February 18 - This day in Petty history - part 1

1973 - Richard Petty wins his fourth Daytona 500 to capture his 149th career Winston Cup / Grand National victory.

Unlike some of his other Daytona wins, Petty didn't dominate the 1973 race. He led only 17 of 200 laps. The race was dominated by 1971-72 Petty Enterprises teammate, Buddy Baker. Having moved to the K&K Insurance #71 Dodge, Baker won the pole and led over 150 laps of the race.

Baker led with 12 laps to go, and the King was second right behind him. Under green, Petty made an aggressive run down pit road, locked the tires, hit his pit box perfectly, got fuel only, and headed back out in less than 10 seconds. A lap later, Baker made a more conservative trip down pit road, smoothly entered his pit, got his fuel, and drove away. But the approach and exit strategies made a difference as Petty then had the lead.

As Baker came back to speed, he started chopping into the 43's lead. With six laps to go and Petty's bumper in his crosshairs, Baker's Dodge puked a motor. His day was done, and Petty cruised the last five laps for his fourth 500 win. Baker needed another seven years before he could claim his only Daytona 500. TMC's first 500 to see in person was the 1980 race where Baker won in the #28 Harry Ranier-owned Oldsmobile.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Finishing 12th was rookie of the year candidate, Darrell Waltrip. Yep, Ol' DW who is now known as the FOX announcer who annoys us with his Boogity, Boogity, Boogity bit made his debut Daytona start in 1973. Like Baker, he eventually won the 500 once - but it took until 1989 - 17 tries - to get it.

Hershel McGriff finished 5th in a #04 Plymouth. While fielded under the name of Beryl Jackson as the car's owner, the car was a second Petty Enterprises-prepared and crewed Plymouth.

For reasons unknown to me, Petty showed up at Daytona in 1973 sporting a handlebar mustache. It gave him a unique look as he'd been clean-shaven since he started racing in 1958.

A victory is always special - but a kiss from your sponsor (Andy Granatelli)? Ehh, not so much.

But hoisting your daughter in victory lane. Now, that indeed is a memorable moment for both.

Ahh yes, the squeezes from the trophy girls. Now, that's got to be the best part. Right?

Brief recap of the race's highlights ... and a lowlight for a crushing ending to Buddy Baker's dominant day.

Southern MotorSports cover, NSSN headline, and
race article all courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC

February 17 - This day in Petty history

1974 - Starting on the outside of the front row, Richard Petty wins his fifth Daytona 500. Even though he goes on to win the race two more times in 1979 and 1981, his fifth win sets a record that still stands in 2012. (Cale Yarborough is closest with only 4 Daytona 500 wins.)

Ticket stub scan courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

In support of the nation's energy crisis, NASCAR agreed to cut its 1974 races by 10 percent. The first 20 'laps' of the race were counted but driver was credited with leading them. The race then took the green at lap 21, and the Daytona 450 was on!

For the second year in a row, Petty captured lightning in a bottle to get the trophy, cash, and kisses. In 1973, the King was aided in the closing laps by Buddy Baker's bad fortune. In 1974, it was Donnie Allison's turn to be heartbroken. With about 20 laps to go, the 43 cut a tire. Catching a break, Richard cut the tire coming out of turn 4 and was able to dive quickly to pit road. When he returned to the track, however, he was in second place and trailed Allison by over 30 seconds. Then with 11 laps to go, Bob Burcham blew an engine and dropped parts on the track. Allison ran through the debris and cut his tires. Unlike Petty's situation, Allison cut his tire after passing the entrance to pit road. Without good tires, Allison ended up spinning down into the infield grass. His clock-strikes-midnight moment handed the race lead back to Petty who drove on to the win.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Right before the 1974 season began, a group of West Virginia businessmen put together a sponsorship package for ageless driver, Hershel McGriff. Petty Enterprises fielded a second Dodge Charger for him.

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

McGriff's Dodge was designed similarly to Petty's 43 except with gold and dark blue colors rather than Petty blue and STP red. Unfortunately, McGriff completed only 23 laps, endured a pounding crash, ruined a beautiful race car, and finished 39th in the 40-car field. , finishes 23 laps before a big crash ruined a great looking car and placed him 39th in the 40 car field.

Credit to Don Hunter and courtesy of Smyle Media

A recap of the race is captured in the following video. (McGriff's wreck begins at 1:18.) Legendary TV race announcer Ken Squier was the primary 'play-by-play' voice on Motor Racing Network back then. Barney Hall who later took over from Squier as the key voice on MRN Radio and remains so today was a corner commentator in 1974.

Source: Sports Illustrated

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC

February 15 - This day in Petty history

This post is dedicated to the memory of Adam Kyler Petty who got to enjoy the celebrations of Victory Lane. ~ TMC

 

1981 - Driving a Buick Regal, Richard Petty wins his seventh and final Daytona 500 for his 193rd career Winston Cup victory.

