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Richard Petty is also known as "The King," and a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series winner. He will act as the honorary starter for the Goodyear 400 on Sunday, according to Darlington Raceway and Goodyear, the Official Tire of NASCAR.
Petty GMS will pay tribute to Lee and Richard Petty by casting him back to the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959 during the NASCAR Cup Series Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway.
Ty Dillon will drive the No. 42 car, which won the first race, in honor of the Petty family patriarch, Lee. Erik Jones will drive the No. 43 car, which will use Richard's classic Petty blue scheme.
Petty GMS Motorsports went on Twitter and stated:
"Throwing it back to the 1959 DAYTONA 500! We’ll be honoring Lee and Richard Petty this weekend at @TooToughToTame"
Darlington Raceway President Kerry Tharp lauded Richard Pretty, calling him an "icon" in the world of sports. In his remarks, he stated:
"Richard Petty is an icon in the sports world, so we are proud to add one more accolade to his legendary career as the honorary starter for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway."
Even though Petty has been off the track for about 30 years, he recently drove at Darlington Raceway for NASCAR's Throwback Weekend.
In 2017, he led the field in his 1960s Plymouth No. 43. However, NASCAR authorities were compelled to black flag the iconic driver after he stayed on the course for one too many laps.
Richard Petty's career in the NASCAR Cup Series
At a track too tough to tame, Petty competed in 65 races. He has three victories, 25 top-five finishes, and 34 top-10 finishes in those 65 starts.
At the 1.366-mile oval, Petty also won four pole positions. The 65 starts at Darlington are a track record for NASCAR drivers.
Petty began his NASCAR career at the age of 21 in 1958 and went on to win two Grand National Series championships and five Winston Cup Series titles.
Petty not only has the record for Cup Series wins with 200, but he also has the most Cup victories in a season with 27 and the most Cup Series checkered flags in a row with 10.
Petty is the chairman of Petty GMS Motorsports, which will compete in the Cup Series with Erik Jones at the famed No. 43. The 2022 Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway will air on Fox Sports 1 on Sunday, May 8 at 3:30 p.m. EST.
