Tag Archives: Richard Petty

Big Names and Active Drivers Add Star Power to NASCAR’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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Hall of Famer, Richard Petty at NASCAR's Hall of Fame October 22, 2013 Photo - Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Hall of Famer, Richard Petty at NASCAR’s Hall of Fame October 22, 2013
Photo – Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Big Name Inductors and Active Drivers Add to NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Star Power 

A brother, a contemporary, a rival, a colleague and a friend will all take the stage to induct this year’s Class of 2014 into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Richard Petty, Waddell Wilson, Harry Gant, Humpy Wheeler and Blake Shelton will induct the fifth class – Maurice Petty, Fireball Roberts, Jack Ingram, Tim Flock and Dale Jarrett – on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

The five legends, who account for 15 NASCAR championships, will also be joined on stage by five current stars, combining for 15 national series championships of their own. Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart will all take part in the evening’s festivities.

The Induction Ceremony begins at 7 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Tickets start at $45 and are available at www.nascarhall.com/inductees/induction-ceremony and the NASCAR Hall of Fame box office. Continue reading →

Historian Buz McKim’s Road to NASCAR’s Hall of Fame

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Photo - Courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Photo – Courtesy of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Buz McKim hails from Hackensack, N.J. and was born into the sport of auto racing with a father who owned cars which competed in the NASCAR Sportsman and NASCAR Modified Divisions on northeastern race tracks in the early 1950’s. While still in high school McKim attempted a driving career, but, as a natural-born artist, found it was more profitable to paint the numbers on the cars instead.

He pursued a career in commercial art, creating many pieces of work used in Indianapolis 500 yearbooks of the mid-1970s and also designed many paint schemes for cars in NASCAR’s premier series during the 1970’s including the 1975 and 1976 Daytona 500-winning cars of Benny Parsons and David Pearson, respectively. McKim was commissioned by Anheuser-Busch to paint the official portrait of 1997 NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy Lajoie and 1998 champ Dale Earnhardt Jr. McKim later developed a line of limited-edition racing prints dealing with historical NASCAR moments from the careers of Richard Petty, Mark Martin and NASCAR legend Fireball Roberts.  Continue reading →

Johnson Dominates Dover

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Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2013 Photo - Justin Heiman/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2013
Photo – Justin Heiman/Getty Images

Jimmie Johnson’s quest for a sixth-championship went into full-effect Sunday afternoon at Dover. Johnson paced the field throughout the day to come away with the victory. It was his fifth win of the season, but more importantly his eighth at Dover making him the all-time leader of victories at the Monster Mile. Passing two legends in Bobby Allison and Richard Petty.

The race may not have begun well for Johnson, but he worked his Dover magic to make the outcome a favorable one for the No.48 team. His teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr., began the day on the pole and led many laps in the early going. This race looked very promising for an Earnhardt Jr. victory, but the move that likely cost him the victory occurred under the first round of green-flag pit stops when he missed pit road. By carrying too much speed on his approach to the pits, he missed the entrance costing him valuable time. That misfortune was beneficial for Johnson who assumed the lead after the round of stops. Continue reading →

The NASCAR Hall of Fame: Where You Just Don’t Read About History, You Relive It

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myrtle-beach-charlotte-2-593The story of NASCAR dates back to over 60 years. Sixty plus years of history, miracles, and magical moments. There were some elements of NASCAR that were lost as it grew. Elements of its beginning and the people, places, and things that built this sport. These important moments were never supposed to be forgotten, but they indeed vanished as time went on and the sport grew. When the NASCAR Hall of Fame opened in 2010, the ever so important steps in racing’s history were brought back to life in a remarkable way. The creators of the hall nailed their duty to retell the history of NASCAR, and they did in a way that was never thought of. They make fans aware of every little step that laid the foundation of the sport, and what continues to innovate this 200 MPH game of chess today. Continue reading →

Spotlight Shines on Iconic No. 43 Car with Fast Crew

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Spotlight Shines on Iconic Car, Fast Crew

No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Pit Crew Photo - Getty Images

No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Pit Crew
Photo – Getty Images

No. 43 Team Wins Quarter One Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award

One of the biggest storylines – and thrills – so far this season for NASCAR fans just might be the iconic No. 43 car’s resurgence in the NASCAR spotlight.

Behind the wheel of the legendary car that often still sports the famous Petty Blue shade, driver Aric Almirola currently finds himself ninth in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 317 points and is emerging as a real Chase contender.  Continue reading →