“I do the driving and he holds on”: Richard Petty shares light banter with former crew chief Dale Inman

AUTO: JUN 09 NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 - Source: Getty
Richard Petty at Sonoma Raceway on July 9, 2024. (Image via Getty)

NASCAR legend Richard Petty shared a fun segment with his former crew chief Dale Inman in a recent video. Inman joined Petty Enterprises in 1963 as Richard’s crew chief, and together they won an incredible seven championships and 188 races, including seven Daytona 500s.

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In the latest episode the "Petty Race Recap," the two answered some fan questions and joked about who was the better driver when heading to the racetrack.

"Well, there's no question I am," Inman said.

To which Petty replied that he did most of the driving to feel more in control.

"Most of the time, I do the driving, and he holds on, so, it works out pretty good. Every once in a while, I let him drive, but I can't hold on. So, when I'm driving, I hold the steering wheel, and I feel like I got more control of what's going on," Petty said.
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Petty won a record 200 races during his 35-year career in NASCAR and was the first to win seven championships in the Cup Series.

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Inman is also the cousin of Richard and Maurice Petty, sons of NASCAR legend Lee Petty.


"People wanting stuff signed, body parts signed" - Richard Petty shares funniest fan requests

Richard Petty and Dale Inman talked about their funniest fan interactions over the years in the same video. Petty shared fan requests about signing body parts, cars, and ducks.

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"We've been through a lot of situations over 75 years, we've had all kinds of requests. People wanting stuff signed, body parts signed, you know, different things...The funniest request was signing a duck. We went to State Fire, and the guy wanted something signed. I said, 'Bring it in,' and he took a duck, spread its wings, and I signed on that," Petty said (01:22).
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Inman further remembered when his wife, Mary, lined up for Petty's autograph after a 1969 race in Martinsville.

"So Richard wins a race, and there's a pretty good line for autographs. She (Mary) gets in line for an autograph, and me and her are riding home with Richard and Linda. Of course, Richard says, 'Get out of here. I ain't signing that, Mary,'" Inman added (02:11).
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Inman is NASCAR’s most successful crew chief with 193 wins, 188 of them with Richard. He left Petty Enterprises after 18 years and joined Osterlund Racing to work with a young Dale Earnhardt in 1981.

Inman returned to Petty Enterprises in 1986 and was Richard Petty’s crew chief until 1988. He stayed with the team until Petty retired in 1992.

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Edited by Prathik BR
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