NASCAR Legend Richard Petty Turns Santa Claus, Brings Early Christmas Joy For Children

It is now December, and that means one thing: Christmas is just around the corner. Ahead of the holiday, everyone will be excited to ring in Christmas and the New Year. For that, NASCAR legend Richard Petty made sure that he did his part in the celebrations. Recently, ‘The King’ donned the persona of Santa Claus at Randleman High School, his former school.

Of course, Santa Claus was never far away from his gifts, and Richard Petty was not about to break the tradition. Among the goods was a $25,000 donation of equipment and tools for the school’s career technical education program. The partnership between Petty and Northern Tool + Equipment made this donation possible.

The King said, “It was really special come back to Randleman High School, where I graduated. And to be able to work with Northern, too, and give the shop some welders and some different things, for them to be able to learn their crafts. As time progresses, you’re gonna need people to be pipe welders, people take care of everything. So you know, everybody’s not meant to go to college. We’ve got to have somebody who does the work. And you know, as things progress, then I think they’re gonna be more and more in demand. It’s kind of a payback. That’s why we’re doing what we’re doing today.”

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What lies ahead for Richard Petty in 2023?

During his visit, Petty met and spoke with staff and students about a variety of subjects. Chief among them was what the children had learned in their classes. The NASCAR legend insisted that the donation was important to fuel students’ passion. He could not resist doing his part to give back to the community.

In 2023, Petty is joining hands with fellow 7-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Together, the two of them hope to elevate the Petty GMS Racing team to plenty of success. Of course, Johnson will also be a direct contributor, as he will be hopping in the car for select races.

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