Happy Birthday to King Richard

Richard Petty turns 74 today, July 2nd. The King is still just as cool today as he was in his prime driving years - maybe more so.

Source: Forbes.com

Richard has been going to Daytona in the summer for the majority of his adult life. The first summer Firecracker 250 (later Firecracker 400 and eventually Rotating Soft Drinks 400) was in 1959. Other than 1961 when Petty Enterprises was still rebuilding their business from major crashes by Richard and Lee in February's Daytona 500 and 1965 when Richard didn't race because of a factory boycott by Chrysler, Richard's birthday has been celebrated in Daytona.

Here are a few photos of birthdays from years past.

1970

1971

1972

1975

1976

Source: The Sporting News

1978

1982

1983

Photo courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

1986

1988

1989


TMC
Edited July 2014