Throwback to history: See Petty’s paint scheme transformation in 1972

By | Published: July 24, 2018 10

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Branden Williams | NASCAR Digital Media

Team owner Richard Petty helped unveil the No. 43 Chevrolet that Bubba Wallace will drive at Darlington Raceway this fall. Like most things with Petty, this one has quite the backstory.

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Richard Petty and STP boss Andy Granatelli had plenty of conversations about the look of the No. 43 in 1972.

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Hall of Famers Richard Petty and crew chief Dale Inman created the famous Petty Blue color, and the No. 43 machine raced primarily in that shade of blue through the 1960s.

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STP became Petty’s first major sponsor in 1972, and thus serious discussions about the new look of the famed 43 began.

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Petty and Co. kept that famous blue look for the season-opener at Riverside, which Petty won ... and celebrated in Victory Lane with Granatelli.

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Winning makes everything better, but Granatelli still sought to add the Day-Glo STP red.

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Compromise: After a couple of days noodling over the scheme together, the now-famous blue-and-red scheme hit the track.

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Petty would win eight races in 1972 in the new look and clinch his fourth premier series championship.

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Even on the high banks, the car sparkled.

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“Andy was the first public relations and marketing person in motorsports,” Petty said in a team release. “He knew exactly how to promote and sell STP products. He was first visible in open wheel racing before coming over to stock cars. We met with him and that relationship with STP still remains today.'