Did you know?
-200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins
-7-Time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979)
-A Petty-Driven or Petty-Owned Car Has Visited Victory Lane in Every Decade Since Nascar was Founded
-10 Victories at Daytona International Speedway Including Seven Daytona 500 Wins (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981)
-Awarded the Medal of Freedom by President George Bush in 2002, the First Motorsports Athlete Ever to be Honored with This Award
-On July 18, 1958, at the Ripe Age of 21, Competed in his First Grand National Event in Toronto, Canada
-Won NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1959 at Age 22
-Last Race was the 1992 Hooter's 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Also the First Winston Cup race for Jeff Gordon
-Entered 1,185 Races Over 35 Seasons
-Won 200 Times
-Has 555 Top 5 Finishes
-Has 712 Top 10 Finishes
-Won 123 Pole Positions
-Has Led 51,695 Laps
-Has Raced 309,397.7 Miles
-Career Average Finish: 11th
For 35 years, Petty wheeled...
For 35 years, Petty wheeled his familiar red and blue No. 43 car on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit.
Richard Petty barely beat...
Richard Petty barely beat Cale Yarborough for his 200th career victory.
After collecting that win,...
After collecting that win, his STP Pontiac was put on permanent display in the Smithsonian Institution's Division of Transportation in Washington, D.C. Pictured left to right are Petty, Mike Curb (car owner), and William Wituhn (curator of the Smithsonian Division of Transportation).