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Known to many simply as “The King,” Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing, winning a record number 200 career races and seven NASCAR Cup championships in his illustrious career. One would think that after 1,184 races spanning three decades that “The King” would bow out and retire quietly. Petty, however, had other things on his mind. Today Petty is as busy as ever mainly overseeing the operation of Richard Petty Motorsports.
In 1996, Petty proved that he could be a champion both as a driver and car owner when he won his first race as an owner with driver Bobby Hamilton at the Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. Petty won, again in 1997 with Hamilton, and in 1999 with driver John Andretti.
Racing is about winning, and “The King” has proven he knows how to do just that, but it is giving back to the community and his fans that make Petty “The King” of auto racing. Wearing his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses one can always see Petty signing an autograph or giving a helping hand. In fact, Petty was instrumental in the development of the Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp for chronically ill children, after donating acres of his land that the camp sits on today.
There is no other person in NASCAR’s history to have made more of an impact on the sport, on and off the track, than Richard Petty. He has been elected to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, and also the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He also serves as Chairman of the North Carolina Motorsports Association.
2009 marked a season of accomplishments for the NASCAR icon. His Richard Petty Motorsports team recorded two wins, qualified for the Chase for the Championship, and successfully placed all four of his cars inside NASCAR’s Top 35. Off of the track, he was an inaugural inductee in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, which is slated to open in May of 2010.
Armed with a new manufacturer in Ford for the 2010 season, Richard and his team look to take the next step of restoring the Petty name atop the NASCAR world.
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