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Richard Petty

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Richard Petty
Awards1979 Winston Cup Champion

1975 Winston Cup Champion 1974 Winston Cup Champion 1972 Winston Cup Champion 1971 Grand National Champion 1967 Grand National Champion 1964 Grand National Champion 1959 Rookie of the Year

Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)

Inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1997)

Inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1989 - inaugural inductee)
NASCAR Cup Series career
1,184 races run over 35 years
Best finish1st - 1964, 1967, 1971 (Grand National), 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979 (Winston Cup)
First race1958 untitled race (Canadian Exposition Stadium)
Last race1992 Hooters 500 (Atlanta)
First win1960 untitled race (Southern States Fairgrounds)
Last win1984 Firecracker 400 (Daytona)
Wins Top tens Poles
200 712 123

Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is an American former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. He is most well-known for winning the NASCAR Championship seven times (Dale Earnhardt is the only other driver to accomplish this feat, but with 76 victories and a lone Daytona 500), winning a record 200 races during his career, winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times, and winning a record 27 races (ten of them consecutively) in the 1967 season alone. (A 1972 rule change eliminated races under 250 miles in length, reducing the schedule to 30 [now 36] races.) Petty is arguably the greatest NASCAR driver of all time. He also collected a record number of poles (127) and over 700 top-ten finishes in his 1,185 starts, including 513 consecutive starts from 1971-1989. He also won nine Most Popular Driver awards.

Petty is a second generation driver. His father, Lee Petty, won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and was also a NASCAR champion. Richard's son, Kyle Petty, is also a well-known NASCAR driver. Tragically, Richard's grandson, Adam Petty, was killed in an accident at New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12, 2000. Meanwhile, Adam's brother Austin works on day-to-day operations of the Victory Junction Gang camp, a Hole in the Wall Gang camp established by the Pettys after Adam's death. Petty married his wife Lynda Owens Petty in 1958 and they have four children - Kyle Petty, Sharon Petty Farlow, Lisa Petty Luck and Rebecca Petty Moffit - and 12 grandchildren. The family still resides in Level Cross; they operate Petty Racing and the Richard Petty Museum in nearby Randleman, North Carolina.

Racing career

Petty was born in Level Cross, North Carolina to Elizabeth Toomes and Lee Arnold Petty, also a NASCAR driver.[1] He began his NASCAR career on July 18, 1958, 16 days after his 21st birthday. His first race was at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto, Canada, and he finished 17th having completed 55 of 100 laps in an Oldsmobile. In 1959, Richard was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year, after he produced 9 top 10 finishes, including six Top 5 finishes.

The 1960s

Petty's famous Plymouth Superbird, on display at the Richard Petty Museum, courtesy of flickr contributor

In 1960, he finished 2nd in the NASCAR Grand National Points Race. In 1964, driving a potent Plymouth with a new Hemi engine, Richard Petty led 184 of the 200 laps to capture his first Daytona 500, en route to 9 victories, earning over $114,000 and his first Grand National championship. On February 27, 1966 Petty overcame a 2-lap deficit to win his second Daytona 500 when the race was stopped on lap 198 of 200 because of a thunderstorm. This made him the first driver to win the event twice.

1967 was a milestone year. In that year, Petty won 27 of the 48 races he entered, including a record 10 wins in a row (between August 12 and October 1, 1967). He won his second Grand National Championship. One of the 27 victories was the Southern 500 at Darlington, which would be his only Southern 500 victory. His dominance in this season earned him the nickname "King Richard". In 1969 Petty switched brands to Ford, due to his belief the Plymouth was not competitive on super-speedways - he wanted a slippery Dodge Daytona but Chrysler execs. insisted he stay with Plymouth. He would win 10 races and finish second in points. Won back in 1970 by the sleek new Plymouth Superbird with shark nose and goalpost wing, Petty returned to Plymouth for the 1970 season. This is probably his most famous car, and the car in which Petty is cast in the 2006 Pixar film Cars.

wikipedia sucks!

The twilight years

File:C800663.jpg
Richard Petty at a 1981 Daytona race, courtesy of the Florida Photographic Collection

Petty won two more Daytona 500s in 1979 and 1981. In 1979, he snapped a 45-race drought, winning his sixth Daytona 500, the first to be televised live flag-to-flag; it would become notorious for a fistfight between competitors following the controversial finish. Petty won the race as the first and second place cars of Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashed on the last lap. Petty held off A. J. Foyt and Darrell Waltrip. Foyt had backed off because of his familiarity with USAC rules which states that racing stops once the yellow flag waves, different from the NASCAR rule stating drivers should race back to the start-finish line, even for the finish (the rule was changed in 2003). The race is also regarded as being the genesis of the current surge in NASCAR's popularity. The East Coast was snowed in by a blizzard, giving CBS a captive audience. The win was part of Richard's seventh and last NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. Petty was able to hold off Waltrip to win the title in 1979.

