DANVILLE, Va.., March 10, 2008 - Virginia Tech received a donation of two retired No. 43 Nextel Cup race cars from Petty Enterprises for research tools at the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research.

Richard Petty and son Kyle have donated the race cars to the foundation for use by mechanical engineering graduate students pursuing degrees at the premier motor sports research facility, the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research, commonly known as VIPER. The facility is located at Virginia International Raceway in Halifax County.

The Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (VIPER) is a vehicle dynamics testing and research center offering state-of-the-art technology and expertise to help you obtain peak performance from your vehicle.

Located near Danville, Virginia at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR), VIPER maintains a unique status as non-profit organization affiliated with Virginia Tech -- a leading academic & research institution targeting performance engineering -- and a leading vehicle performance center – Virginia International Raceway.