Few individuals are destined to achieve larger-than-life feats during their time on this planet. Richard “The King” Petty is undoubtedly one of them. The Randolph Country native set the golden standard for stock car racing through the second half of the 20th century with numerous race wins and championships, with his legacy standing tall and undeniable decades later.
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NASCAR on NBC recently kicked off a discussion on X by asking fans who the greatest driver of all time was. The options ranged from Petty to Dale Earnhardt to Jimmie Johnson and others. As fans picked their favorites with reasons backing their choices, the words of one stood out from the rest and were noticed by the iconic Mark Martin. The comment reflected the greatness of The King.
It explained how Petty had to beat other legends like David Pearson, Bobby Allison, and Cale Yarborough to secure his seven Cup Series championships and 200 victory lane visits. He did this whilst driving his car with a broken neck, doing his duties as a team owner, and working on cars in the garage. None of the drivers who he was pitched up against possibly come close to matching this level of intensity.
Recognizing this, Martin wrote, “Never forget the King.” How could one? Petty has the most number of wins (200), most number of poles (123), most wins in a season (27), most consecutive wins (10), most Daytona 500 wins (7), and the most starts in the top tier (1,185) of the sport. This is to still not mention a longer list of records that he tops.
Naturally, fans crowded behind Martin in respect for the legend.
Never forget the King. https://t.co/bxWPIloxBG
— Mark Martin (@markmartin) December 1, 2024
One follower mentioned that he was tired of people ignoring Petty’s records. He wrote, “Yeah honestly I’m sick and tired of people basically dismissing the King’s stats because of the era he raced in.” Sure, stock car racing wasn’t at its zenith of popularity at the time. But that does not mean that the drivers in that era had it easy. They were all incredibly great racers and had to battle each other.
One fan added, “And he did it all while being the king for the fans too. My late daddy always reminded me of that fact.” His kindness to fans is one of the reasons he is regarded as highly as he is. Petty is often spotted at race tracks today taking pictures and signing autographs for fans. One comment rightly bottom-lined the discussion, “He is The King for a reason.” Enough said.
