Richard Petty’s seven NASCAR Cup championships and 200-win streak in 35 years of racing remain unrivaled monuments to the sport. Given the format changes that NASCAR continues to implement, his records seem sure to be surpassed by any contemporary driver any time soon.
Petty’s final championship conquest came in 1979, after which his performance trajectory took a downward turn. In fact, in his final five Cup seasons, Petty failed to place in the top 20 in the final driver standings, prompting him to hang up his helmet in 1992. Accustomed to competing up front, Petty’s final years in NASCAR were anything but competitive, and that made his farewell race at Atlanta Motor Speedway even more emotional for The King.
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Reflecting on the moment recently while answering questions from fans on his YouTube channel, Petty Family Racing, the seven-time champion admitted to struggling with intense emotions that day. He understood the finality that awaited him at the end of the NASCAR Cup Series race that had defined his existence. Petty recalled the weight of this realization.
“I think if I ever got emotional or got emotional, it was probably the most emotional for me and the whole family because we knew it was going to be the last one of the whole thing, and he came out and they told me to be careful, finish the race, don’t race with anyone. The first thing you know, I’m in a wreck.”
The internal conflict gnawed at him all day. “So the emotions were really high, and it was just one of those deals that I guess I was really glad was over, but on the other hand, I wish I had a little more left in me.”
Dale Inman, longtime crew chief of the No. 43 driver, who served as Petty’s spotter that day, echoed similar sentiments when reflecting on the kingIt’s the swan song. Inman also called it a sad day for himself, noting that he had already accompanied Petty to the drivers’ meeting. Petty addressed his competitors directly, saying: “Okay, if you don’t hit me today, I won’t hit you all.”
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This exchange signaled to Inman that Petty had no intention of fighting for position. Despite this, the team had prepared a solid machine for him. But then Petty found himself involved in an accident that destroyed his car, relegating him to 35th place in his final outing.
As Petty’s career drew to a close that day, the Jeff Gordon Cup journey began at the same event. Both drivers experienced misfortune at the start of the procedure. On lap 96Petty was in a collision that set his car on fire. He later joked that he had hoped to go out in a blaze of glory, but it simply went out in flames.
But this race was much more than Petty’s last, as it was the only event where Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Gordon competed simultaneously, arguably the most influential figures in NASCAR history.
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