sic] list to help team get up to speed. We will all probably find out at the same time if it is true or not.”"

Andretti Autosport have reportedly denied these rumors, according to AP’s Jenna Fryer.

Regarding the many rumors on future of @RPMotorsports, I have chased down the bizarre one involving a merger and Honda and an #IndyCar team and @FollowAndretti says this rumor is not true. There have been rumors about RPM since the offseason. They need money. That's not a secret.
— Jenna Fryer (@JennaFryer) May 16, 2019

However, if Wallace ends up being correct, this news would make sense. Andretti Autosport and Richard Petty Motorsports formed an alliance to field a Honda-powered car for John Andretti in the 94th and 95th editions of the Indianapolis 500 back in 2010 and 2011.

Plus, like everyone knows, Richard Petty Motorsports have been and still are in dire need of funding, and Wallace’s claim that nobody is better positioned than Andretti Autosport team owner Michael Andretti to bring Honda into NASCAR could not be more true.

Next. Top 10 NASCAR drivers of all-time. dark

Will Andretti Autosport form this alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series to form Petty-Andretti Motorsports/Andretti Motorsports, and if so, will they do so with Honda as their manufacturer?

Home/NASCAR Cup Series