There’s no story greater than that of the Petty Family in NASCAR’s history. Whether it’s Lee Petty’s controversy-plagued first victory or Richard Petty‘s astonishing two hundred, the North Carolina-based family has always showcased their tenacity for success in every aspect. But when the conversation turns toward their love for each other, perhaps no bond was stronger than that of The King and his younger brother, Maurice Petty.

In the latest Petty Brothers Racing Podcast, the three sons of Maurice Petty sat down to share just how important their father was for Richard Petty and gave fans insight into some wholesome moments.

The Petty Brothers reflect on the time when The King was the greatest pillar of support for Maurice Petty

Ritchie Petty kicked things off by sharing how Maurice Petty had been protective of Richard Petty all his life. If anyone had business with The King, they would first have to go through his younger brother. But when they were growing up together, it was Richard Petty who took on the protective role.

It all started when Maurice Petty suffered from polio during his formative years. Walking with a limp and limited movement, Maurice would always be encouraged by his elder brother. The 55-year-old shared, “When they were growing up, Daddy had Polio and Richard was real protective of Daddy because he had that limp and had his eye troubles and stuff. But if people made fun of Daddy, Richard would step in there and take up for him.” 

This story would also prompt Timmy Petty to chime in, “It probably started from the first day that they realised that Daddy had something going on because when he went there to get him out of the bed and Daddy was trying to get out of the bed but he fell right, and he’s like ‘come on get up let’s go we got to go” 

The brothers revealed that despite facing such a horrifying circumstance, Maurice Petty’s family was always nudging him toward better health. When Maurice Petty would crawl into the hallway, his mother just had one question in mind, “what you on the floor for?”. Richard Petty would also motivate his brother to go outside the house. ‘Come on, we got to go outside and play.”

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While Richard Petty adored his younger brother and left no stone unturned when it came to protecting him while they were growing up, Maurice Petty was not one to shy away from helping his brother out with the Petty Enterprises either and loved The King dearly throughout.

Maurice Petty left no stone unturned whilst repaying the love

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Shifting the conversation to Maurice Petty’s perspective on his relationship with NASCAR’s winningest driver, Timmy Petty quoted his father’s words from a book – “The only way I can sum up the whole thing is, we were kids together, we’ve been in business together, and we were been friends all the way through. I loved him when I was a kid, I loved him when we raced and I still love him. I mean, right there says it all, don’t it?”

It’s no secret the pair were incredibly close, not just as a family, but as business partners as well. Despite their involvement in two worlds together, they would never collide, as Maurice Petty had no interest in putting business above their bond. Ritchie Petty added, “You have your business and you do separate things, but I’m telling you, Maurice Petty loved his brother till he died. I know he did because I sat there and listened to him tell it day after day.”

After helping out his brother with Petty Enterprises for most of his life, Maurice Petty would take a backseat once his mobility would start faltering. This is when it was also announced that Kyle Petty would take over his father’s enterprise instead.

Ritchie Petty would share that his father had made things clear right from the start, reciting what Maurice Petty said in a video about the move, “Me and Richard could always get along, but when you throw in this one and that one, it kind of aggravates this one. He just said he was going to step aside because of his love of his brother and see how things would go.”

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It’s safe to say the Petty Family’s bond is the perfect example to grow off of in the years to come, and Richard Petty and Maurice Petty were not just great business partners but the perfect brothers too!