THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 14, 1995 TAG: 9501140197
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Richard Petty, the legendary NASCAR driver, now retired, plans to remain a force in North Carolina conservative politics, but not as governor, at least for the rest of this century.
``I see how time-consuming being governor is,'' he said Friday from his team's shops in Level Cross, N.C. ``You're on call all the time. It's a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week thing. I'd have to change my lifestyle completely, and I'm not ready for that.
``I'd have to give up racing. I'd have to move. And right now, I'm still in the racing part of it. One day, I might say to (son) Kyle, `You come back and take over the deal and I'm gone.' Then I might be ready for that.''
Petty has retired from the Randolph County Board of Supervisors, where he served since 1978. So he's available.
But when he surveys the different statewide jobs that might be available, Petty thinks being U.S. Senator might not be as hectic as governor.
``It would be time-consuming, but it wouldn't be quite as time-consuming as being governor,'' he said. ``They don't meet every day. They're not on call every day. At least you'd get a day or two off every once and awhile.''
Would he consider a run for the Senate?
``That's a future deal, too,'' he said. ``I might not be doing that good in racing, but I'm still enjoying it.''
While Petty has ruled out a 1996 run for governor, he ``has an interest in being a political force in North Carolina and he's going to work to maintain that,'' said Paul Shoemaker, a political consultant working with the Richard Petty Political Action Committee. ``He's going to continue to work, and we're going to continue to look for opportunities.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
``I see how time-consuming being governor is,'' Richard Petty said
Friday.
by CNB