You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s never heard of Richard Petty. He’s called ‘The King’ and is a true folk hero in the world of Stock Car Racing. For decades, his race cars have been instantly recognisable worldwide and have done wonders for the advancement of the NASCAR scene by helping it become a well-known and mainstream sport.
Who could ever have imagined that a kid from Level Cross, North Carolina, an unincorporated area near Randleman, would go on to have such a huge and a massive positive impact on American motorsports? 1959 saw a young Richard Petty behind the wheel of a white 1959 Plymouth race car, with his #43 number in dark red, and in July of that year he was able to pick up his first victory on the track, winning a 200 lapper in Columbia, South Carolina. He was named NASCAR’s ‘Rookie of the Year’ in ’59 which was a fantastic way to kick-off his driving career!
1960: Richard’s First Full Season
The newly created Petty Blue colour was a visual change which was incorporated into the new Plymouth Fury hardtop racecar for 1960. A ‘high deck’ 383cu in RB engine was used, and he was able to finish in third place at the Daytona 500 that year. Some
