NASCAR’s hectic routine is no secret. Turning up for 36 race weekends in a year and managing to give your best – is no feat that anyone can do. So NASCAR’s racers rarely get a break from their routines, most of which is occupied by preparing and practicing if they aren’t racing. Yet a 7-time Cup Series champion, Richard Petty, opines that racers should be able to breathe easy.

Petty spent 34 years of success at the sport’s top level. His career was dotted with sparkling milestones. They included beating his father’s record after his 55th win in 1967 or winning the 1981 Daytona 500 with President Ronald Reagan in attendance. However, several horrific accidents also befell him, teaching him the importance of savoring every moment.

Richard Petty calls to relish every bit

The 2024 season itself witnessed several bone-chilling crashes. Josh Berry encountered a flipping crash at the Southern 500 as his car slammed hard against the wall. Then Corey LaJoie’s car also took a wild topsy-turvy trip during the Bristol race. Such dangers put more pressure on drivers who even spend their off-seasons practicing. Versatile drivers like Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott put their prowess to the test on dirt racing circuits or cart racing. The objective is mainly to keep that competitive streak alive – to somehow race in their best forms through 10 months every season. Yet Richard Petty points out that should not be your end goal.

At the end of the day, a racer is practicing their passion. So they should have that spark of joy in their eyes when they hop behind a wheel. Richard Petty shared his invaluable advice about this in 7 words: “Enjoy your life a little bit more.” He continued, “You used to…you’d run, you had a family, you run a race, you win a race…And then you sort of…I don’t know if you really accepted it. In other words, you didn’t enjoy it as much as you should. Because you were busy looking at what’s coming next.” The 87-year-old is still learning, just like everyone else, and feels that one key to life is patience.“I guess if anything, I would teach myself more patience. As I get older, I learn just to let things go. You know, just be more patient with what’s going on.”

You can tell from this that the legend enjoyed his job. This was despite the string of shocking incidents that he faced in his career. In the 1975 Winston 500 race, Richard Petty was stuck in a smoking car in the pits. His brother Randy Owens tried to pull him out – and saved him. But a water tank exploded and threw Owens 15 feet in the air, crushed his chest, and then broke his neck when he landed. In 2000, Petty’s grandson Adam tragically passed away during a Busch Series practice in New Hampshire. Such painful experiences motivated Petty to enjoy what he does, as not a moment should be wasted in one’s life.

In fact, racing was just the fun part of the job for Richard Petty.

Trending

1

“Where the F—Are You?” – Amy Earnhardt’s Furious Hunt for Dale Jr. After Vegas Goes Off the Rails

2

Carson Hocevar Receives Imminent Threat by NASCAR Driver After Public Apology Goes Unheard

3

Tony Stewart Warns Kyle Larson of Impending Disaster, Confessing His ‘True Successor’ in NASCAR’s Ace

4

Jimmie Johnson and Co. Put Their Off-Track Troubles Aside With Historic Run in Texas

5

“What It’d Cost?” – Kyle Larson Echoes NASCAR’s Biggest Problem as Texas Raises Concerns With Every Race

The ‘hobby’ that brought legendary fame

Richard Petty’s achievements occupy a hallowed space in NASCAR’s history books. He scripted several milestones – he was the first to repeat as winner of the Daytona 500 and also the winner of 10 consecutive races. Then he was the first stock-car racer to exceed $1 million in earnings, which is ironic considering his earnings from his first year of racing was only $760. Although Petty truly pealed in the late 1960s

1967 was Petty’s hallmark year. Of the 48 races he started, he won 27, including 10 in a row. He also finished in the top five in 11 others to gain his second Grand National championship. Yet Petty never treated racing as a ‘job’. He was simply passionately following his hobby.

In a 2017 interview, Richard Petty elaborated on his unique approach toward racing. “Driving the race car was my hobby,” Petty said. “I worked on the car, did promotions, hauled the cars to the track in a truck. You did what everybody else was doing at that time. The big thing was every Sunday or Saturday night I could get in that race car and I could be Richard Petty… But (in the car) you’re an individual, doing your own thing; you try to run fast but if you don’t then you try to do the best you can. You’re in that car and you just become part of the car. The got me away from the telephone, all the bills I need to be paying, whatever it is. I can completely concentrate on nothing except what I want to do. That was the good part.”

Petty emphasizes the importance of loving what you do, and why that made him as successful as he was. The King was part of his car for every race, not just a man driving a car. Only a champion like Richard Petty can turn his hobby into something legendary. However, his lesson is evergreen – enjoying what you do should be a priority.