To quote Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."
No where is that more apropos than at Richard Petty Motorsports.
The team, according to reporting by the Sports Business Journal as revealed on twitter, faces a trifecta of huge changes that could change the face of the team. Here they are (and the tweets follow)
- RPM is in danger of either losing its primary sponsor, Smithfield, or having that sponsorship money cut back
Another factor to keep in mind: @SmithfieldFoods' annual spend w/ @RPMotorsports is in the $10-15M range but that could be cut back in '18.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 22, 2017
- The Smithfield negotiations directly impact where RPM can field one driver or two. The team would love to add Bubba Wallace with Aric Almirola, but may have to cut ties with Almirola is if can only afford to field one car.
- There's also talk that RPM could make a manufacturer switch, from Ford to Chevrolet. Manufacturer changes don't happen often, although Stewart-Haas Racing went from other way -- from Chevy to Ford -- this season.
Meanwhile, RPM?s deal with @Ford is also up after this year, and sources said it's possible the team could switch to @Chevrolet next season.
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) August 22, 2017
The upheaval is part of the turbulent NASCAR times as team jockey for sponsorship position and figure out who can afford what. In this case, things could be be very different for RPM next season.