Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Birth Date: July 2, 1937
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Hometown: Level Cross, N.C.
Wife: Lynda Owens Petty
Children: Kyle Sharon Lisa Rebecca
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 victories and seven NASCAR Nextel 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.
Kasey Kahne's victory at Infineon Raceway on June 21 ensured a Petty has visited a NASCAR victory lane in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s.
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. The 2006 season saw Petty once again rise to the top.
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.
A person who has seen the sport grow from the beaches of Daytona to the high-banked superspeedways of Talladega, Petty is no stranger to tough challenges. With the merging of Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Holdings, The King will be a force in NASCAR for years to come.
