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REAL AMERICAN HEROES: THE PETTYS
By Gerald Hodges/the Racing Reporter
Monday, December 31, 2007 1:13 PM EST
My vote for the 2008 NASCAR Family of the Year goes to the Petty Family.
A fixture on the NASCAR circuit for more than 25 years, Kyle Petty currently drives the No. 45 Wells Fargo Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series. Kyle is one of the few third generation athletes competing in professional sports, following in the footsteps of his father Richard and Grandfather Lee.
Lee didn't start his Winston Cup racing career until he was 35. His delayed entry into NASCAR can best be explained by the devotion he felt for his family: wife, Elizabeth, and sons Maurice and Richard.
Life in Randleman, North Carolina was difficult during the Depression years, and it was all Lee could do to take care of his family. At various times, he had been a truck driver, taxi driver, mechanic, and hog farmer.
When Lee heard about the first "Strickly Stock" NASCAR race in Charlotte, in June 1949, he borrowed a friend's 1948 Buick Roadmaster. He packed up his wife Elizabeth and sons Richard and Maurice and headed to Charlotte.
From the grandstands, the family watched as Lee moved through the field that included Red Byron, Buck Baker and Curtis Turner. Lee was reeling them in until a sway bar broke on the big Buick causing it to barrel-roll four times.
Lee received only a minor cut, but the car was torn up so bad that it took two wreckers to remove it from the track.
"Since we had driven the car to the track, we didn't have a ride, and had to thumb our way home," said Richard.
Learning from his 1949 mistakes, Lee switched to a Plymouth coupe because it was lighter and more maneuverable than the heavier Buick. Throughout his career, Plymouth became the trademark of Petty Racing.
He won the first Daytona 500 (in 1959), and three Grand National (later Winston Cup) Championships in 1954, '58 and '59. Throughout his career he was one of the most consistent drivers in racing. Between 1949 and 1959, he never finished below fourth in the final standings.
"I tell you, he was one of the best drivers that ever drove on a race track," said "Buddy" Baker. "They didn't come any better, and he was a real gentleman."
Lee Petty founded Petty Enterprises, the winningest racing organization in American Motorsports. Petty Enterprise drivers have claimed ten Grand National and Winston Cup Championships, won 271 races, and fielded over 2,300 cars in 2,100 events.
Other notable Petty Enterprise drivers include Joe Weatherly, Buddy Baker, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Tiny Lund, Bob Wellborn, Marvin Panch, Darel Dieringer, Jim Paschal, and Herschel McGriff.
Lee Petty died April 5, 2000 at the age of 86.
Though his dad's career ended in a bad crash in 1961, Richard's was on the rise. He went on to win 200 races and seven Winston Cup titles. He retired at the close of the 1993 season. Today, he continues to oversee the Petty Racing organization and is a regular fixture in the NASCAR garage area.
Maurice, an excellent mechanic decided early that he preferred to build engines and work on the cars in the pits than drive.
Recognized throughout the motor sports community for his philanthropic spirit, Kyle has dedicated much of his time away from the track to helping others. His annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride has donated more than $12 million to worthy organizations since its inception in 1995.
Kyle's wife, Pattie, is also well known for her philanthropic activities. In addition to The Victory Junction Gang Camp, she is a board member of Brenner Children's Hospital, Kyle Petty Charity Ride and a past president of the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary. She holds a Masters' Degree in Child Developmental Psychology and undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Development.
In October 2000, Kyle and Pattie partnered with actor Paul Newman to launch their most ambitious project to date, The Victory Junction Gang Camp. The project was founded to honor their son Adam (the first fourth generation professional athlete in the United States) who died in May 2000 during practice for a NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race in Loudon, New Hampshire.
Victory Junction is a year-round camp that serves children, ages seven to 15, with a variety of health issues. During the summer season, the camp offers week long disease specific sessions with up to 125 kids per session.
Kyle and Pattie were honored in December, 2007, with this year's WebMD Health Heroes award, which honors Americans who are working to improve the lives of those struggling with serious health conditions. The Petty's were profiled in the November-December issue of WebMD the Magazine and on the WebMD consumer site (WebMD.com).
Though brothers and their families usually go their separate ways after maturity, members of the Petty family have been pursuing the same goal since 1949, of winning races. But they have also upheld the moral side of life.
"We owe racing a lot," said Richard during a 1999 interview. "Our way of life has been different from a lot of families. About all I knew growing up was racing. My dad was always going some where to race and I pretty much went with him.
"The 1959 Daytona 500 was also my first race. I didn't complete many laps, but I was there for the first one. There have been a lot of fine people that I have met during my racing career. And I still continue to meet wonderful folks.
"You've got to give it your all if you're to win. I've never had anyone on the track pull over and let me win a race. But that doesn't mean you have to treat other drivers and people in a shabby manner.
"I learned at an early age that if you expect someone to treat you with respect, then you've got to show them respect. That's what I learned, and that's what I've taught Kyle, and a few other folks."
Richard, his wife, Lynda, their three children Kyle, Sharon and Lisa all live close to each other. Their neighbors are Maurice, and a flock of cousins and uncles. The Petty compound is devoted to stock car racing and philanthropy.
It's a family affair.
Racing Trivia Question: Which race is considered NASCAR's biggest event?
Last Week's Question: Who claimed the 2007 Busch Series Owner's title? Answer. Carl Edwards won the 2007 driving Championship, but it was Richard Childress that won the Owner's title.
You may contact the Racing Reporter at: hodgesnews@earthlink.net.
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