Lee Petty

NASCAR Winston Cup

Career: 1949-64

Petty was a hard charger in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series division, claiming 54 wins -- ranking him seventh on NASCAR's all-time wins list.

In 1954, Petty won the first of three championships in a Dodge. He won his second championship in 1958, also in a Dodge and his third, in '59, on the strength of 11 wins, powered by a Chrysler.

Petty was the first three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion. He won the inaugural Daytona 500, in 1959. He ranked in the top-five in the series' points chase 11 out of 16 seasons.

In 1969, Petty was inducted in the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In 1990, Petty was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala. He died in May 2000 following a long illness.