Richard Petty set to ride in the 2023 Rose Parade

Richard Petty set to ride in the 2023 Rose Parade

Richard Petty (via IMAGO)

NASCAR will have an official entry in the 2023 Rose Parade that will take place as part of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses on January 2. They will enter the event with a float named “always forward” to commemorate the 75th anniversary of NASCAR season.  The float will feature the LA Memorial callosum and three iconic cars from NASCAR history.

Along with Richard Petty’s iconic No: 43, his fellow seven times cup champion Dale Earnhardt’s No:3 car will also feature. Jeff Gordan’s iconic No:24 HMs car will be the third and final showpiece. The 25 feet tall, and Artistic Entertainment Services construct 55 feet long float. The backdrop of the float will be the LA Memorial Callosum and Olympic cauldron.

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The parade is the 134th edition of the event. To commemorate the efforts of the volunteer-driven, non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, NASCAR will give free tickets to its selected volunteers. The parade will kickstart NASCAR 2023 season, which will star with the LA Clash, which leads up to the Daytona 500

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“Nobody embodies the rich history of our sport more than Richard Petty. He‘s not only ‘The King,‘ but an icon recognized worldwide as one of the greatest athletes of all time. It‘s an incredible honor to have him represent NASCAR on our float. I know our fans in California will love this opportunity to hail NASCAR royalty in person,” said NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Services Patrick Rogers.

Also read: NASCAR Twitter rates Austin Dillon’s 2022 season

Richard Petty is leading his NASCAR cup team to the next level

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Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson (Images via IMAGO? USA Today Network)

The Petty GMS Racing has started preparations to get back into the elite level they once were in.  The old Petty Enterprises became one of NASCAR’s many midfield teams, which never had solid winning chances. Petty had to give up the majority of the stake in the team as new owners took it over. He became the team’s public face.

They secured their first win years last year thanks to former JGR driver Erick Jones. The return to victory lane gave them a big boost, and jones will have a new partner in 2023 in the form of Noah Gregson. The 2022 Xfinity series P2 finisher will make his full-time debut next year.

The biggest investment by far they made this season was Jimmie Johnson. The seven times cup champion joined the chevy team as an owner-driver. He will act as the public face and mentor for the team and is yet another significant investment by Petty GMS.  

Also read: Tony Stewart claims Dale Earnhardt wouldn’t have been able to “rattle” Jimmie Johnson in his dominant years

Also read: NASCAR releases 2023 Daytona 500 Speedweek schedule with a major change