Richard Petty Comes Clean on the Ugly On-Track Incident That Almost Cost Him His Eyesight

Published 04/12/2024, 12:27 AM EDT

Over the years, NASCAR has prioritized safety improvements without any compromise. They have the SAFER Barrier Line racetrack walls with energy-absorbing foam panels to reduce impact forces during crashes and have brought forward the HANS devices to prevent excessive head movement.

NASCAR further adopted safer fuel cells to minimize explosion risks. On-board fire extinguishers and fire-resistant suits protect drivers. The introduction of modern seatbelts was another way to prevent excessive movement. However, did you know, one of these was introduced because of Richard Petty? “The King” opens up about an incident that almost got him rid of his eyesight completely. The incident unfolded at Darlington Raceway in 1970. Here’s what he said about the crash.

The reason behind King Richard Petty wearing sunglasses

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King Richard Petty and his son Kyle Petty joined a recent episode of “The Dale Jr Download.” The conversation took an intriguing turn as they exchanged racing stories, but then it veered into more unsettling incidents. Richard Petty described his dad’s, Lee Petty’s, horrific wreck at Daytona in 1961 and the story of his Darlington accident in 1970. An incident that almost got him blind.

Richard Petty said, “I went down in the first corner, and somebody crashed, and a bumper went through the windshield. And I didn’t have any goggles or nothing on. And it went over the deal and went down to uh, the fence outside, and I got out through the windshield. Then, when I did, then I went back to the infirmary in the infield, and they were picking glass out of my eyes. They said somebody just went to through three and four, and, uh, so I jump up and run up there to see what’s going on. And man, I said, That’s it, you know what I mean.”

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To make things worse, the car had side glasses. As soon as the front opened up, the interior filled with air; it was like a parachute. It soared over the fence, touched down a bit, and then descended to the bottom of the hill. Exiting the car, Petty was headed to the Infield Care Center. Luckily, they were able to pull out the maximum chunks of glasses from his eyes, but not all. That’s the reason he wears sunglasses even today.

The horrific crash at Darlington

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The incident happened at Lap 176 when Petty’s steering failed, sending him careening off the track. His car hit the outside railing, then veered toward the inside, slamming into the front stretch wall with a heavy impact on the nose. The car flipped almost five times, eventually landing upside down on its roof. Petty was rushed to the medical center and then to a hospital in South Carolina.

Miraculously, he escaped with a broken left shoulder and no serious injuries. Here, the mental toughness of “The King” was evident. Nothing happened to his eyes, as everyone feared. A red spot near Petty raised concerns, but it turned out to be a red rag he used to run races within his mouth. Petty missed the next five races but returned with steely resolve, winning the next two.

This incident prompted NASCAR to add window nets to the driver’s side doors, enhancing safety for all. They made it mandatory to ensure that drivers are protected from flying debris.

Richard Petty Recollects His Father’s Gut-Wrenching Daytona Crash That Left Him Bed-Ridden for Months

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Written by:

Mamata Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. Combining her love for writing and motorsports she has created some interesting and in-depth stories on drivers like Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Joining ES with 3 years of experience in the field of writing, Mamata feels right at home in her role as a NASCAR Journalist.

Edited by:

Shivali Nathta

Richard Petty Comes Clean on the Ugly On-Track Incident That Almost Cost Him His Eyesight

The reason behind King Richard Petty wearing sunglasses

The horrific crash at Darlington

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