Richard Petty is undoubtedly a NASCAR legend and is part of a rich racing pedigree. His father, Lee Petty, was the one who started what would now be the family tradition. After three Grand National titles, Richard Petty added a record seven more to his name. Following him were Kyle Petty and the late Adam Petty, although neither achieved the same level of success as his predecessors. In the case of the latter, he tragically died in an accident at the age of 19, before he could develop his full potential.
Recently, Richard Petty sat down with his oldest daughter to talk. Among other topics, they talked about how they lived as a racing family and life in the fast lane. According to the seven-time champion, his eldest daughter looked a lot like his mother. He then talked about how things developed during a race weekend, where they often visited the tracks.
What was a typical race weekend like for the Richard Petty clan?
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Families are an important part of an individual’s journey. From a common man to stars like Pettys, almost everyone has a family and their support to credit their success.
Speaking to her father on the Petty Family Racing YouTube channel, Sharon Farlow said: “No, for some reason, I followed the rules my parents gave me. I followed the rules and followed Kyle. In every class he was in, I was in the following year. All I heard was how wonderful Kyle was. I always tried to do the right thing. Sometimes our gas man would put gas in our car. For example, he would bring the gas can from the pits, if there was extra gas, he would just go in and fill our car.”
“We were just saying, ‘Wait one more lap, wait one more lap.’ Mom screamed, but on a lot of the tracks we went to, we always did one lap around the track. There were times when the tracks turned off the lights,” she added.
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via Getty
WATKINS GLEN, NY – AUGUST 6: Team owner Richard Petty stands in the garage during NASCAR Heluva Good! practice. Sour Cream Dips at The Glen on August 6, 2010 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky//Keynote USA/Getty Images for NASCAR)
At a time when NASCAR celebrates 75 years of the Petty family, they are pulling out all the stops in their tributes to the legend. For Richard Petty, family is very important and is deeply rooted in NASCAR history. The Petty family has been around since NASCAR began in 1949, and still exists in the modern era.
How the 7-time champion celebrates 75 years of NASCAR
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Next month, Petty is expected to grace the Goodwood Festival of Speed with his presence. ‘The King’ is the first seven-time motorsport champion, long before Michael Schumacher made him popular. Aside from those 7 titles, he has amassed an incredible 200 race victories, including seven Daytona 500s and 27 wins in a single season.
The annual festival will not only welcome the man himself, but also his iconic 1970 Plymouth Superbird. The car, distinguished by its large rear wing, will undoubtedly be one of the most attention-grabbing. The car will be driven by his son, Kyle Petty. Other tributes tell of a special ‘Balcony Moment’ outside Goodwood House.
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