Hall of Famer Richard Petty defends Next Gen design philosophy after fans question rear toe failures

Richard Petty recently weighed in on what he thinks of the strength of the toe links on today's NASCAR Cup Series cars. The NASCAR Hall of Famer and co-owner of Legacy Motor Club made comments on the matter after the question was raised by a fan on a recent episode of his "Petty Race Recap" social media show.

In the episode, a fan asked "The King" if he believed the toe links on the NextGen Cup cars were too fragile. The fan added that they felt many cars end up out of the race after an accident where the toe link breaks.

Petty acknowledged the weakness of the toe link but explained that when a car hits the wall, something has to give. In order to prevent the driver from taking the brunt of the impact and causing serious bodily harm, Petty said there has to be a weak part of the car to absorb impacts.

"Yeah, it's pretty weak, but if they make that stronger, then what's the next weakest link? So, when they hit the wall with the right rear, something's gotta give. You can't make them stiff enough and if you make them too stiff, then they don't give any and then the driver can't stand the pressure, so I guess you got to have weak links in any chain," Richard Petty said (0:00 onwards).

Richard Petty is the winningest driver in Cup Series history with 200 career victories. His seven championships rank as the most all-time alongside Jimmie Johnson and the late Dale Earnhardt, who also both won seven titles. Petty was inducted into the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2010.

Petty is the co-owner of Legacy Motor Club alongside Jimmie Johnson, a partnership that began prior to the start of the 2023 season. The team fields two full-time Cup Series rides, piloted by Erik Jones in the #43 car and John Hunter Nemechek in the #42 machine.

---

Richard Petty posted patriotic photo in honor of Memorial Day

This past Monday was Memorial Day, the annual holiday that recognizes and remembers the fallen United States soldiers. This year, Richard Petty paid his respects to the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the U.S. in a social media post.

Petty posted a photo of himself on X with an American flag waving in the background. The 200-time Cup winner penned a message offering his respects, writing:

"Honoring those who gave all for our freedom."

After 13 races, Richard Petty's owned cars at Legacy Motor Club find themselves 21st and 27th in the 2025 Cup Series points standings. John Hunter Nemechek sits 21st with one top five this season, while Erik Jones is back in 27th, also with one top-five effort.