RICHARD PETTY - NASCAR's Greatest Driver

RICHARD PETTY

"The King"

It is arguable that no one in sports history is more identified with his sport or did more to bring that sport to public notice and appeal than Richard Petty did for NASCAR.

Known as "The King" for his immense popularity and incredible accomplishments, RICHARD PETTY is NASCAR's greatest driver. No one, not Dirty Dale Earnhardt, not Jeff Gordon, no one has yet proven themselves superior on the track to The King, RICHARD PETTY. And Richard Petty has shown all athletes, no matter what their sport, how you should treat your fans. Some of these sorry jokers in baseball and football need to take some lessons from someone with the stature of Richard Petty and clean up their acts.

Richard Petty's incredible accomplishments still leave fans awe-struck and those who came after him in NASCAR simply amazed.

Those of you who have any doubts about The King's continued preeminence in NASCAR, need only check out the stats in the table below.

Born:	July 2, 1937	Height:	6'2"	Weight:	180 lbs.
Wife:	Lynda Owens Petty	Hometown:	Level Cross, NC	Sponsor:	STP
Important Victories
Charlotte Fairgrounds, NC, 1960	Rebel 400, Darlington, SC, 1967	Myers Brothers Stock Car Spectacle, NC, 1969	Richmond 500, VA, 1973	Pepsi Firecracker 400, Daytona, FL, 1984	Daytona 500, 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981
Wilkes 400, North Wilkesboro, NC, 1967	Riverside International Raceway, CA: Motor Trend 500 - 1969; Falstaff 400 - 1970, Winston Western 500 - 1972; Tuborg 400 - 1975; NAPA 400 - 1977	Columbia Speedway, SC: 1963 (2), 1967(2), 1970, 1971(2)	Greenville-Pickens Speedway, SC: 1962, 1963, 1967, 1968(2), 1971	Fairgrounds Speedway, TN: 1964(2), 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1980	Smoky Mountain Raceway, TN: 1967, 1968(2), 1969, 1970, 1971
South Boston Speedway, VA: 1963(2), 1964, 1968, 1970	Texas World Speedway, TX: Texas 500 - 1971; Lone Star 500 - 1972; Alamo 500 - 1973	Columbia Speedway, SC: 1963 (2), 1967(2), 1970, 1971(2)	Dixie 400, Atlanta Motor Speedway, GA, 1966	Bristol International Raceway, TN: Volunteer 500 - 1967, 1975; Southeastern 500 - 1975	Daytona International Speedway, FL : Daytona 500 - 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981; Firecracker 400 - 1975, 1977, 1984
Dover Downs International Speedway, DE: Mason-Dixon 300 - 1969, 1970; Delaware 500 - 1971, 1974, 1975; CRC Chemicals 500 - 1979; Budweiser 500 - 1984	Martinsville Speedway, VA: Virginia 500 - 1960, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1979; Old Dominion 500 - 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973	North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, NC: Carolina 500 - 1967, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1983; American 500 - 1968, 1971, 1976, 1979	North Wilkesboro Speedway, NC: Gwyn Staley 400 - 1962; Gwyn Staley Memorial - 1963, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975; Northwestern Bank 400 - 1980, 1981; Wilkes 320 - 1962; Wilkes 400 - 1967, 1968, 1972, 1975	Purolator 500, Pocono International Raceway, PA (Inaugural Race), 1974	Richmond International Raceway, VA: Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds - 1961; Richmond 250 - 1967; Richmond 500 - 1971, 1972, 1973; Capitol City 300 - 1967, 1968; Capitol City 500 - 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974
Winston 500, Talladega Superspeedway, AL, 1983 Southern 500, Darlington Raceway, SC, 1967
Richard Petty's Wins in NASCAR's Crown Jewel Races DAYTONA 500: 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981 WINSTON SELECT 500: 1983 COCA-COLA (WORLD) 600: 1975, 1977 SOUTHERN 500: 1967 BRICKYARD 400: DID NOT COMPETE The "Crown Jewel" races of NASCAR have varied over the series' history. The races are identified by NASCAR as the biggest (Daytona 500), fastest (Winston [now Amp Energy] 500), longest (Coca Cola 600), oldest (Southern 500) and the richest (Brickyard 400). From 1960-1969, the Daytona 500, Coca Cola 600, and Southern 500 were the only Crown Jewel races in existence. The only driver up to that point to have won all the races at least once was Lee Roy Yarborough, who swept all three in 1969 - the only driver to win all the Crown Jewel races in a single year. In 1970, the Winston Select 500 (now called the Amp Energy 500) became the fourth Crown Jewel NASCAR race. From 1970 - 1993, only six drivers won each of the Crown Jewel races at least once. Those drivers were Bobby Allison (1978), David Pearson (1979), Buddy Baker (1980), Richard Petty (1983), and Darrell Waltrip (1992). No one was able to pull off the sweep completed by Lee Roy Yarborough. The closest to sweeping the races was David Pearson (1976) and Bill Elliot (1985) who won three of the races in a single year. In 1994, the Brickyard 400, run at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, became the fifth of NASCAR's Crown Jewel Races. Since 1994, the only drivers to win all five of NASCAR's Crown Jewel races at least once is "Dirty Dale" Earnhardt (1998) and Bill Elliot (2002). The most Crown Jewel races won by a driver in a single year since 1994 is three by Dale Jarrett (1996) and Jeff Gordon (1997 and 1998). Richard Petty set the NASCAR record for victories in NASCAR's Crown Jewel races with 11 set in 1983 (tied by Cale Yarborough in 1984). Since the Brickyard 400 was added to the Crown Jewel races, "Dirty Dale" Earnhardt notched 12 Crown Jewel race victories before his death in the 2001 Daytona 500. Jeff Gordon equaled that feat with his victory in the 2001 Brickyard 400 and set a new record with a victory in the 2004 Brickyard 400. As of 2008, Gordon held the record with 15 wins in NASCAR Crown Jewel races. In 2004, the Southern 500 was discontinued but was re-instated in 2009. In 2021, the Brickyard 400 was discontinued.
Career Highlights
Won 200 of 1,185 NASCAR Winston Cup race starts. Holds records for career wins (200) and career starts from the pole (127).		Won 7 Winston Cup Championships: 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979		Career winnings of $7,755,409	First driver to exceed the million dollar ($1,000,000) mark in career earnings -1971
In 1967 set marks for most wins in a single season with 27 and most consecutive wins with 10. Also holds modern single season win mark with 13 wins in 1975 (tied by Jeff Gordon, 1998).		Most Daytona 500 victories - 7 (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981)		Only driver to win the Daytona 500 in 4 different makes of cars - Plymouth (1964), Dodge (1973), Oldsmobile (1979), and Buick (1981)	First driver to exceed the million dollar ($1,000,000) mark in career earnings -1971
Richard Petty notched his wins on the NASCAR Winston Cup Circuit in the following makes of cars: Plymouth (1960), Ford (1969), Dodge (1973), Oldsmobile (1979), Chevrolet (1979), Buick (1981), and Pontiac (1983).
Winston Cup Series Record
Year	Victories	Year	Victories	Year	Victories
1958	0	1959	0	1960	3
1961	2	1962	8	1963	14
1964	9	1965	4	1966	8
1967	27	1968	16	1969	10
1970	18	1971	21	1972	8
1973	6	1974	10	1975	13
1976	3	1977	5	1978	0
1979	5	1980	2	1981	3
1982	0	1983	3	1984	2
1985	0	1986	0	1987	0
1988	0	1989	0	1990	0
1991	0		1992	0

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