
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994                   TAG: 9406010032
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

OWNER SHAKES UP KYLE PETTY RACING TEAM

NASCAR racing team owner Felix Sabates made a series of personnel changes Tuesday, including the release of Robin Pemberton as team manager for driver Kyle Petty.

Also let go from the Winston Cup Series team that fields Pontiacs for Petty were Pemberton's two younger brothers, Ryan and Roman.

Ryan Pemberton served as tire specialist-mechanic; Roman as a tire changer-mechanic.

Sabates said Robin Pemberton was fired "because of a disagreement on management style."

Sabates said mechanic Jim Long has been promoted from crew chief to fill Robin Pemberton's former management position.

Pemberton has been involved in the sport since 1985, working with drivers Bobby Allison, Greg Sacks, Jim Sauter, Morgan Shepherd, Jody Ridley, Mark Martin, Petty and the late Neil Bonnett.

After spending four years with Martin's Jack Roush Racing team in 1988-91, Pemberton was hired by Sabates to succeed his original crew chief, Gary Nelson. Nelson left the operation for a NASCAR post. He's now the Winston Cup director.

Robin Pemberton is credited with preparing cars that have won eight Winston Cup races - three in 2 seasons with Petty - and $6.6 million in purses.

However, the Petty-Sabates team has struggled this season, as have the tour's other Pontiac operations. Through the first 11 of 31 races, Petty had two top-five finishes - fourth in the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro and fifth in the Pontiac 400 at Richmond.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB