Richard Petty
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 Cup championships in his illustrious career.
One would think that after 1,185 races spanning three decades that “The King” would bow out and retire quietly, but that was not in this man’s future. Petty had other things on his mind, mainly overseeing the operation of the famed #43 car that he made famous.
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 in the Dura Lube 500k with driver Bobby Hamilton at the Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.
Today, Petty still looks over the operation of the #43 Dodge with Jeff Green now in charge of the King’s car. The 2005 season will mark Green’s second behind the wheel with General Mills, and its Cheerios brand, teaming up with Petty to sponsor the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge for its sixth season.
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 makes 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.
