Biography for
Richard Petty (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

2 July 1937, Level Cross, North Carolina, USA

Birth Name

Richard Lee Petty

Nickname

The King

Mini Biography

The King of stock car racing, Richard Petty retired from NASCAR competition after the 1992 season. During his storied career, he won 200 Winston Cup race (a feat that will never be equaled), seven Winston Cup championships (tied by Dale Earnhardt in 1994), and seven Daytona 500's. His 200th win came in the July 4th, 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona, when he beat Cale Yarborough by mere inches with President Reagan in attendance. Petty remains a fixture on the Winston Cup circuit. He still owns the familar number 43 STP Pontiac team, and you can still find him signing autographs for his legion of fans. His son Kyle is currently a NASCAR Winston Cup series driver.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Pat Campbell

Spouse

Lynda Petty

(22 July 1959 - present) 4 children

Trade Mark

Almost always wears sunglasses and a hat.

Red and Blue #43 STP Car

Trivia

Born at 8:45am-EDT

Holds the record for runner-up in the NASCAR championship points race.

Not only holds the record for for most wins in NASCAR (200), but holds the record for most wins per season, 27, 10 in a row in 1967.

He drove a Ford in 1969 (scored nine wins and came in second in the points to David Pearson, who also drove a Ford) because Chrysler wouldn't give him a Dodge Charger Daytona as he was a "Plymouth Man!" Embarrassed by this, Plymouth built the Road Runner Superbird to get him back for 1970.

Seven time Grand National/Winston Cup champion, 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979

When STP agreed to sponser his car, they insisted the car should be red. Richard said the car had to be 'Petty Blue'! Richard almost walked away from STP, but they both agreed the car can be red, and 'Petty Blue'

His final Winston Cup race was at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992. It was also the first-ever race for current NASCAR Winston Cup superstar Jeff Gordon.

Won a record seven Daytona 500's.

Holds modern-era record (1971-present) for Winston Cup race wins in a season with 13 in 1975 (since tied by Jeff Gordon in 1998).

Holds the modern-era (1971-present) record, along with Jeff Gordon, for race wins in a season with 13 in 1975.

Raced in his final Winston Cup event in Atlanta in November 1992. Ironically, the same race happened to be Jeff Gordon's first.

Was the winner in the first-ever NASCAR event televised flag-to-flag, the 1979 Daytona 500. Petty was a lap down in third place on the final lap when Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough, the first- and second-place drivers, collided on the backstretch. Shortly after Petty crossed the finish line, CBS' cameras shot over to the infield where Yarborough and Allison (along with his brother, Bobby Allison) had climbed out of their wrecked cars and were fighting. This telecast and its events are credited with introducing stock-car racing to the mainstream American public.

Lost 40% of his stomach due to ulcer surgery in December 1978.

Suffers from light-sensitive eyes, hence his constant use of wraparound sunglasses and either cowboy hat or rimmed caps to keep out glare.

Wins per track - Riverside, five wins - Daytona, ten wins - Rockingham, 11 wins - Atlanta, six wins - Darlington, three wins - Bristol, three wins - North Wilkesboro, 15 wins - Martinsville, 15 wins - Talladega, two wins - Richmond, 13 wins - Nashville, nine wins - Charlotte, four wins - Dover, seven wins - College Station, Texas, three wins - Pocono, two wins - Michigan, four wins - Trenton, three wins.

Petty was instrumental in persuading Dodge to return to Winston Cup racing, and his team was the workhorse in building and developing Dodge's race cars for 2001 with help from team owners Ray Evernham and Bill Davis.

Is the second of a four-generation racing family.

Although he will most likely be remembered for driving Plymouths and Dodges, he actually raced almost every make of car in his career, including Fords, Oldsmobiles, Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Buicks. The only two makes he didn't race were Mercury and AMC.

Was defeated in a bid to run for North Carolina's Secretary of State in 1996.

Grandson Adam Petty was killed in a practice run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000. Earlier that season Adam qualified and ran in the Winston Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway, making the Pettys the first and only four-generation family to run in Winston/Nextel Cup racing history.

Father of Kyle Petty.

Where Are They Now

(1996) Was narrowly defeated in his bid for Secretary of State of North Carolina

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