The name Richard Petty is synonymous with success in NASCAR. And for good reason. ‘The King’ has the joint record for most Cup Series titles (seven), record most wins (200), and most wins in a season. He also has the most wins at Daytona, and most poles. And these are just the major ones.

There are other records that take his name right up into the sky, above every other driver in NASCAR. Speaking of names in the sky, Petty also owns a custom-painted private jet – Westwind 1.

Petty, who has an estimated net worth of around $65 million, had the plane custom painted with his logo. It also has the registration number, N43RP, the initials of the man himself.

This plane was manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries and can carry 12 people on board.

And just like its owner, the Westwind 1 is among the fastest private jets in the world. Fitted with two Garrett TFE 731 SER Turbofan jet engines, Petty’s plane can reach speeds of up to an astonishing, 544 mph.

Along with speed, the plane also has a range of over 2,500 miles. All of this means that The King can easily cover the journey from West Coast to East Coast in under 5 hours, in luxury and comfort.

What is the price of the plane owned by Richard Petty?

The plane, which was manufactured from 1979 to 1987, had a price tag of over $3.8 million. And currently, a pre-owned Westwind 1 can cost anywhere around $400,000.

But don’t let this number fool you, because even if you buy one of these, you’d still be looking at a variable cost of over $1 million per year.

And that’s not exactly cheap, is it?

Which NASCAR driver owns the fastest private plane?

Wouldn’t you know it?

The fastest, most successful driver in NASCAR’s history, Richard Petty, does indeed have the fastest private plane after all. And this list of private plane owners includes names like Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart.

This is even more impressive considering most of the other drivers have a modern private jet while the one Petty has stopped production three decades ago.

Honestly, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Richard Petty prefers to travel with incredible speed in the sky as he does with the speed on the ground. And even among the clouds, he remains the fastest.

Also Read: Inside Jimmie Johnson’s Lavish Private Jet: Features, Price, Value & Images