Kyle Petty labels Richard Petty a ‘walking encyclopedia of NASCAR’

Kyle Petty is the last driver from the Petty family to race in the NASCAR’s top tier.

Kyle Petty labels Richard Petty a ‘walking encyclopedia of NASCAR’

Richard Petty and Kyle Petty (Via IMAGO)

The Petty family is celebrating their 75 anniversary in racing in 2024, a year after NASCAR celebrated their diamond jubilee.  In 1949, a year after NASCAR had formed Hall of Famer Lee Petty made his premier stock car racing debut. Since then the family has been an integral part of the championship, with their team and drivers from four different generations.

The Petty Motorsports now the Legacy Motor Club is among the legacy teams of NASCAR. The team with Lee’s son Richard Petty has given the sport some iconic moments of the sport. Richard Petty is the most successful racer from the Petty family with 200 Cup race wins and seven championships, placing him as one of the GOATs of Motorracing.

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Richard’s son Kyle Petty followed his father to NASCAR and later Kyle’s son Adam Petty joined the party. Kyle Petty had an average NASCAR career compared to his father, while his son Adam after having a promising start passed away in an accident during a race. The family’s legacy now continues on the track with their foundation and their team.

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Recently while talking about the team and family legacy in the press release about them celebrating 75 years in the sport, Kyle pointed out that his father is a walking encyclopedia of NASCAR. He pointed out that Richard Petty has been there watching or starting races since the start of NASCAR and there is nothing in the sport they haven’t seen.

My father is a walking encyclopedia of NASCAR. He was there with my grandfather, grandmother, and uncle Maurice at the first NASCAR race in Charlotte in 1949 and our family has been going ever since. There isn’t anything our family hasn’t seen in NASCAR.
Kyle Petty said, as reported by On3.com.

Richard Petty explains why they are celebrating the 75-year milestone

The seven-time Cup champion pointed out that 75 years is a big milestone for them who started it all as a family-owned racing team. He said that they are celebrating their legacy that started with his father and NASCAR legend Lee Petty and his mother.

Richard Pettty and Kyle Petty (1)
Richard Pettty and Kyle Petty

He went on to name his brother, his son, late grandson, and now great-grandson Thad Moffitt who is racing in the Trans AM Series. The goal of them celebrating the diamond anniversary is to share their legacy and racing stories with the fans.

75 years in the sport is an incredible milestone for our family, especially when it all began as a family business. Spending 2024, celebrating the success and contributions to the sport of racing that started with my mom and dad, then my brother Maurice, cousin Dale Inman, then to Kyle, Timmy, Ritchie, Mark, onto Adam, and now Thad [Moffitt]. We are all looking forward to sharing these stories with the fans.
Richard Petty said.

While the celebration is an impressive feat, one thing that is a big miss for the family is that the Petty name no longer appears in the sport. Richard Petty Motorsports’ rebranding and absence of a racer from the Petty family caused the issue. Legacy Motor Club should be doing some tribute schemes at least to honor the 75 years of the Petty family in racing.

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