In the 1981 Daytona 500, Petty used a "fuel only" for his last pit stop, with 25 laps to go, to outfox Bobby Allison and grab his seventh and final Daytona 500 win. This win marked a large change in Petty's racing team. Dale Inman, Petty's longtime crew chief, left the team after the Daytona victory (Inman would win an eighth championship as crew chief in 1984 with Terry Labonte). On July 4, 1984, Petty's 200th win was at the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The race was memorable. In lap 158, a rookie driver crashed, bringing out the yellow caution flag, essentially turning Lap 158 into the last lap as the two drivers battled to the start-finish line. Petty and Cale Yarborough diced it out on that lap, with Yarborough drafting and taking an early lead before Petty managed to cross the start/finish line only a fender-length ahead. (This is no longer possible because of the 2003 rule change freezing the field immediately upon caution. Furthermore, the green-white-checkered rule was created for if the yellow flag waves with two laps remaining, but not with one lap remaining.) President Ronald Reagan was in attendance, the first sitting president to attend a NASCAR race. Reagan celebrated the milestone with Petty and his family in victory lane.

Petty's last ride

In late 1991, Richard Petty announced he would retire after the 1992 season. Petty chose to run the entire 1992 season, not just selected events as other drivers have done before retirement. His year-long Fan Appreciation Tour took him around the country, participating in special events, awards ceremonies, and fan-related meetings. In his final year behind the wheel, he had two notable races.

At the 1992 Pepsi 400 on July 4, Petty qualified second. Before the start of the race, he was honored with a gift ceremony which included a visit from President George H. W. Bush. At the start, Petty led the first five laps, but dropped out on lap 84 due to fatigue.

Despite the tremendously busy appearance schedule, and mediocre race results, Petty managed to qualify for all 29 races in 1992. On his final visit to each track, Petty would lead the field on the pace lap to salute the fans. Petty's final race was the season-ending Hooter's 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race was notable in that it was the first career start for Jeff Gordon, and it was the closest points championship in NASCAR history, with six drivers mathematically eligible to win the championship. A record 160,000 spectators attended the race, which went down to the final lap with Bill Elliott winning the race, and Alan Kulwicki winning the championship.

Facing the intense pressure, Petty barely managed to qualify at Atlanta, posting the 39th fastest speed out of 41 cars. He would not have been eligible for the provisional starting position, and had to qualify on speed. On the 94th lap, Petty became tangled up in an accident, and his car caught fire. Petty pulled the car off the track, and climbed out of the burning machine uninjured. His pit crew worked diligently all afternoon to get the car running again, and with two laps to go, Petty pulled out of the pits and was credited as running at the finish in his final race. He took his final checkered flag finishing in 35th position. After the race, Petty circled the track to salute the fans one final time in his trademark STP Pontiac.

The following year, he was back into a race car one more time. On August 18, 1993, NASCAR participated in a tire test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in preparations for the 1994 Brickyard 400. Petty drove several laps around the track, and then donated his car to the Speedway's museum.

Petty would again step into a race car in 2003 on the week of the final race under the Winston banner at Homestead-Miami Speedway and took a solo lap honoring his seven Winston Cup Championships for Winston's salute to the champions.

Petty as an owner

In later years of his career, Petty developed the career of crew chief Robbie Loomis, who was at the helm of Petty Enterprises as crew chief in the 1990s, and won three races -- the 1996 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix, the 1997 Subway 400 at Rockingham, both with Bobby Hamilton driving, and the 1999 Virginia 500 at Martinsville, with John Andretti driving.

Petty moved to the television broadcast booth for a few seasons immediatedly following his retirement, but his career in television did not last long. He remained as operating owner until his son Kyle Petty took over day-to-day operations a decade later.

Close calls

Of all the races he won, Petty is also remembered for three of the many incredible crashes that he survived:

  • In the 1970 Rebel 400 at Darlington, Petty was injured when his Plymouth Road Runner cut a tire and slammed hard into the wall separating the track from the pit area. The car flipped several times before coming to rest on its side. This accident injured Petty's shoulder, and helped Bobby Isaac to win the 1970 Grand National Championship. During the accident, Petty's head hit the track pavement several times, which led NASCAR to mandate the installation of the Petty-developed safety net that covers the driver's side window.
  • In a 1980 race at Pocono, Richard slammed the Turn 2 wall, nearly flipping the car. Petty nearly broke his neck in the wreck and kept his injury hidden from NASCAR officials for the next races, knowing that another wreck could possibly kill him. Such an incident could never happen today, because of modern NASCAR rules requiring an official series medical liaison to clear a driver after a crash.
  • In the 1988 Daytona 500, Petty's spectacular crash on Lap 106 hurled parts all over the front stretch at the Daytona International Speedway. Incredibly, after so many flips, Petty walked away with no serious injuries, except for temporary sight loss due to excessive g-forces. The crash was similar to the accident suffered by Bobby Allison during the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in that both cars became airborne after turning sideways, and both cars damaged the spectator fencing (though Petty's crash did much less damage to the fencing). Petty's car became airborne despite the use of the carburetor restrictor plate, which was mandated by NASCAR for races at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway just prior to the start of the 1988 season.

