Richard Petty

One may think that after 1,184 races that spanned three decades, “The King” would bow out and retire quietly. But, that’s just not Petty’s style. Today, he is as busy as ever and spends much of his time overseeing the operations of Richard Petty Motorsports, a race team competing at NASCAR’s highest level, as well as Petty’s Garage high performance speed shop.

Off the track, Petty’s legacy continues to shine bright. There is no other driver in NASCAR’s history to have made more of an impact on the sport than the Level Cross, N.C.-native. He has been elected to the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame, North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame, and also the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He also serves as Chairman of the North Carolina Motorsports Association and is an inaugural inductee in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

It’s hard to miss Petty in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses signing autographs for fans or just lending a helping hand. In fact, Petty is also a leader in philanthropical efforts. Petty was instrumental in the development of the Victory Junction after donating 84 acres of his own land, on which the camp sits today. Founded in 2004, Petty is still extremely active at the camp, which gives chronically ill children the chance to experience life-changing camping experiences in a safe and medically-sound environment. He also is the co-founder of the Petty Family Foundation.