Richard Petty

The King

Petty’s success continued even after his retirement from driving in 1992.

Richard Petty is called "The King" for good reason. Petty has racked up most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185).

Petty’s success continued even after his retirement from driving in 1992. He would still hold the top spot in the family business—Petty Enterprises, and now, Richard Petty Motorsports. In all, Petty Enterprises totaled 268 victories before merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the 2009 season to become Richard Petty Motorsports.

Hall of Famer Richard Petty got his start competing in NASCAR races in 1958. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

In 1967, Richard Petty set records with 27 victories in a single season, including 10 in a row. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.

Richard Petty’s record 200th victory came with President Ronald Reagan in attendance at Daytona. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.