Richard Petty
With his signature cowboy hat and relentless dominance, he became the winningest driver in NASCAR history and the sport's first true mainstream superstar.
Born 1937 (age 89)·American racing driver·Birthday: July 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Richard Petty won 200 NASCAR races, a record that remains one of the most untouchable in sports. Born into racing as the son of champion Lee Petty, he turned his family's mechanical know-how into a dynasty driving the STP-blue No. 43. Petty overwhelmed the competition, taking 27 wins in a single season and seven Daytona 500 crowns. His approachable, drawling persona, capped by an ever-present hat and sunglasses, made him a fan favorite. He helped bring stock car racing from its Southern roots to a national television audience. After retiring, 'The King' remained the sport's gracious, unmistakable face. He served as a living bridge from dirt-track origins to the billion-dollar industry of the present.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Richard was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Richard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Richard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 50
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 80
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 89 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a record 200 NASCAR Cup Series races, a milestone no other driver has approached.
- Secured seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, a record he shares only with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.
- Captured the Daytona 500 a record seven times throughout his career.
- Set the single-season record for victories with 27 wins in 1967.
Did You Know?
He earned the nickname 'The King' from a sports writer in the 1970s, and it stuck permanently.
Petty started every race from 1972 onward wearing his trademark cowboy hat and sunglasses.
He served as the Grand Marshal for the NASCAR Cup Series awards ceremony for over two decades after his retirement.
He made a cameo appearance as himself in the 2006 animated film 'Cars.'
“You win some, you lose some, and you wreck some.”
