Today’s NASCAR grid is stacked with big names and even bigger statistics. Joey Logano has racked up not one, not two, but three Cup Series championships (2018, 2022, and 2024), and he’s still charging. Denny Hamlin just logged his 700th career start, all while chasing that elusive first title. Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney—this generation has no shortage of talent, trophies, or Twitter followers.

But as dominant and polished as these modern drivers are, there’s a different kind of grit missing. A level of endurance that doesn’t show up in highlight reels or playoff points. And when you look back 40 years, one legendary milestone by none other than “The King” puts the entire modern era into perspective. And maybe makes today’s star drivers feel just a little… softer.

Richard “The King” Petty is in a league of his own

When fans call Richard Petty “The King,” it’s not just a nickname. His NASCAR career is the stuff of motorsport legend. With a staggering 200 Cup Series wins, seven championships, and a cowboy hat as iconic as his No. 43, he was the one who set up the ladder to define greatness in NASCAR. It started with the brilliant 10 wins in a row back in 1967, starting at Winston-Salem and running through at North Wilkesboro Speedway. However, this was only the start of his era of domination that would cement his spot on NASCAR’s Mount Rushmore.

Petty’s era wasn’t about multi-million-dollar sponsors or social media followers. It was about showing up and grinding it out, race after race, for decades. Which is why what he achieved in June 1986 still stuns the sport to this day. At Michigan International Speedway that year, Richard Petty made his 1,000th Cup Series start. No one, not before him or after, has matched that milestone. And let’s be real, with the way the modern era is structured, it is tough to see them reach within the touching distance of this herculean effort.

The closest to Richard Petty in the all-time NASCAR race starts are Ricky Rudd (906 starts) and Terry Labonte (890 starts). Both, as we know, have retired from NASCAR racing. Among the current full-time drivers, Kyle Busch comes closest to matching Richard Petty’s record. The Rowdy sits in the 17th position.

Kyle Busch has already logged 728 Cup Series starts, with 63 wins. But at his current pace, Busch wouldn’t reach 1,000 starts until October 2032. And that’s if he runs every single race until then! Time and again, the RCR driver has expressed his desire to go the extra mile and await his son Brexton’s NASCAR debut before he calls it quits. But, even if he manages to reach the 1,000 race milestone, he would still be trailing Petty by 184 starts.

That’s not just longevity. That’s dominance on a different level. As NASCAR continues to change, Petty’s Michigan milestone stands as a testament to a tougher, more relentless era. Will anyone ever match The King’s record, or has the sport moved too far from those glory days?

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Michigan’s NASCAR comeback: A high-speed homecoming

Forty years after Richard Petty’s 1,000th start at Michigan, the track is once again in the spotlight. In 2025, Michigan International Speedway (MIS) welcomes back the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series after a four-year hiatus, alongside the NASCAR Cup Series, marking a significant return to the Irish Hills.

The Truck Series last raced at MIS in 2020, with Zane Smith clinching his first career win. This year, the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics will see a new set of competitors vying for victory on the two-mile oval. The Cup Series race, the FireKeepers Casino 400, is set for Sunday, June 8, at 2 p.m. ET. This race not only marks the return of the Truck Series to Michigan in June for the first time since 2019, but also serves as the opening event for the Cup Series’ inaugural In-Season Challenge. Adding an extra layer of competition.

Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph will serve as the grand marshal for the Cup race. If you’re planning to visit Michigan International Speedway for the race weekend, check out our fan guide for a hassle-free experience. Keep an eye out for Corey Heim and Layne Riggs’ rivalry at the MIS this weekend, whereas on the Cup side, hometown hero Carson Hocevar will look to bag his maiden win after consecutive heartbreaks.