by Cicely Richard

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2008

Richard Petty, known as "The King," is a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is one of two drivers ever to win the Sprint Cup seven times. He's won a total of 200 races in his long career, won the Daytona 500 seven times, and won 27 races in one season. It can be argued that Richard Petty's storied career was genetic, as a second generation racer.

Richard Lee Petty was born on July 2, 1937 in Level Cross, North Carolina to Elizabeth and Arnold Petty, a NASCAR driver. He began his driving career in 1958 when he was only 21 years old. He finished seventh in his first race, the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto. He was named Rookie of the year in 1959, after achieving 9 top 10 finishes. Petty had a second place finish in the 1960 NASCAR Grand National Points Race.

Petty's most productive years were between 1964 and 1981. In 1964, he won his first Daytona 500, driving a Plymouth. He went on to win his second Daytona 500, despite a thunderstorm. He was the first two-time winner of this event. Because other racers complained about his vehicle, he competed in drag races in 1965. A crash shortened his drag-racing career.

In 1967, he dominated the racing, winning 27 races, including 10 wins in a row. His victories included the Grand National Championship, the Southern 500 at Darlington. His dominance that year earned him the nickname King Richard." He switched to a Ford in 1969 in order to be more competitive in his mind. However, he eventually switched back to the Plymouth, winning 10 races and finishing second in points.

Petty had another historic year in 1971. He won a third Daytona 500 and became the first racer to win it three times. He had another 20 victories that year, including a third Grand National Championship, and became the first driver to earn $1 million. He won the Winston Cup Championship in 1972. He won his fourth Daytona 500 in 1973 and another Winston Cup. Petty continued winning races during the remainder of the decade, including more Daytona 500 victories.

During the 1980 and early 1990s, Petty's continued racing. The Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 4, 1984 mark Petty's 200 racing victory. President Ronald Reagan attended that historic race, becoming the first sitting to attend a NASCAR event.

In 1991, Petty announced that he was retiring the next year. On July 4, 1992, he qualified second in the Pepsi 400. There was a ceremony honoring him before the race began, and President George H. W. Bush attended. He led the race for the first five laps but dropped out due to fatigue. After retiring from racing, he tried television broadcasting but was unsuccessful.

Richard Petty set a standard for all the racers who would follow in his footsteps. Not only that, he was a fan favorite for his actions off the race track. He had a gracious attitude, signing autographs for any fan who asked him. He is an enduring example of how to treat the public viewing your sport.

Source:

http://www.biography.com

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