Why is Richard Petty called ‘The King’?

Richard Petty was among the first to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.


Why is Richard Petty called ‘The King’?

Richard Petty. (Image via Our State Magazine.)

Richard Lee Petty is the most celebrated NASCAR driver and the first to win the NASCAR Cup Series championship seven times. He raced from 1958 to 1992 in the NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series. It is now known as the NASCAR Cup Series. Petty drove the No.43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises. It is a team based in North Carolina, USA, founded by his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer, Lee Petty. His father is a three-time NASCAR Grand National Champion. (now called the Winston Cup).

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Lee Petty was also the first winner of the Daytona 500 in 1959. His brother Maurice Petty built engines and was a crew member. As a result, Richard Petty grew up exposed to racing. He is a second-generation driver. He graduated in 1955 and took a business course; he then went on to work for his father’s racing company, Petty Enterprises. Richard Petty began his racing career in 1958 when he was 21.

Richard Petty’s first race was at the CNE Stadium in Toronto, Canada. He was named “Rookie of the Year” in 1959 due to his brilliant performance. Petty delivered nine top-10 finishes and six top-five finishes. He got his first career win at the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway in 1960. The American driver dominated the 1963 season by winning in tracks like Martinsville and Bridgehampton. 

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Petty left NASCAR in 1965 briefly after the rules were introduced that his  No.43 Plymouth’s engine was illegal. However, he returned to NASCAR in 1966. It was a spectacular year for Petty as he had the best season ever. He had 27 wins and won his second Grand National Cup. The man was unstoppable. He went on to have the most successful record in NASCAR.

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Why is the origin of Richard Petty’s nickname?

Petty won 27 of the 48 races he entered in 1967. It includes a record of ten consecutive wins. Due to his dominance, he earned the name “King Richard”. He was previously known as “The Randleman Rocket”. Petty is the 1964 and 1967 Grand National Series champion. He also claimed the Winston Cup title in 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979. ( Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson are the only other drivers to win the Cup Series championship seven times).

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Richard Petty. (Image via CBS Sports.)

Richard Petty’s Daytona 500 win in 1979 is considered his most memorable win. That race contributed to NASCAR’s popularity. Petty’s last win was the 1984 Firecracker 400. It marked the first time a president attended a NASCAR race. President Ronald Reagan celebrated Petty’s last win with him. The seven times NASCAR champion made an impact in the racing world. He also contributed to improving NASCAR with nylon window screens, cooled helmets, roll bars, and two-way radios. 

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Richard Petty revealed the origin of his nickname “The King” in a podcast, NASCAR: Dirty Air, “You know, I think ’66 or ’67, we were winning a bunch of races. ’67, we won 27 races and you know some reporter somewhere wrote ‘The King’ or something like that. And then everybody just picked it up. So I think that’s basically when it all started.”

Richard Petty’s life after Retirement

Petty officially retired from racing in 1992 after 1,184 races run over 35 years. He also ended his career with 200 Cup Series wins and 712 top-ten finishes. Richard Petty has stayed busy since his retirement. The spokesman for Liberty Medical, Cheerios, Nicorette, and Goody’s Headache Powder remains active in NASCAR. Petty Enterprises was turned into Richard Petty Motorsports in 2009. 

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Richard Petty.

The team then merged with GMS Racing, and it became Petty GMS in 2021. However, Maury Gallagher has been the majority owner since last season, as Petty sold his shares to him. Jimmie Johnson then purchased a minor ownership stake.

It is now renamed the Legacy Motor Club. In February 2023, Petty announced Johnson had taken control of the operations. Therefore, he does not have decision-making power. Richard Petty also owns Petty’s Garage in North Carolina. It is a restoration and modification shop. “The King” has achieved much in the sport and will remain the driver with unbreakable records. 

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