Sports History

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

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

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