Petty Driver Search



Richard Petty telling Davey Pennel and
Bobby Lobdell how it feels to be the king.

In September , junior Davey Pennel participated in the Richard Petty Driver Search in Charlotte, North Carolina.



Davey Pennel has been racing since he was 12 years old. He started out racing at the go-kart level and slowly made his way to the top. After go-karts, Pennel advanced into miniature cars, and then finally made it to a late model.

"I enjoyed racing go-karts, it was a lot of fun but getting behind the wheel of a late model is a totally different experience, and it's the experience of a lifetime," said Pennel. He races every saturday night from the months of March to the middle of October all over Wisconsin.

In the beginning of this 2010 school year Pennel got recognized as being talented enough to make it into the Petty Driver Search. Only 12 out of however many applicants in the world that wanted to apply got accepted.

The drivers search was a four day event and consisted of racing and learning other aspects of the racing world. There were participants from Barbados, Canada, and the United States, "I turned in my application online and got a phone call the next day saying that they were interested in me and would like to set up a phone interview. I set up the interview and told them what I was all about, and by the time we got done talking I was accepted," said Pennel.

Petty Driver Search is a huge learning experience for racers. "I learned a lot from the Petty Driver Search and gained skills in various parts of the racing world that I didn't have before," said Pennel.

Davey getting instructions from CEO
of Richard Petty Driver Search.

Pennel doesn't only get to brag that he made it into the event but he was also the youngest kid to ever make it to Richard Petty's Driver Search. Davey got to meet the legend of racing, Richard Petty, is something that racer's from any area of racing would love to have the chance to do. Going to the Petty Driver Search gives Davey a huge advantage locally over other drivers. "A lot of the materials that I learned I can bring back to the local short-track racing including how to talk in front of televisors and how to set my car up a little better," said Pennel.

The sport of racing is a very expensive sport, but for some people it is well worth the cost. "I'm not quite sure if I would do The Drivers Search again, it was a lot of money but it was a very good experience," said Pennel.
Davey didn't win at the Petty Driver Search, but he did do very well. Winning this type of event is very hard to do, and takes the best of the best. "I did well the first three days and messed up on my last day and that is what killed me," said Pennel.

He finished third out of 12 overall and even though it's not first, he is proud of how he did. "I'm proud but disappointed. I know I had what it takes to win, but I messed up one day and it hurt me," said Pennel. After this event was over, Pennel got offers from five different racing organizations around the Carolina's and may end up pursuing his racing career from there.

Davey very tired after running go-karts for
two straight hours for an endurance test.