Age: 41 (Born 8/15/58)
 Wife: Patrice
 Children:
 Joey (10/16/81);
 Justin (11/6/86);
 Jonnie Leigh (8/12/97)
 Residence: Fletcher, N.C.
 Hometown: Newton, N.C.

It's been said that if racing were easy, everybody would be doing it. Owning and operating one NASCAR Winston Cup Series race team is a chore by itself. But if one team can be run successfully with minimal heart and headaches, the question is asked, wouldn't two race teams be better?

In the high-speed sport of Winston Cup racing, multi-car teams are not only better, they are essential. Teamwork breeds success. Witness Hendrick Motorsports - the multi-car outfit that has captured the past four Winston Cup championships.

Andy Petree, owner of the race team that bears his name, understands the future of Winston Cup racing. Fervently competitive by nature, Petree is in Winston Cup to win.

After spending the 1997 and 1998 seasons fielding Chevrolets for Ken Schrader, Petree has added Kenny Wallace to his operation to form a bona-fide two-car team in 1999. Under Petree's watchful eyes and technical guise, Wallace and Schrader will work together to bring that elusive first win to Andy Petree Racing (APR).

"We need to win a race," said Petree. "I mean, that's all there is to it. We've had some solid performances over the past couple of years, but I'm not really happy with that. We need to be better than a top-10 team. We need to be challenging these guys week-in and week-out." Racing, like Petree, is competitive by nature. Therefore, it's no coincidence that the 41-year-old has been involved with racing his whole life.

Born within earshot of Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in the town of Newton, N.C., Petree heard the sounds of race cars driven by such NASCAR legends as Ned Jarrett, Bobby Isaac, Harry Gant and Tommy Houston before he could walk. When it finally came time to go to the track nicknamed "The Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars," Petree was more than willing.

"An uncle took me to my first race at Hickory," said Petree. "I loved it before I ever saw the race cars going around the track. Just hearing the motors as we approached the gates was a thrill. I couldn't wait to get inside.

"I set my first goal that night. I was going to drive race cars, or work on them or both. Watching the races was great, but I knew I had to get where the action was."

John Settlemyre, a talented racer who won five consecutive track championships at Hickory between 1977 and 1981, gave Petree his first job working as a mechanic.

Eventually, Petree built his own race car with friend Jimmy Newsome in hopes of racing it at Hickory.

"We ran out of money before we could buy a motor," said Petree. "Ned Jarrett gave us a motor on the condition that his son would drive the car."

Dale Jarrett's driving career and Petree's car-owning career were born, as was DAJ Racing. The acronym DAJ came from each partner's first name. The "D" was for two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Jarrett, the "A" was for Andy Petree, and the "J" was for Jimmy Newsome, who has since left racing to run his family's business. Jarrett continues to operate the race team in a limited NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division effort, but with a different name. It's now known as Jarrett/Favre Motorsports, as Grenn BAy Packers quarterback Brett Favre has joined Jarrett in the ownership role.

The desire to drive never left Petree, as he was able to run an occasional race at Hickory. But he realized his mechanical talents and turned his focus towards becoming a crew chief.

After changing tires on Darrell Waltrip's car en route to the 1981 Winston Cup championship with legendary owner Junior Johnson, Petree went to work for Leo Jackson Motorsports in 1982. Five years later at the age of 28, he became crew chief for Jackson's driver Phil Parsons. Between 1989 and 1992, Petree teamed with driver Harry Gant to win nine races, including an astounding stretch of four consecutive wins in September of 1991.

When crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine left Richard Childress Racing (RCR) upon the conclusion of the 1992 season, Childress tapped Petree to be his new crew chief for then five-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.

The marriage between Earnhardt and Petree wasn't an instant hit, and Childress the car-owner had to become Childress the matchmaker.

"I was reluctant at first to assert my way of doing things," said Petree. "Richard made me go to dinner with Earnhardt to settle our differences. That night was a turning point in our relationship. Now, Dale and I laugh about that night, but it made all the difference."

Indeed. Earnhardt went on to capture his sixth championship in 1993 followed by a seventh title in 1994, thereby tying Richard Petty with the most championships of any driver in NASCAR history. Earnhardt fell just 35 points short of scoring an unprecedented eighth crown when Jeff Gordon bested him for the 1995 championship.

In three seasons together, Earnhardt and Petree won 15 races, two championships and just under $10 million. But when the 1995 season ended, an offer from the man that gave him his first job as crew chief beckoned Petree to leave RCR.

"Leo told me he was nearing retirement and wanted someone who would keep his team intact," said the Fletcher, N.C., resident. "We worked out a deal where I would take over the team."

When the 1996 season began, Petree filled the role of both owner and crew chief with Robert Pressley as his driver. Despite a disappointing first year as an owner, Petree persevered. He lured veteran driver Ken Schrader away from the Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut to pilot his Skoal Bandit Chevrolets in 1997. Schrader answered Petree's call and placed 10th in the season-ending point tallies. Another batch of consistently strong finishes in 1998 left Schrader 12th in the championship rundown after a spirited battle with Bobby Hamilton and John Andretti for a top-10 point position.

A new chapter in Petree's stock car racing career unfolds in 1999 with the addition of Wallace and sponsor Square D to the APR team.

"Everywhere we looked, we knew that we could be better as a multi-car team," said Petree. "So, we pursued it and obtained it. It's going to be a big challenge for us, but I believe it's going to pay off."

Part of that challenge is the doubled responsibility that now rests on Petree's shoulders. To compensate for that, he has relinquished the reins of crew chief for Schrader to Sammy Johns, and he has hired Jimmy Elledge as Wallace's head wrench.

"I feel like I've delegated a lot of the day-to-day stuff to Sammy and Jimmy," said Petree. "They're going to have their hands on the cars making sure every detail is like it needs to be - which is what I was doing for a long time. It was difficult to be both the owner and crew chief last year, but now that we've got two teams it just made it impossible for me stay on as crew chief. That's why I hired Sammy to handle the (No.) 33, and I feel very confident in Jimmy's abilities to handle the (No.) 55.

"I'm going to be right here," continued Petree. "I'm not the typical owner who's just sitting up here in his office telling his guys to bring him
results. We're going to be doing this together. It's all a team and we're going to succeed as a team."