Career awards

Life after racing

File:Petty and Bush.jpg
Petty with U.S. President George W. Bush at the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp for children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses established by Petty's son.

Richard Petty is currently a spokesman for Cheerios and for GlaxoSmithKline products Nicorette and Goody's Headache Powder. He is almost always seen wearing his trademark sunglasses and a Charlie One Horse hat. In 1996, he was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Secretary of State, but was defeated by State Senator Elaine Marshall in the general election. He is cast as "The King" in the Cars (film) as a 1970 Plymouth Superbird with the number "43". A cereal "43"s was created with Petty information on the boxes.

Legacy

Accessibility was his hallmark. In a sport, and a sports world, where big stars may not have the time to sign autographs or sign everybody's autograph, Petty made a point of staying until everybody got one. His work on behalf of his sport and his accessibility to fans are seen as crucial elements of NASCAR's transformation from the dirt tracks of the 1950s to the superspeedways and multi-million dollar sponsorships of today.

Races won

Grand National/Winston Cup (200 career wins)

Teams

Petty Enterprises 1958-1983, 1986-1992

Don Robertson 1970

Mike Curb 1984-1985

Trivia

  • His ornate autograph can take more than 10 seconds to complete [disputed].
  • Petty Enterprises refuses to display any alcohol decals, forfeiting the Budweiser Pole Award and Shootout awards, because of a deal Petty made with his mother not to do so.
  • Richard Petty was offered $10,000 by Andy Granatelli to drop the familiar Petty Blue and paint his car all Day-Glo Red for STP. He refused, settling for a two-tone scheme, and by 1982, Gordon Johncock's Indy 500 winning STP Wildcat-Cosworth was painted in similar fashion.
  • Petty is known to NASCAR fans as "The King", "King Richard", or simply Richard (since all fans know who he is).
  • A 60 Minutes feature story on Petty was taped in late 1988 for airing, but when Diane Sawyer defected to another network, the segment was wiped out. Harry Reasoner reshot the segment, and it aired in late 1989.
  • Petty was famously not "Dick"; as the story goes, his mother is quoted as saying, "If we wanted him called Dick, we'd have named him Dick."
  • Kenny Chesney mentions Richard in his song "How Forever Feels" stating, "Hands on the wheels, cruising down the interstate, gas pedal sticks carries my car away, I was going as fast as a Rambler goes, I could feel the speed from my head to my toes, now I know how Richard Petty feels."
  • One of the tracks on a NASCAR-based country music album NASCAR: Runin' Wide Open is called "Oh, King Richard" and takes a look at the inspiration Richard Petty has given to others simply by being a NASCAR hero. Richard Petty also appears in the music video of the song, along with clips from his races. The song is sung by Kyle Petty.
  • Petty provides the voice of The King in the 2006 Pixar animated movie Cars. His car, the Road Runner Superbird with distinctive "Petty" blue tint and number #43, is also the model for the car used in the movie. The King's crash at the end of the movie was also a re-creation of Petty's real-life 1970 accident with the exception that it was not caused by a deliberate crash as in the movie. Petty's wife Lynda plays The King's wife, a station wagon, in the movie as well.
  • He appeared in the 1983 Burt Reynolds movie Stroker Ace.
  • Petty is one of eight drivers in NASCAR history to win a Career Grand Slam, by winning the sport's four majors; David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Buddy Baker are the other seven to have accomplished the feat.
  • He is mentioned in the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit when Burt Reynolds (Bandit) asks Sally Field's character if she has ever heard of Richard Petty.
  • He is mentioned in the song "On My Mind" by rock band Royal Trux, which appeared on their EP Radio Video released in 2000.
  • He is referenced in the title of the song "Kyle Petty, Son of Richard" by Soundgarden.
  • He is chosen as the best driver on the show Who's No. 1? episode "Best Drivers" airing on ESPN Classic.
  • His color has been adopted by other racing teams that bore STP sponsorship outside of NASCAR, one by Kremer Racing for the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the 1995 JTCC Honda Civic of Keiichi Tsuchiya.
  • Former UNC Tar Heels and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Brad Daugherty wore #43 during his professional career as a tribute to Petty.
Preceded by NASCAR Grand National Champion
1964 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NASCAR Grand National Champion
1967 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NASCAR Grand National Champion
1971 - 1972 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Champion
1974, 1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Champion
1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1964 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1966 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1973, 1974 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Daytona 500 Winner
1981 		Succeeded by

The NASCAR Grand National Series was changed to the Winston Cup Series after the 1971 season, then was changed into the Nextel Cup Series in 2004.

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://www.wargs.com/other/petty.html
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