Public Figure Profiles

Richard Petty

Richard Lee Petty, nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises. He was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times (a record now tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson), while also winning a record 200 races during his career. This included winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times and winning a record 27 races (10 of them consecutively) in one season (1967). Statistically, he is the most accomplished driver in the history of the sport, and is one of the most respected figures in motorsports as a whole. Petty remains very active in the sport as both a NASCAR team owner (Petty GMS Motorsports) in the Cup Series, and owner of Petty's Garage (car restoration and modification shop) in Level Cross, North Carolina.

During his 35-year career, Petty collected a record number of poles (123) and over 700 top 10 finishes in a record 1,184 starts, including 513 consecutive starts from 1971 to 1989. Petty was the first driver to win in his 500th race start, being joined by Matt Kenseth in 2013. He was inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Petty is a second-generation driver. His father, Lee Petty, won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and was also a three-time NASCAR champion.

His son Kyle was also a NASCAR driver. His grandson, Adam (Kyle's son), was killed in a practice crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, 2000, five weeks after Lee's death. Adam's brother Austin works on day-to-day operations of Victory Junction, a SeriousFun Children's Network camp established by the Pettys after Adam's death. Petty married Lynda Owens in 1958. She died on March 25, 2014, at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina at age 72, after a long battle with cancer. They had four children—Kyle Petty, Sharon Petty-Farlow, Lisa Petty-Luck, and Rebecca Petty-Moffit. The family resides in Petty's home town of Level Cross, North Carolina.

The Richard Petty Museum was formerly in nearby Randleman, North Carolina but moved back to its original location in Level Cross in March 2014. He has also made an appearance in Cars (as well as Cars 3) as The King, a character partially based on himself, where in the movie, the character is looking forward to winning his last race before retirement.

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Some of their strengths

Richard Petty has many admirable traits.

Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Imaginative, Energetic, Intuitive, Compassionate, Loyal, Caring, and Honest.

Intuitive and Imaginative

According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Richard Petty is someone who is a highly intuitive, creative and imaginative person who is very loyal, caring and compassionate to others. A person who is a bit of a "lone wolf".

Active and Precise

Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Richard Petty well know them as someone who can be tough, active, and sharp, like a sword.

Imaginative and Sentimental

According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Richard Petty as someone who is imaginative, sentimental, and in touch with emotions.

A person who has extremely good memory and analytical skills, likes to make sure that everyone gets along, enjoys all kinds of situations and people, has a talent for travel and languages, and who makes lifelong friends.

Intelligent and Leadership-oriented

Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Richard Petty is someone who is able to see things that others don't, and who can be an effective guide or mentor to others.

They are also someone who is intuitive, imaginative, and an agent of change, and who is always dreaming of life's great possibilities and partnering with people to try to achieve those possibilities.

Traditional and Patient

According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Richard Petty tends to be someone who is a patient person that is very emotional, has a very sharp memory, has an ability to understand people, and who tends to be traditional and frugal.

Some of Richard Petty's challenges

While Richard Petty has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.

For example, Richard Petty can be Emotional, Standoffish, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Arrogant, Status-seeking, and Irritable.

Emotional and Standoffish

One of Richard Petty's key challenges is that they are someone who can be emotional and standoffish.

Richard Petty must also exercise caution as they can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.

Irritable and Moody

Richard Petty is someone who can be irritable and moody, have a tendency to experience self-doubt, be too secretive, can take too many risks, and who can have an extreme approach to managing personal finances.

Sensitive and Money-oriented

Finally, Richard Petty also can have mood swings, be overly sensititive, and be a bit rigid and materialistic.

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