Petty enjoys wine in victory lane

Winning car owner Richard Petty got his first taste of victory lane in ten years, and he savoured it, right down to the red wine.

Though Petty long refused to feature an alcohol or tobacco sponsor on any of his cars, that changed when Petty partnered with George Gillett to form Richard Petty Motorsports.

The organisation fields cars for four drivers, including Kahne, who wears the livery of Budweiser, his primary sponsor.

So don't blame Petty for having a few sips of 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon in celebration of his first victory as a car owner since John Andretti won at Martinsville in 1999.

Though he had to wait a decade, the grin was vintage Petty.

"Oh yeah, that's the reason I like to come to Napa Valley," said Petty, who then recounted a trip to a nearby winery. "I got in a cave the other night. They had wine down one side in big barrels, and then they had wine down the other side.

"As we walked in, I think we drank something out of every barrel. That was a long deal. It (the cave) was straight, and when we got to the other end, and when I turned around, that dadgum cave was like that and like that (a zigzag motion). It was straight going in, (but) it wasn't too straight coming out."

by Reid Spencer/Sporting News