Jerry Petty is stepping away from day-to-day involvement with his Petty Performance Racing USAC National Sprint Car team after back-to-back championships with Kyle Cummins, and he has left the decision on the program’s future in Cummins’ hands.

Petty shared in a post-season interview with USAC Racing that he wants to spend more time with his family and thus he will be stepping away from the championship-winning team.

“I’ve had a beautiful bride, luckily, for 46 years and we’ve been talking a lot. She’s supported me in everything I’ve ever done in my life 1,000%. In fact, she’s a CPA. She’s the smartest person I know and she’s always supported me. She always ran the books on all my companies, all my ventures I’ve ever done. And I sold Avanti and she thought we were going to have more time together, and then I got into racing.”

“As you all know, I’m working with Tom Buch on the High Limit team, and I got a team in the East, and we got a team in the West, and I’m sponsoring USAC CRA, USAC California Midget Association,” he continued. “I got this race track now in Central Arizona that I’m trying to help. We got a race track in Show Low, Arizona (Deuce of Clubs Thunder Raceway) that I’m trying to help Brad with. And it’s a lot.”

“And my wife has just recently asked me, ‘Hey, can we spend some more time together?’ So I’m going to slow down. And I’m going to spend some more time with my wife while we still can and we’re not too old.”

He then announced he is stepping away from the Kyle Cummins team, “The East Coast team, I’m going out on top. I’ve won two seasons back-to-back and I want to go out on top. And I’m going out. I’ve talked to Kyle and Cameron and we’re going to either sell the team, shut the team down, whatever. But whatever we do with the team, USAC National team, it will be up to Kyle Cummins. He’s in charge of how we move forward.”

“But we are not going to move forward as Petty Performance Racing in the National team on the East Coast,” he stated. “I just got done talking with Kyle and Cameron and told them how much I loved them, how much I appreciated them, how awesome of human beings they were. I told them it’s time for me to go spend some time with my family. By the way, my wife reminded me that I’ve got 12 and 13-year-old and 16-year-old grandchildren that I haven’t been on vacation with in three years. And they should be a priority, not a second decision. I apologize to my grandkids for not spending so much time with them the last few years, but I promise in the next few years we’re going to do a lot together. I promise.”

“I’m just not going to move forward in the National team,” Petty reiterated. “I am going to move forward with USAC Southwest and R.J. because it’s right here in Arizona where I live and it’s easier to handle. It’s easier to keep my arms around. And I love this race track (Central Arizona Raceway). I’m going to keep on working this race track hard and heavy. And, man, we just had 2,500 fans here tonight at Central Arizona Raceway, the biggest crowd we’ve had so far.”

“I’m going to spend more family time and less racing time,” he continued. “And the easiest part to let go of is the back East racing ’cause it’s the hardest to do. You got to travel so much. And it’s just far away. And I’m going to hold on to stuff that’s close and convenient. Go out on top with the USAC National team with two championships and I’m going to help Kyle move forward however he decides the team moves forward back East.”

The team had an astounding performance in its two-year span. They won consecutive titles, piled up 21 wins, had 73 Top 5s, and 89 Top 10s in 97 starts. In 2026 alone, Cummins led the series with 11 wins, 351 laps led, 35 top-5s, and 45 top-10s in 48 starts. He also took home $289,000 in prize money.

On top of the two USAC National Sprint Car Championships, the team also won Indiana Sprint Week and an Eastern Storm Championship. Cummins also checked off wins at Terre Haute Action Track. In fact, he won there twice this year. First, he won in April during the Jim Hurtubise Classic and then returned in July to get an Indiana Sprint Week win in the Don Smith Classic. He also got his first win at Eldora Speedway in May during #LetsRaceTwo and then won again in September during the 4-Crown Nationals. He also parked it in Victory Lane at Knoxville Raceway during the Corn Belt Clash in May.

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