Major unrest at RPM

UPDATE The deal between Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing already has cost one top official his job. Richard Petty, the minority owner of RPM, said on Saturday that Mark McArdle, the vice president and managing director of competition at RPM, was fired on Friday after a heated confrontation with team co-owner George Gillett Jr. at Richmond International Raceway. Petty would not speculate on how many others in the engine and chassis department might lose jobs if RPM uses Roush-Yates engines and Roush Fenway chassis as planned. Petty said RPM is moving from Dodge to Ford because Dodge could not offer financial support for 2010 and beyond. Yates already has a financial commitment for two Ford teams, and Petty hopes that will increase once the economy is restored. ESPN.com

09/12/09 Mark McArdle, Richard Petty Motorsports's vice president and managing director of competition, got into a heated argument with team co-owner George Gillett on Friday and has returned home for the weekend, multiple sources confirmed to the Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com.

McArdle, who basically oversees RPM's engine and chassis departments, apparently was arguing with Gillett in the garage area at Richmond International Raceway over the organization's proposed merger with Yates Racing announced on Thursday, sources said.

The merger would in effect close RPM's engine department since the merged team would use Ford engines beginning next season produced by Yates Racing.

Witnesses confirmed the two were in a heated discussion in the garage and that McArdle was seen later in the afternoon cleaning out his motorhome, which was at the track.

It remains unclear in what capacity McArdle remains with the organization but sources said he would not be at the track on Saturday.

Reached by phone late Friday night, team spokesman Drew Brown said he was not aware McArdle's status with the team had changed and said McArdle was at the track on Friday. ThatsRacin