“You have to sit and wonder at times, without (him), where would this sport have gone?” said 1999 Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett. “He has the name and the face, that we all recognize and have for so long, more than anyone else. We talk about the accomplishments of so many during those early times of the sport. There were a lot of great people there. For Richard to make that impact is incredible. You’re talking about one person and still to this day, for 75 years, the name that comes up is Richard Petty. To see him still coming to races and being a part of this is great.”
Kasey Kahne won 18 Cup Series races during a 13-year career and drove for Petty in 2008 and ’09.
“He’s still The King,” Kahne said. “He looks great and it’s just cool to see how big of a part of the sport he’s been, what he still is and what he’s done behind the wheel, what he’s done outside the car for the fans and how he still has such a great following. Everybody knows The King. He’s the all-time great and always will be. It’s special to know him and have raced for him.
“One of the coolest photos I have of him during my time in NASCAR is of me and Richard walking out of the tunnel at Bristol Motor Speedway. Someone captured it from behind. We’re walking out together just the two of us. The photo is seven-feet tall and it’s in my shop. It’s really cool.”
Ryan Newman, who won 18 Cup Series races including the Daytona 500, admires Petty for what he’s done graciously outside the race car.
“The significance of Richard Petty is in his personality,” Newman said. “His ability behind the wheel? A lot of guys have had that. He has surrounded himself with great people, mostly family. I think what he has proven to be a champion of is a champion of the people. I’ve always wondered how that man can carry a smile and sign as many autographs as he has. That truly is one of the toughest parts of being a race car driver, in my opinion. Pushing the pedals and turning the wheel, when your car is better than most or making your car better than most is not that difficult.
“Having that smile when you get out of the car when you just got your tail whipped by David Pearson or Bobby Allison is not easy to do. From what I’ve seen, especially in the last 20 years, he’s been able to do that and is still able to do that more than anyone. That, to me, is one of the things that defines him as The King.”
Three-time Cup Series champion Darrell Waltrip came to the Cup Series with one mission in mind.
“When I started in this sport in 1972, I was determined that I was going to knock him off the throne,” Waltrip said. “Nobody has done that yet. He may step down or may decide I’ve had enough, but I doubt that. I don’t think anyone will ever dethrone him.
“Here’s the thing about Richard,” Waltrip added. “He’s always been there. I think his name has a lot to do with it, to tell you the truth. He’s King Richard. When you ask a race fan in the whole wide world, whether it’s Formula 1 or Indy car or even drivers in NASCAR, the first name they are going to recall is Richard Petty.”
This story appeared in the June 21, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
