Petty Enterprises Gets New Crew Chiefs

Petty Enterprises hired two new crew chiefs Monday as the team said it will use the final 10 races of this season to prepare for 2007.

Bill Wilburn, former crew chief for Rusty Wallace, was chosen to run Kyle Petty's team, while championship crew chief Paul Andrews will handle the same duties for Bobby Labonte.

''We're looking ahead,'' Petty vice president Robbie Loomis said. ''We feel we needed to make a change now to be best prepared going into next season. I think (this) is exactly the type of move that is going to energize Petty Enterprises for the remainder of this season and for 2007.''

Wilburn spent 14 years at Penske Racing, including a stint as Wallace's crew chief. He was most recently the crew chief for the upstart Clay Andrews Racing team and guided rookie David Gilliland to his upset Busch Series win at Kentucky Speedway in June.

Andrews, who won the 1992 championship as crew chief for Alan Kulwicki, will move from Petty's team to run Labonte's.

Greg Steadman, who had been interim crew chief for Labonte, will return to his position as director of competition.