Richard Lee Petty, nicknamed “The King”, is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series, most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth/Pontiac for Petty Enterprises.
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Richard Petty was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times (a record now tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson), while also winning a record 200 races during his career.
Richard Petty was the first driver to win in his 500th race start, being joined by Matt Kenseth in 2013.
Richard Petty was inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 and is a second-generation driver.
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Richard Petty’s father, Lee Petty, won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and was also a three-time NASCAR champion.
Richard Petty married Lynda Owens in 1958. Sadly, Lynda Owens died on March 25, 2014, at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina at age 72, after a long battle with cancer.
Richard Petty and Lynda Owens had four children; Kyle Petty, Sharon Petty-Farlow, Lisa Petty-Luck, and Rebecca Petty-Moffit.
Kyle Petty was also a NASCAR driver.
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