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5 Times Richard Petty Was “The King”

HAMPTON, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 25: Legacy Motor Club co-owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Petty walks the grid prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25, 2024 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Joshua Lipowski

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Royal T Grafix

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With 200 wins and 7 Championships, Richard Petty remains the undisputed “King” of stock car racing. He earned that nickname through incredible performances on the race track, and we have compiled 5 moments where “The King” shone the brightest.

  • For this list, we want to focus on the most impressive moments of Richard Petty’s career. Not necessarily his greatest achievements, but, the moments where his incredible prowess shone brightest.
  • Richard Petty raced in NASCAR from 1959 to 1992, setting records in nearly every major statistical category. Many of his NASCAR records remain untouched, and things will likely stay that way for a long time to come.
  • Fans still love Richard Petty to this day, and he will forever be highly respected among fans, pundits, and drivers alike. He is “The King”, and he always will be.

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#5 Petty Sets Modern Era Wins Record (1975)

Richard Petty grabbed NASCAR’s modern era by the horns in the early 1970s, winning 3 Championships in 4 years between 1972 and 1975. His most impressive season came in 1975, where he won a modern-era record 13 races in a single season. This included a 4-month stretch between the Memorial Day World 600 at Charlotte and the September race at North Wilkesboro where Petty never finished worse than 2nd.

While Jeff Gordon tied this mark in a 33-race schedule in 1998, Petty did this in a 30-race season, and win number 13 for Petty came in race 28 at Bristol. It took Gordon all the way until race 33 at Atlanta to tie Petty. It can be debated which one was more impressive, but, Petty did it first.

#4 Petty Sets Wins Race No. 200 (1984 Firecracker 400)

Richard Petty was determined to squeeze out win number 200 when the Cup Series headed to Daytona for the traditional 4th of July race. With President Ronald Reagan in attendance, Petty fought with Cale Yarborough for the win, with Petty just edging Yarborough. Petty was interviewed alongside President Reagan, and the garage enjoyed a fried chicken feast after the race.

Petty’s 200-win mark is and forever will be unbeatable. This was his last win as a race car driver, but what a win it was.

#3 Petty Bests Hotshot to Win Championship No. 7 (1979 Ontario 500)

In 1979, a young hotshot named Darrell Waltrip burst onto the NASCAR scene, but, Richard Petty showed Waltrip that Petty was still “The King”. Petty trailed Waltrip for most of the season, but the two were only two points apart heading into the season finale at Ontario Motor Speedway. Petty finished 5th to take home the title.

It was Petty’s 7th Championship, and no one has been able to top that. Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson have tied that mark, but, Petty still did it first. He also did this coming off of his first winless season since 1959.

#2 Petty Dominates for 1st Daytona 500 Win (1964)

In 1964, at the tender age of 26, Richard Petty had perhaps the most dominant performance in Daytona 500 history. He led 184 of 200 laps on that day including the final 149 laps consecutively. He won the race by a full lap over Jimmy Pardue.

This was Petty’s breakout moment. He went on to win the 1964 Championship, his first of 7, and this Daytona 500 win was his first of 7. While plenty of incredible moments came after, no more dominant win came on a bigger stage.

#1 The Most DOMINANT NASCAR Season Ever (1967)

The greatest single season in NASCAR history will forever be Richard Petty’s 1967 effort. He won an astounding 27 races with 38 top-5s, 40 top-10s, an average start of 2.4, and an average finish of 5.0. Those numbers are absurd, and the record of 27 race wins has never been touched.

Petty took home over half of the 49 races in 1967. This led him to his second Championship, and he established himself as the most dominant driver of all time.

What was your favorite Richard Petty moment? What best defined “The King”?

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

O’Reilly: SVG Wins at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag is out for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series competitors at COTA, and it was Shane van Gisbergen who was left standing tall at the end of the race. His 5th career O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory, it was his first at the track.

