June 14 - This day in Petty history - part 1

HAPPY FLAG DAY

1964 - Starting second alongside career-rival David Pearson, Richard Petty leads 127 of 200 laps and wins the Music City 200 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

The win was Petty's first at Nashville and his 32nd career victory overall. In his book Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Volume 2, Greg Fielden wrote:

Petty and Pearson started on the front row and had the race virtually to themselves throughout the 200 lapper on the half-mile paved track. The event came down to a battle of pit crews. Pearson was leading when he whipped down pit road on lap 138. His Cotton Owens pit crew put in eight gallons of fuel, and the Spartanburg Dodge drive was back on the track after 26 seconds. Petty pitted on lap 142, and his Petty Engineering crew added 10 gallons in just 19 seconds. ~ pp. 265-266

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC