Richard Petty

Known to many simply as "The King," Richard Petty is the most decorated driver in the history of NASCAR racing. His 200 career Cup wins stands as a record that will, likely, never be broken and his seven Cup championships tie him with the late Dale Earnhardt.

When he retired in 1992 after 1,184 races spanning four decades, one might have thought that "The King" was going to bow out and retire quietly. Petty, however, had other things on his mind. And, nearly twenty years later, Petty is still as busy as ever overseeing the operation of the Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Sprint Cup teams and helping steer Richard Petty Driving Experience, the world’s largest provider of stock car ride and drive entertainment.

No other person in NASCAR's history has made more of an impact on the sport, on and off the track, than Richard Petty. Recently announced as an inductee in the Inaugural Class of the newly established NASCAR Hall of Fame, he has also been elected to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, and the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Petty also serves on the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Motorsports Association.

Career Highlights

200 Career Sprint Cup Victories*
Seven Time Sprint Cup Champion (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979)**
Seven Daytona 500 Victories (1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, 1981)*
27 Victories in One Season (1967)*
Entered in 1,184 Races In His Race Career
Competed in 513 Consecutive Races (1971-1989)
1971 Driver of the Year
Inducted into the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973
AARWBA’s 1995 Man of the Year for Contributions on and off the Track
Recipient of the NMPA’s Myers Brothers Award in 1964, 1967, 1971 and 1992 for Significant Contributions to the Sport
Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997
Will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May, 2010

*Owns NASCAR record
**Tied with Dale Earnhardt for NASCAR record