Yates Racing, Petty Motosports merging

STATESVILLE, N.C., Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Yates Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports are merging their race car operations next season, with a four-car team driving Fords under Petty's banner.

Petty Motorsports is eliminating its partnership with Dodge, which recently committed to the sport on a smaller scale under new Chief Executive Officer Mike Accavitti. The Petty organization also will not bring back driver Reed Sorenson and is expected to relocate the Roush Fenway/Yates Racing Complex in Concord, N.C., to Statesville.

Petty Motorsports' engine shop will close, leading to 40 job losses.

"This is a pretty big deal for us," Petty said when the merger was announced Thursday. "We're thrilled to partner with Ford (but) there are lots of details still left to be ironed out so we don't have a lot of answers for anyone right now."

The group's drivers will be Kasey Kahne, A.J. Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Paul Menard.