Maurice Petty

The chief engine builder at Petty Enterprises, Maurice Petty becomes the fourth member of the dynasty to be chosen for membership in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Inducted: 2014
Position:Engine Builder

Vitals

Hometown

Randleman, NC

Born

03/27/1939

Died

07/25/2020

The Chief

Maurice Petty supplied the horsepower that propelled Richard Petty to a majority of his record 200 NASCAR victories.

Maurice Petty had a brief driving career—26 premier series races with seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes between 1960 and 1964—but was satisfied to work behind the scenes as one of the top engine builders ever seen in the sport.

In addition to Richard Petty, Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton were among those who won with Maurice Petty's engines.

Maurice Petty prepares to dyno-tune another powerful racing engine. He would develop specific tunings for different tracks, ensuring that the team had the greatest competitive edge. Courtesy of ISC Archives via Getty Images

In 1964, Richard Petty won his first of seven championships behind the wheel of cars powered by Maurice Petty’s engines. Here they celebrate that accomplishment with Maurice Petty accepting his first of seven Mechanic of the Year awards with his father Lee and brother Richard (r) in 1964. Courtesy of ISC Archives via Getty Images