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Richard Petty

Chronology



1937 Born July 2 in Level Cross, North Carolina to Lee and Elizabeth Petty
1949 Becomes Lee Petty's crew chief at age twelve
1958 Drives in his first NASCAR event
1959 Wins his first NASCAR race at Columbia Speedway
1960 Richard, Maurice, and Lee Petty race in the same event for the first and only time
1965 Pettys and Chrysler boycott NASCAR for part of the season when it bans their hemi-engine; Richard wins a national drag racing event
1967 Passes his father, Lee, for most career wins
1967 Wins ten consecutive races and 27 for the season
1970 Helps develop window net for stock cars after nearly losing his life in crash in race at Darlington, South Carolina
1973-74 Wins Daytona 500 two years in a row
1983 Celebrates 25 years in professional racing
1984 Wins 200th and final career race at Firecracker 400 at Daytona
1986 Makes 1000th career start
1988 Nearly loses his life in crash at Daytona 500
1991 Announces retirement
1992 Makes Fan Appreciation Tour
1995 Makes debut as color commentator on televised racing events
1999 Petty Enterprises celebrates 50th anniversary

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