Petty, Richard (1937-…), became one of the greatest and most popular drivers in American automobile racing history. Petty specialized in driving stock cars—ordinary sedans whose engine and structure have been altered to provide more power and speed. Petty holds almost every record of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). He started more races (1,185) and won more races (200) than any other stock car driver. He won NASCAR’s Grand National and Winston Cup (both now the NASCAR Cup) championships seven times, a record he holds with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson. He won the Grand National Championship in 1964, 1967, and 1971, and the Winston Cup Championship in 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979. Petty retired as a driver in 1992.
Petty was born on July 2, 1937, outside Level Cross, North Carolina, near Randleman. He began to compete in NASCAR races in 1958. He was nicknamed “King Richard” because of his achievements and his popularity. Petty was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997 and into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. His father, Lee Petty, was a famous pioneer stock car racer. Kyle Petty, Richard’s son, was a racing driver from 1979 to 2008. Adam Petty, Richard’s grandson, was a promising racing driver who was killed in a track accident in 2000 at the age of 19.