Beginning with the second race of the 1981 season (Daytona), the teams were required to run newer, 110-inch wheelbase cars. The cars more closely matched the models of what the Detroit manufacturers were selling. Gone were the longer, sleeker cars such as the 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo, 1978 Olds Cutlass 442, and 1974 Dodge Charger. Most teams ran models with notch-back windows such as the Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, a re-designed Monte Carlo, Olds Cutlass, Ford T-Bird and even a Dodge Mirada.

After switching to General Motors' Chevy and Olds cars in 1978 through 1980, Petty Enterprises contemplated a return to Dodge for the 1981 Daytona race. They took a Mirada to January testing.

Courtesy of SROH member and Petty lifer, GaPettyFan

The team wasn't satisfied with the testing results. When Petty Enterprises returned for Speedweeks a month later, they brought two cars skinned as STP Buick Regals. One was for King Richard...

 

... and the other was for son Kyle who was making his first start in the Daytona 500.

 

Bobby Allison's Harry Ranier-owned team noted one eligible model that escaped the view of the other teams - a Pontiac LeMans. The car had a slope-back window vs. a notch-back design. With Robert Yates-built engines and a sleeker aero design, the team had a leg up on the competition.

 

As a result, Bobby Allison dominated Speedweeks. He won the race pole and his 125-mile qualifying race. In the 500, he led 117 of 200 laps en route to what looked to be a convincing win.

On his final pit stop, the 28 team took a full load of fuel and tires. However, when NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Dale Inman summoned the 43 to pit road a few laps later, he had a different strategy. Inman called for fuel-only and no tires. In less than 8 seconds, the King was headed back to the track with a big lead on Allison because of the pit-time differential. It was too much for Allison to overcome, and Inman's heads-up call was rewarded with the King's seventh trip to victory lane in the Daytona 500.

Khalifa, a fellow poster at Fans For Richard Petty Motorsports has this memory about the race:

[It was] Richard's last win in the 500 and my first time going there. I was 15. I will never forget it. I saw him pit that last time and take only fuel and I told my dad he was going to win it. He said 'I think you are right'. When he crossed the S/F line I as going absolutely nuts. After that I told my dad we need to get to victory lane. I remember I was wearing one of those puffy vests that was popular back then. We made it to the crossover at the S/F line, and I was walking onto the ladder down to the track. A huge security guard grabbed me by my vest, pulled me back up the steps and said 'I don't think so son'. Awesome memory. I'll always remember that day. The track seemed so huge to me. I've since been to 19 other Daytona 500's ... but none have come close to the excitement of that day.

 From TMC Archives

 Courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

   

 The pivotal pit stops...


The finish, victory lane, and the toll on families...


An eloquent racer's wife and memories of a young Adam...


After 190+ wins and seven championships, Dale Inman resigned from Petty Enterprises a few days after the win. A couple of weeks later, he announced he was going to work for Rod Osterland and reigning Winston Cup champion, Dale Earnhardt.

 From TMC Archives

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

   

TMC

February 14 - This day in Petty history

♥ Happy Valentine's Day! ♥

1971 - Richard Petty wins his third Daytona 500 to land his 120th career victory. At that time, no driver had won the 500 twice - much less three times.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

Bobby W, a fellow member at RacersReunion.com, remembers...

My dad took me to Daytona for the 500 in '71. He claimed we could "camp in the parking lot ... with sleeping bags ... because it NEVER gets cold in Florida." Let me just say LOL!!! Me and my best friend both took our bags and both "slept" on the gravel parking lot outside of turn 4 while dad and co. slept in the rental car ... as a February cold front of biblical proportions rolled into northern Florida. With cloudless skies reigning, the next day's Permatex 300 was run under frigid conditions with a sustained wind of about 30 MPH and higher gusts. It was all me and (my brave best friend) could muster to stand in the back of a Ranchero in the infield and watch the race won by Red Farmer. With nightly temperatures plummeting we (miraculously) found the absolute last boarding house in all of Florida and all 12 or so in our party staggered in the one-room efficiency and happily slept on the floor. Next day the 500. The winds had died somewhat, and as the only factory-backed team left in NASCAR Richard Petty and A.J. Foyt (Wood Bros. #21) dueled most of the race until Foyt encountered some type of problem ... might have been a pit stop, can't remember, but Richard cruised home to victory, his 3rd Daytona 500.

As Bobby referenced, Petty's chief rival in the race was A.J. Foyt. A troublesome pit stop late in race put him a lap down. He was able to pass Petty to unlap himself, but he had to settle for third. Buddy Baker finished second in a team Petty Dodge.

After Petty Enterprises ran twin Plymouth Superbirds for Petty and Pete Hamilton in 1970, the Chrysler Corporation revised the strategy for its factory-support of the Petty teams. Richard continued to run the familiar Petty Blue #43 Plymouth. Hamilton left the team, and Baker was hired to replace him. Baker ran a solid white #11 Petty Enterprises Dodge Charger.