  • The opening stage was dominated by the JRM duo of Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen with the No. 1 of Zilisch looking to be the stronger of the two early on. Prior to the end of the stage, both short-pitted, making a long-term play for the win. SVG still managed to end the stage in 10th.
  • Austin Hill stayed out after a disappointing showing in Atlanta last week to collect some stage points. Also running strong in the first stage were Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Brandon Jones, and Jesse Love.
  • Despite not being in his usual ride, Carson Kvapil was very competitive in his DGM No. 91 Chevy. Granted, the car was prepared by JR Motorsports ahead of this race, but it was DGM guys running the show. They did an admirable job, bringing the car home in the 19th position after falling off late. He’ll have 5 more starts in the car later this year to fill out the remainder of his schedule.
  • The second stage belonged to Sam Mayer. Finishing 2nd in the first stage and winning Stage 2, he had a mighty good points day today. Meanwhile, his former teammate Justin Allgaier also had a strong finish in stage 2. That’s a promising sign, considering his heartbreaks in Daytona and Atlanta, respectively.
  • Connor Zilisch had far from a perfect race today. Sure, he led a bulk of the opening stage, but mechanical issues plagued him later in the race. Extra time on pit road making repairs put him behind the 8 ball in Stage 2. This put the race firmly in the hands of SVG. He did manage to battle back to the top 5 before he was dumped by Corey Day and the controversy around that driver continues to build. Zilisch brought it home in 21st with significant damage.
  • With Connor Zilisch’s issues, it was more or less a cakewalk for Shane van Gisbergen in the JRM No. 9. He went on to win, scoring his 5th career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He has an opportunity to sweep the weekend. He starts tomorrow’s Cup race in the 13th position.

Race Results

Caution Tracker
  • Lap 20: End of Stage 1
  • Lap 35: Baltazar Leguizamon spins
  • Lap 40: End of Stage 2
  • Lap 57: Sage Karam

Points Standings

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, Connor Zilisch, driver of the #1 Roto-Rooter Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

O’Reilly: Mid-Race Report, It’s the Zilisch and SVG Show!

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The first two stages are in the books for the stars of tomorrow in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA. Predictably, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen dominated the first two stages. As they short-pitted at the end of each stage, Austin Hill and Sam Mayer both went to collect stage wins, respectively. Here are the key takeaways from the race so far.

  • Austin Hill, after a disappointing finish to last week’s race in Atlanta following being sent by Ross Chastain, won the opening stage of the race. This was, of course, after Connor Zilisch and SVG short pitted, playing the long game for the win. Zilisch led a bulk of the opening stage, leading 12 of the opening 20 laps. On pit road, SVG managed to leapfrog Zilisch for the would-be race lead.
  • The only incident to note in the opening stage was when Jeremy Clements got off course. The caution did not fly, and he finished the stage in the 30th position.
  • Key drivers earning stage points in the opening stage include Austin Hill (10), Sam Mayer (9), Justin Allgaier (8), Brandon Jones (7), Jesse Love (6), Carson Kvapil (5), Corey Day (4), and Rajah Caruth (2).
  • The second stage wasn’t quite as cut and dry as the first. While battling for the lead, Connor Zilisch overdrove a corner, making an uncharacteristic mistake. He went over the radio to complain that it felt like his car was pulling to the right, an indication of a possible issue with his left side brakes.
  • There was a late caution in the stage as Baltazar Leguizamón suffered a brake failure and plowed hard into the tire barrier. He was okay but this effectively ended his day. SVG and Connor Zilisch both came down pit road during this caution. Zilisch had a slow stop as his No. 1 crew started to check out the right side of the car for potential brake problems. Sam Mayer went on to win the stage.
  • Earning stage points in the second stage were Sam Mayer (10), Justin Allgaier (9), Carson Kvapil (8), Jesse Love (7), Austin Hill (5), Sammy Smith (4), Brandon Jones (3), and Ryan Sieg (1).

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #9 Safety Culture Chevrolet, and Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

What to Keep an Eye on in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The NASCAR Saturday Double-Header continues with O’Reilly Auto Parts Series action from Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Here’s what you need to look out for and what to expect in today’s race.

  • Road course heavy hitters, Connor Zilisch and Shane van Gisbergen, are in the field today. You know what that means: another slobber knocker of a race between them as everyone else struggles to keep up. And, you guessed it: they both are starting on the front row with Zilisch claiming the pole in his No. 1 JRM Chevy. SVG is driving the No. 9.
  • Since Zilisch is in the No. 1, Carson Kvapil has been demoted to the No. 91 of DGM Racing. While the car is prepared by JR Motorsports, it won’t be his usual pit crew. Rather, his crew is made up entirely of DGM employees. So, there are a lot of unknowns for him heading into today’s race. He’s starting 6th.
  • Speaking of JRM, Rajah Caruth turned some heads in the first two races of this season. How will he fare on a road course? That No. 88 team is used to winning on these types of tracks. Keep an eye on him. Caruth is rolling off 19th.
  • Austin Hill bounces back after a disappointing finish last week in Atlanta, thanks to the ruthless bumper of Ross Chastain. He’s rolling off in the 3rd position.
  • Coverage for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA begins at 3 PM EST on the CW.

Starting Lineup

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.