Petty’s Garage does its own customized versions of Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Ram vehicles, typically with more than 700 horsepower though, he added, many customers want at least a thousand ponies under their hood. The speedway track is in a slightly shorter form than the old stock cars one with a new shale surface over the old tarmac. “We’re trying to sell all the time,” Petty said. Now in his early 80s, Petty said he enjoys such events, frequently running into people he may not have seen for years and also meeting new people - and perhaps even finding some new customers for Petty’s Garage, a car restoration and customization shop that employs more than 45 people - many more than his racing team had back in the day. Friday and will be on the auction block when the cars he raced are put up for bidding. Petty said he will be in Harrisburg, doing autograph sessions at 1 p.m. It has been restored to its 1971 racing configuration, including a 426 Hemi V8, Hurst shifter, black plaid seat with Petty’s peace-sign headrest. The car was both the first Petty car with STP sponsorship and the last Petty that King Richard drove in competition. Petty won two additional times in other cars from his stable. After being prepped for racing, it won 19 races. Ernie Derr passed away at his home in Keokuk on Januat the age of 92. A red Dodge from Keokuk, Iowa carrying the number one on its side and driven by Mr. The car was delivered in body-in-white form to Petty Enterprises. But when I think of the old IMCA stock car series, one car stands high above the rest. This one was restored by Petty’s Garage and the Petty Enterprises racing team with a 426 Hemi V8 built by Maruice Petty and his won, Timmy Petty.Īlthough Petty didn’t win the NASCAR championship with the winged Plymouth in 1970, he did take the title in 1971 with the Road Runner, which would become the last production-based car to win the NASCAR Grand National championship (before teams started building their own cars that only looked like those off the assembly line). Petty Plymouths won 18 races during the 1970 season.
Two of those cars were raced by Richard Petty, who will be on hand Friday in Pennsylvania when the 1970 Plymouth Superbird and 1971 Plymouth Road Runner cross the auction block.
1970 Plymouth Superbird Richard Petty's NASCAR