A Look Back at Richard Petty, Petty Enterprises, and The Firecracker 400

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

“It was a thrill, a super big win anyway you look at it,” Richard Petty said. “With the President of the United States here, it would have been a super race for anybody to win.”

The fourth of July weekend was a storybook tale for NASCAR drivers and fans alike. Richard Petty was looking to make history. Among the 80,000 fans packed into the Daytona International Speedway was U.S. President Ronald Reagan. What driver didn't want to win in front of the President? 

Eight years before his retirement in 1992; before his 1,184 start, 555 top five and 712 top-ten career came to an end, Richard Petty out dueled Cale Yarborough to collect not only his 10th Daytona victory, but his 200^th and final career win.

“I’ve been real fortunate,” Petty says of that win. “That was one of the most magical days in Richard Petty’s life and in racing. I think that everybody from [President] Reagan on gained on that deal. I think Reagan maybe got a few more votes because he was running for president, but July the Fourth, a picnic, the whole deal, it couldn’t have been a better script to come out on your side.

“I think it was really a super deal for racing because the president was there. He was the cake, and when I won the 200^th that was the icing.”

From 1985 on, Petty would collect 15 top-fives and 45 top-tens. But he would never win again, and he would never win another championship.

Petty Enterprises had more championships, 10, and more wins, 268, than any other NASCAR team. It was founded in 1949 by Lee Petty; it had drivers like Buddy Baker, Ralph Earnhardt, Greg Biffle and Bobby Labonte among the 45 to occupy a Petty seat. Four generations of Petty's also drove for the team; Lee, Richard, Kyle and Adam.  

But on December 31, 2008, Petty Enterprises ceased to exist. The team merged with what was then Gillett Evernham Motorsports, closed the doors to their own shop, and moved into GEM.

Son Kyle was "crushed" by the merger.

Things, though, may be looking up for the team, now named Richard Petty Motorsports. Three weeks ago, Kasey Kahne put a Petty car in Victory Lane for the first time since April of 1999 with his win at Infineon Raceway. This past week in New Hampshire, Kahne and Reed Sorenson, who had dominated in practice sessions throughout the weekend, both came home with top twenty finishes.  

Kahne is also just three points out of making the Chase to the NASCAR Sprint Cup, with nine races remaining until the cut off.

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