Petty spent his formative years in the garage with his father, legendary stock car racer, Lee Petty. He loved racing, but didn't know if he had inherited his father's skill until his first race, in 1958. After an impressive 6th place finish, just five laps behind the winner, on a half-mile dirt track in Columbia, S.C., Richard Petty knew that racing was for him. He went on to run in nine Grand National races that year. The following year, he entered 22 events, and was named Rookie of the Year.

Petty's first win came in his 36th Grand National start in a 100-mile race on a half-mile dirt track in Charlotte, and by three end of the 1963 season he had won 28 Grand National races.

His "big break" came in 1964, with his first win at Daytona, and first NASCAR Championship. Richard Petty had come to be known as "The King" of stock car racing by the end of the 1967 season, in which he won 27 races of 48 starts. And the victories kept rolling in.

1971 brought a win in the Dixie 500, which made Petty the first million dollar driver in the history of the sport. The next year he signed on with STP and during the first year of that legendary partnership, he won 21 Winston Cup races, and earned a fourth NASCAR Championship. He also held the Championship title in 1974, 1975, and 1979. His 200th victory came in the 1984 Firecracker (Pepsi) 400.

Petty ended his phenomenal driving career with a 1992 Fan Appreciation Tour, but leaving the world of racing was the last thing on his mind. "'I've never thought about doing something other than racing. It's been my whole life and I'm sure I'll miss it. But you have to remember that I am not leaving the sport all together, I am just moving to another office at Petty Enterprises," he said.

Petty is now involved in the sport as the owner of the No. 43 STP Pontiac, which is being driven by John Andretti.

Richard Petty, the fans' 1995 selection from the "Inactive Category" for induction into the Talladega - Texaco Walk of Fame.