- Lee Petty
Infobox NASCAR driver
Name = Lee Arnold Petty
Birthdate = birth date|1914|3|14|mf=y
Died = death date and age|2000|4|5|1914|3|14|mf=y
Birthplace = flagicon|USA Randleman,North Carolina
Cause of Death = stomach aneurysm
Best_Cup_Pos = 1st - 1954, 1958, 1959 (Grand National)
Cup_Wins = 54
Cup_Top_Tens = 332
Cup_Poles = 18
First_Cup_Race = 1949Charlotte Speedway
First_Cup_Win = 1949Heidelberg Raceway (Pittsburgh)
Last_Cup_Win = 1961Speedway Park (Jacksonville)
Last_Cup_Race = 1964Watkins Glen International
Awards = 1954 Grand National Champion1958 Grand National Champion
1959 Grand National Champion
inducted in the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1990)inducted in the
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1996)North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
Years_In_Cup = 16
Total_Cup_Races = 427Lee Arnold Petty (
March 14 ,1914 nearRandleman, North Carolina –April 5 ,2000 ) was an Americanstock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers ofNASCAR , and one of its first superstars.Career
Lee Arnold Petty was thirty-five years old before he began racing. He began his NASCAR career at NASCAR's first race at
Charlotte Speedway (notCharlotte Motor Speedway ). He finished in the Top 5 in season points for NASCAR's first eleven seasons. He won theNASCAR Championship on three occasions and the inauguralDaytona 500 in 1959.1959 Daytona 500
In the first race at
Daytona International Speedway , Petty battled withJohnny Beauchamp during the final laps of the race. Petty and Beauchamp drove side by side across the finish line at the final lap for aphoto finish . Beauchamp was declared the unofficial winner, and he drove to victory lane. Petty protested the results, saying "I had Beauchamp by a good two feet. In my own mind, I know I won." [ [http://www.nascar.com/2003/kyn/history/daytona/01/03/daytona_1959/index.html 1959: Petty's photo finish] ; Mark Aumann, Turner Sports Interactive;January 9 ,2003 ; RetrievedOctober 24 2007 ] It took NASCAR founderBill France, Sr. three days to decide the winner. In the end, with the help of the nationalnewsreel , Petty was officially declared the winner.Petty Enterprises
He is the father of
Richard Petty , who would become NASCAR's all-time race winner. With sons Richard and Maurice, he foundedPetty Enterprises , which became NASCAR's most successful racing team. He was the grandfather ofKyle Petty , and great grandfather ofAdam Petty . Also he is also the great grandfather ofRitchie Petty who ran a few races in NASCAR.Awards
*In 1990, Lee Petty was inducted into the
International Motorsports Hall of Fame .
*He was inducted in theMotorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996.
*He was elected to theNorth Carolina Sports Hall of Fame .Teams
Petty Enterprises 1949-1964Gary Drake 1954Carl Krueger 1955Death
Lee Petty died at 4:50 a.m. on
April 5 ,2000 at Moses Cones Hospital inGreensboro, North Carolina , at the age of 86, several weeks after undergoing surgery for a stomachaneurysm . He was buried at the Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery inRandleman, North Carolina .References
External links
* [http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/halloffame/1990/Lee_Petty_main.htm Lee Petty article from the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/driver?id=pettyle01 Lee Petty's statistics at racing-reference.info]
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