 Known 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 Winston 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 500 with driver Bobby Hamilton.
The accolades of Richard Petty are endless, but one of the very
few goals that "The King" has yet to reach is to win a championship
as a car owner. There is optimism that would make
one think that the first championship as a car owner is not that far
away. All the pieces of the puzzle are set as Petty returns John Andretti behind the wheel of the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge and starts Kyle Petty behind the wheel of the #45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge.
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 is that what many fans think make Richard "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. There is no other person
in NASCAR’s history to have made more of an impact on the sport 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.
The 2003 racing season will have its changes, but changes have
not been an obstacle for a man who has seen the sport grow from the
beaches of Daytona to the high-banked superspeedways of Talladega. It
won’t be long before "The King" Richard Petty will be once again standing
along side the #45 Georgia-Pacific Dodge in victory lane.
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