Few argue about Richard Petty's nickname. They call him "The King," which is what winning 200 races will earn you. Here's some information on the man who has become synonymous with stock-car racing.
Like Father, Like Son
Richard Petty's father, Lee, was one of the founding fathers of stock-car racing in the United States. While Richard Petty was underage and ineligible to race, he worked on his father's racing team as a mechanic and dreamed of someday becoming a Chief Mechanic for his father and other racing teams.
When he was old enough to race, however, his dreams immediately shifted. His first attempts at getting his father to allow him to race were met with a firm "no." As with all great performers, however, Petty soon found himself where he wanted to be -- behind the wheel of a race car.
That was in 1958. In 1959, Petty was honored as NASCAR's "Rookie of the Year."
An Unprecedented Legacy
It took 34 years to get Petty out of the driver's seat, and in that time, he won an unprecedented and likely untouchable 200 times. Driving the blue, No. 43 car sponsored by STP, Petty was to NASCAR as Babe Ruth was to baseball -- maybe their sports would have succeeded without them, but with them, they thrived.
Looking at modern-day NASCAR, one is struck full-force by Petty's accomplishments. Of his 200 victories, seven were in NASCAR's biggest race, The Daytona 500. He won the Winston Cup (now Nextel) Championship a record seven times. In 1967, Petty won 10 consecutive races, a record that still stands. And not only did Petty win a lot, the fans loved him for it, as he was named the most popular driver in NASCAR in nine separate years.
The Legacy Continues
Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997, Petty did not become a shrinking violet on the NASCAR scene following his retirement. He is still the owner of Petty Enterprises, which fields two to three cars in the prestigious Nextel Cup, as well as one car in the Busch Series and one in the Craftsman Series truck. His son, Kyle, is still an active racer on his father's team.
The Tragedy
All great athletes must overcome diversity, but for "King Richard," his was diversity of the worst kind. Petty's grandson, Adam Petty -- who was being touted by experts as the next great racing Petty -- was killed in an accident at the New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12, 2000. Adam Petty, son of Kyle, was 19 at the time of his death.
The Legend
Despite the sorrow of losing his grandson in a racing accident, Richard Petty never wavered in his support for the sport, and helped usher in safety changes in NASCAR. At 68 years old, Richard Petty is still one of the most recognizable figures in NASCAR, as fans are still mesmerized by the tall man with sunglasses, cowboy hat and bushy mustache. Like all royalty, Richard Petty will always stand out from the crowd. To racing fans, he will always be "The King."
External Links:
Petty Racing - The official site of Richard Petty's racing team.
NASCAR - The official Web site of America's favorite racing series.