Although he’s now better known as ‘Richard Petty’s dad’, Lee Petty had a very successful career behind the wheel himself. More significantly, he played an important role in the development and growth not only of his own family business but of NASCAR racing as a whole. Petty Enterprises has now owned race teams for over four generations and Richard Petty–aka “The King” is considered the greatest driver in stock car racing history.
Lee Petty was one of the first businessmen car owners in a day when many NASCAR drivers were moonlighting (or daylighting) bootleggers and moonshine runners. He raced in the very first NASCAR stock car race ever on June 19th, 1949. Among his many firsts in the sport is the dubious distinction of bringing out the first caution flag in NASCAR history. To chronicle his achievements in the sport in a nutshell, he won 50 Cup races, including the first one ever on a paved track. He also caused his share of trouble”todays driver fracases are mild by standards of Lees day and he was never a man afraid to mix it up. He once hit Curtis Turner over the head with a wrench after a race, and another time got into a fistfight during the pre race festivities. Lees two sons quickly joined the skirmish but the fight was ended by Mrs. Petty (Richards grandmother) swinging her purse”made heavier than the typical pocketbook by the .44 handgun she carried inside.
His greatest accomplishments on the track were three NASCAR championship victories. He also brought his son, Richard, into the ‘family business’ and after a rocky start in his first season the Petty offspring would go on to win 200 NASCAR races. That mark may never be broken and earned Richard Petty the sobriquet of ‘The King’.
Lees career was cut short by a nasty accident at the 1961 Daytona 500, where his car hit a guard rail and flipped a few times. Lee suffered a number of broken bones and internal injuries. He raced a few more times, but hung it up for good in 1964. He remained involved in the Petty Engineering team for awhile, but soon figured it was in good hands with Richard and Maurice running the show. Never a publicity seeker, he lived out the rest of his life enjoying the fruits of his labor. An avid golfer, he played frequently until a few months before his death in 2000 at age 86.
Lee Petty has a number of NASCAR records that may never be touched. He finished in the top 5 an amazing 231 times, and still holds the record for the best average finish for a full time driver at 7.6th place. This was all done before big money sponsorships against part time felons that ran moonshine for a living, making his achievements all the more impressive.
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