Richard Petty was the first driver to earn 7 NASCAR Cup championships. Later he was joined by another NASCAR legend, the late Dale Earnhardt to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. Friday, tomorrow, marks the 30th anniversary of his 200th and last career Cup win in the 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway, a race that was attended by then-President Ronald Reagan, who personally congratulated Petty after the race, which Petty considers one of the high marks of his lengthy and star-studded career.
And two weeks from now on July 18, Petty will celebrate the 56th anniversary of his first official race, held at CNE Stadium in Toronto, Canada. He will go on to win NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1959, the same year that father Lee went on to win the first race ever held at Daytona International Speedway and what would go on to become the biggest event in the sport’s history, the Daytona 500.