Reflecting on Lee Petty

NASCAR Legend: Lee Petty

Lee Petty drove his own Oldsmobiles and Plymouths to NASCAR championships in 1954, 1958 and 1959 and recorded 54 victories throughout a 16-year career. His accomplishments include 332 top-10 finishes and 18 pole positions.

BY BEN WHITE

Born March 14, 1914, in Randleman, North Carolina,

Petty spent time working in local mills around Randolph County to support his wife and two sons. However, he longed to drive race cars and eventually became the first NASCAR racer to make a living as a stock car driver.

His winnings of $7,695 in 1950 would be equivalent to more than $83,000 today. Still, there were cars and equipment to buy as well as travel expenses for himself and his crew.

Petty’s biggest victory came in the inaugural Daytona 500 in February 1959 after a three-day review of the finish. Johnny Beauchamp was initially crowned the race winner, but NASCAR officials later determined Petty had crossed the finish line first. He received his trophy and check in his living room days after the race had ended.

Petty was severely injured at Daytona in 1961, leaving him hospitalized for two months. After his recovery, he ran sporadically on short tracks before his retirement from driving in 1964.

From there, Petty turned his attention to building Petty Enterprises. The team eventually earned 11 championships and 268 NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Lee Petty passed away in 2000 at age 86 due to an abdominal aneurysm.

I FIGURE YOU GET OUT OF LIFE WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.

–LEE PETTY

BEST SEASON

DURING THE 1959 NASCAR CUP SERIES SEASON,

Lee Petty won 11 of the 42 races he entered. Of those wins, 10 came on short tracks with one lone superspeedway win coming in the prestigious Daytona 500. Petty amassed 27 top-five results while failing to finish only eight races that year.

RECORD SETTER

ASIDE FROM HIS ABILITY TO WIN ON ALL TYPES OF

track configurations, Petty enjoyed a reputation for getting the most performance out of his race cars. His career average start of ninth and average finish of seventh made him one of the most consistent NASCAR drivers during the 1950s.

DETERMINED FOCUSED INNOVATIVE

STRONG DEDICATED

KNOWN FOR

ASIDE FROM A SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A THREE-

time NASCAR champion, Petty was able to build a powerhouse organization utilizing the talents of iconic drivers and mechanics that led to 11 championships and 268 victories. Son Richard Petty logged 198 of his 200 victories under Lee Petty’s steady guidance and direction.