November 14 - This day in Petty history - part 1

1965 - Richard Petty qualifies on the pole and wins the Georgia Cracker 300 at Augusta Raceway in Georgia to earn his 41st career victory.

The mid-November race was scheduled as the first race of the 1966 NASCAR Grand National season.

Photo courtesy of Harvey Tollison

Greg Fielden notes in his book Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Volume 3 about the race:

Petty led for a 94 lap stretch before Tiny Lund clawed his way to the front. Lund, behind the wheel of an independent Ford owned by Lyle Stelter, was late arriving at the track and posted no practice or qualifying time. He started dead last but came on like gangbusters. Lund was pulling away from Petty when the distributor failed on his car. Petty breezed in the lead for good.

Petty drove a Petty Enterprises #42 Plymouth, and the win was his final one in a car numbered something other than 43.

Photo courtesy of and credit to Smyle Media

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Article courtesy of Harvey Tollison

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC