Richard Petty

Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs-Original -> Racing-Nascar

Richard Petty

Richard Petty is a NASCAR driving legend. Known as “The King,” he was one of the most fan-friendly sports figures in the history of racing or any sport, always willing to sign autographs and engage with the fans for as long as they remained after each event. He holds the distinction of winning the NASCAR championship 7 times along with only one other racer, fellow racing legend Dale Earnhardt.

Richard Petty won a career total of 200 races, and few will argue with the claim that he’s the greatest NASCAR driver in history. Racing was in his blood from birth, it seemed, because his father, won the very first Daytona 500 (of which Richard would win 7) in 1959, and was a 3-time NASCAR championship winner. His son, Kyle, is a NASCAR driver, too. His grandson, Adam, died in 2000 while racing.

Richard Petty won his first Daytona 500 in 1964 and his second in 1966, making him the first NASCAR driver to win it twice. He became a drag racer in 1965, while he boycotted the Daytona 500 due to their ban of a certain type of engine. During a crash in Georgia that year, 7 people were injured and an 8-year-old boy in the crowd was killed.

In 1967, back to regular NASCAR driving, Richard Petty won over half of the races he competed in, earning him the nickname “King Richard.” In 1969, Petty switched from Plymouths to Ford, but then went back to driving a Plymouth in 1970 because of the look of the Plymouth Superbird. He won his last NASCAR championship, his 7th, in 1979, after not winning a single race in 1978, in part because he couldn’t seem to “break in” the Dodge he drove.

Richard Petty announced his pending retirement in 1991, stating that after the 1992 season he would retire. He went on a year-long tour around the country, meeting with fans and enjoying his celebrity. His last race was Jeff Gordon’s first career start.

In 1993, Richard Petty crawled back into a race car, driving several laps around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then donating the car to the track’s museum. In 2003 he drove a solo lap to commemorate his 7 Winston Cups at the Homestead Miami Speedway. And in 2007, he drove a Daytona car during the pace laps at the Pepsi 400. Petty was as famous for the crashes he survived as he was the races he won, and was famous for his willingness to talk to fans and stand sometimes for hours to be sure none were missed if they were waiting to get his autograph or talk to him.
Richard Petty autographs aren’t hard to come by because of his career-long willingness to sign them. Just be sure to compare any you find in an online auction or shop with known examples of his signature for authenticity. You can find jackets, posters, programs, replicas of his cars and tons of other items at large marketplaces like eBay.

Originally posted 2008-12-14 05:00:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • blog traffic exchangeWayne Gretzky Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs-Original -> Hockey-NHL Wayne Gretzky, called “The Great One” by many hockey professionals and writers, is one of the most recognizable names in sports throughout the world and widely regarded to be the best hockey player of all time. While even someone who doesn't like sports......
  • sportcardsCreating a Sports Card Collection Since the 1800s, it has been a normal part of our culture to want to create a sports card collection. At first, boxing cards were especially popular, and then during the early 1900s it became popular to collect baseball cards as part of a sports card collection. The thrill behind......
  • BobbleheadsBobbleheads Sports Memorabilia -> Vintage Sports Memorabilia -> Bobbleheads Bobblehead dolls may be considered silly by some, but there is definitely a national craze to collect them. Whether it is of a famous personality, sports hero, or even a cartoon character, these fun collectibles can be found just about anywhere. While......
  • sportssignedSeeking a Sports Memorabilia Appraisal When you are seeking out a sports memorabilia appraisal for an item that you own, there are two ways that you can do it: The first way is to have it done in person using a specialist in the field of sports memorabilia appraisals, and the other way is to......
  • blog traffic exchangeBaseball Memorabilia Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs - Original -> Baseball - MLB Out of all of the sports collectibles, when it comes to the ones that resonate the deepest with collectors, baseball memorabilia is at the top of the list. This is an emotional game, and there are thousands of different things......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • Lexmark Champ Car Race - AustraliaLexmark 300 / Nikon 300 Champ Car Race - Surfers Paradise, Australia /caption] The Nikon Indy 300 was an open-wheel motor race event that took place at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in south east Queensland, Australia. Known generically as the Gold Coast Indy 300, Japanese camera giant Nikon was announced as new naming rights sponsor in early August, 2008. The challenging......
  • blog traffic exchangeMy Life as a Volunteer Tax Preparer - Week 8 This week's edition of my experiences in the AARP Tax-Aide volunteer's office will be somewhat abbreviated. Recent demands of my paying job are extending the Mr. ToughMoneyLove work day at both ends. I had five appointments plus one who just randomly showed up and whom I worked in. One couple......
  • @AmazonRandom Post: How to Commit Murder, Legally Introduction Simple. Live in County Durham, UK Don't pass the driving test Drive a car, unsupervised, with your partner and her 6-year old child as passengers! Find a cyclist while driving around Make sure the cyclist is not wearing a helmet Knock over the cyclist with your illegally driven and......
  • 100-Milano-Sanremo-arrivo--346x212Cavendish Wins Milan-San Remo; but how'd you know? /caption] Mark Cavendish wins by 11cm over 185km! Gazzetta della sport run the race and have a Mario Cippollini interview here.  Websites and news agencies across the globe are full of Cavendish's win but in Britain it's a 15 second radio item and well-buried articles on the BBC etc.  Most......
  • robbyGinepriATP World Tour: Robby Ginepri The $519,000 ATP World Tour 250 in Indianapolis, United States of America, running from the 19th of July, 2009 until the 26th of July, 2009 on hard court surfaces. More information can be obtained through http://www.atpworldtour.com. Results for Sunday, the 26th of July, 2009: Singles Final, R Ginepri of the......
Online Stores

Email Updates