Courtesy of Smyle Media

The big mystery to me over the years has been why #11 was chosen as the number for Baker's Dodge rather than something in the 40's as was typical for Petty cars.

In this shot, some of the cars have been pushed to the starting grid. Foyt on the pole, Bobby Isaac starting 2nd (not shown), former Petty driver Pete Hamilton in Cotton Owens' #6 Plymouth starting 3rd, David Pearson in 4th (not shown), Petty in 5th, Baker in 6th (not shown), and #98 Lee Roy Yarbrough in 7th.

TMC edit: Just realized the following pic is from the first 125-mile qualifying race three days earlier. Foyt on the pole, former Petty driver Pete Hamilton in Cotton Owens #6 Plymouth starting 2nd, Petty in 3rd, Fred Lorenzen in 4th (not shown), and #98 Lee Roy Yarbrough in 5th.

Credit to and courtesy of Al Consoli

The winning Plymouth pulls into Victory Lane...

...and to the victor belongs the spoils. (Although clearly nothing is spoiled in this photo.)

Above two photos courtesy of Ray Lamm

For contemporary fans who have always watched NASCAR races on FOX or ESPN, it hasn't always been that way. Few races were televised. A handful were condensed and packaged into a weekly 'magazine' show. Some races were big enough to merit inclusion in ABC's Wide World of Sports ... albeit on a delayed and heavily edited basis.

Announcer Keith Jackson covered the introductions, and Chris Economaki provided the color commentary. Below recaps the start of the race, a spectacular lap 9 wreck by Maynard Troyer, and the finish between the Petty cars and Foyt.


And an extended segment on Troyer's accident...

Article courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC

February 1 - This day in Petty history

1969 - Richard Petty collects his 93rd victory by winning the Motor Trend 500 at Riverside International Raceway. The win is Petty's first at Riverside - a winding road course outside of L.A. in southern California.

Petty spun off the road course twice. And despite the routine off-course by stock car drivers in general, the race was run caution-free.

A.J. Foyt finished 2nd driving for the Wood Brothers. Foyt had a great February as he backed up his second place at Riverside with a win in the Daytona 500 for the Woods a couple of weeks later. TMC edit: DOH! I mixed Foyt's great 1969 run at Riverside with his 1972 Daytona 500 victory. I need to better monitor my multi-tasking of researching, typing, and Schaefer imbibing.

The race was originally scheduled for Sunday, January 19, 1969. Because of heavy rains on two consecutive Sundays, the race was eventually run on Saturday, February 1.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

The win was not only Petty's first in seven starts at Riverside, but it was also his first win in his first start for Ford Motor Company. About two months earlier, Petty stunned the racing community by announcing a switch from Plymouths to Fords beginning in 1969. So to win in his first race with his new Torino was a huge boost to the Blue Oval team and fans.

Poster buikwag from JalopyJournal.com's H.A.M.B. (Hokey Ass Message Board for the uninitiated) attended the race and gave me permission to share a couple of his great photos here (more photos from the race can be seen at the H.A.M.B. link).

Race day!

Hugging the corner tight in turn 9.

Pit stop photo courtesy of Ray Lamm

Win on Sunday, sell on Monday baby!

Article and SCR cover courtesy of Jerry Bushmire

TMC

January 23 - This day in Petty history

1972 - Richard Petty wins the Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway in southern California. Scheduled for 191 laps on the road course, the race is shortened to 149 laps because of dense fog.

Though the race was not the first one at Riverside, the event was known for the first time as the Winston Western 500. R.J. Reynolds' Winston cigarettes began sponsoring NASCAR's top series in 1971 and took over title sponsorship of Riverside's season-opening race in 1972.

Source: Motor Racing Programme Covers

The win was Petty's 141st victory - and his first with STP as his primary sponsor. Even the most casual NASCAR fan knows Richard Petty for his autograph, cowboy hat, sunglasses, and mustache. And many more easily associate the iconic day-glo STP red and Petty blue colors as a natural fit for the 43.

The combination of the two colors, however, almost didn't happen. The sponsorship agreement between STP and Petty Enterprises was reached just a few days before the Riverside race. But let Richard tell the story of what almost happened ... and what did happen.

As Richard said and history knows, the two parties agreed on the details. The press conference was held, and then Richard flew on to Riverside.

The newly-labeled STP Plymouth as it raced ... and won ... at Riverside:

Credit for following two photos to Beentherebefore at the H.A.M.B. at JalopyJournal.com:

A final 'first' for the race - The event was the first NASCAR Winston Cup star as a car owner for the now legendary Roger Penske. His driver, Mark Donahue, started an AMC Matador but finished 39th in the 40-car field. No worries though as The Captain went to have a modicum of success in the decades to follow.

TMC