Richard Petty

Automobile Racer

• Born: July 2, 1937
• Birthplace: Level Cross, North Carolina

Sport: Auto racing

Early Life

Richard Lee Petty was born on July 2, 1937, in Level Cross, North Carolina. Richard was born into the world of stock car racing. His father, Lee Petty, was three times National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Champion, in 1954, 1958, and 1959. When Richard was born, a race car was always parked in the yard of the family home. Weekends were spent traveling to various towns for races.

As a teenager, Richard helped on the family farm and helped his father build and repair race car engines. He also found time to play on the high school football, basketball, and baseball teams. Through these sports, Richard met his wife, Lynda, who was a cheerleader. At the age of twenty-one, Richard drove in his first official race at Columbia, South Carolina, finishing sixth.

The Road to Excellence

The Petty family—Lee, Richard’s younger brother Maurice, and cousin Dale Inman—formed a close-knit team to build and race stock cars, modified versions of automobiles available to the general public at new car dealerships. While Lee had the experience and Maurice and Dale were excellent mechanics, Richard had the courage and skill to drive the cars. The major car manufacturers sponsored various stock car drivers with parts and money because the racing modifications often produced technological improvements for cars intended for highway use. For many years, Richard drove Chrysler cars.

As a driver, Richard developed the racing technique of “drafting,” in which a driver stays directly behind and extremely close to the car in front. Although dangerous because of the high speeds involved, this “nose to tail” technique allows the cars to go faster and use less gasoline. The number-two spot is favored by drivers until near the end of the race, at which time the second car tries to pass. Richard became good at both passing and, if he was in the lead, holding off the car attempting to pass him. This technique was new when Richard began racing, but today, “drafts” of up to thirty and more cars can be seen in major races.

Richard also developed the physique to drive long distances at high speeds under hot conditions. Before developing ulcers, Richard weighed 190 pounds and stood 6 feet 2 inches tall. On an asphalt track, the air temperature may be above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature in a race car, nearly 140 degrees.

The Emerging Champion

In 1964, Richard won his first NASCAR Championship. In his first fifteen years of racing, he won 150 races, more than twice the wins of any other driver then in competition. The highest point of his career came in 1967, when Richard won 27 of the 48 races he entered that year.

There were some periods, such as 1976, when nothing seemed to go right for the Petty race team, but then a new mechanical idea would surface or, as Richard said, “My luck would get good,” after which the famous number 43, painted “Petty blue,” would be a regular sight in the winner’s circle again at race tracks all over the nation. Richard attributed his success to teamwork. Mechanics have to build tough engines to hold up for 500 miles at speeds close to 200 miles per hour. Furthermore, the pit crew must work fast to change the tires, fill the gas tank, and make necessary repairs when a car leaves the track during the race. The Petty team was recognized as the best in racing, and Richard gave them full credit.

This teamwork was displayed at the Daytona 500 race in 1981. Changes in NASCAR rules meant that everyone was driving a smaller car that year. Richard’s car, a Buick Regal, was not quite as fast as the Pontiac driven by Bobby Allison. For 173 laps, Richard trailed. On laps 173 and 174, all the leading cars pulled into the pits for tires and gas, spending an average 19 seconds off the track. Richard’s crew had him out of the pit and back on the track in 6.8 seconds. Richard used this advantage, along with his driving skill, to win the prestigious race for the seventh time.

In 1988, at Daytona, skill and luck almost ran out. On lap 106, Richard was involved in an accident in which his car stood on its nose, rolled more than six times, and was hit broadside by another racer. Some luck remained, because Richard walked away from the wreck.

Continuing the Story

In the 1970s, Richard was nicknamed “King Richard” or, sometimes, “King of the Road.” By 1988, he had started in 500 consecutive NASCAR races and was grossing more than two million dollars a year for his company, Petty Enterprises. He had won every important race on the NASCAR circuit several times. Success had not come without a high price. Richard had 40 percent of his stomach removed because of ulcers, lost 75 percent of his hearing, broke his neck twice, shattered his hip, and cracked his ribs several times. Also, his grandson, Adam, died in a practice crash in 2000.

The secrets of winning races are skill and teamwork, but the secret of Richard’s popularity among race fans was his personality. Richard always had time to talk with fans and to sign autographs. Nine times in his career, racing fans voted him most popular NASCAR driver. In the years following his retirement from racing, Richard received numerous honors. In 1992, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian award. In 1997, he was inducted into the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Even after his retirement, he remained one of NASCAR’s most popular and recognizable racers. His son Kyle followed in his footsteps, becoming a successful auto racer in his own right.

Summary

The ability to win races is a necessary component of a champion, but living as a winning person is more important. Richard Petty always made time for his family and his fans. He stayed away from drugs and alcohol and remained positive off the track. These characteristics made him King of the Road.

Bibliography

Blake, Ben, and Dick Conway. Richard Petty: Images of the King. St. Paul: Motorbooks, 2005. Print.

Chandler, Charles. Quotable Petty: Words of Wisdom, Success, and Courage by and about Richard Petty, the King of Stock-Car Racing. Nashville: Towle House, 2002. Print.

Petty, Richard. King of the Road. New York: Macmillan, 1977. Print.

Petty, Richard, and William Neeley. King Richard I: The Autobiography of America’s Greatest Auto Racer. New York: Macmillan, 1986. Print.

Vehorn, Frank. A Farewell to the King: A Personal Look Back at the Career of Richard Petty, America’s Winningest and Most Popular Driver. Asheboro: Down Home, 1992. Print.