TALLADEGA, AL - APRIL 28: Darrell Wallace Jr., driver of the #43 Petty's Garage/Medallion Bank Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 28, 2018 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Memorable No. 43 drivers, paint schemes through the years

By Zack Albert | Published: July 2, 2019 50

Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

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Jonathan Ferrey | Getty Images

Only a handful of car numbers stand out as transcendent in motorsports. The No. 43, a number that Richard Petty carried to stock-car racing royalty, is one of them. Take a trip through NASCAR's history books with the iconic No. 43 through the years with Petty, his predecessors and successors with the number.

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UNKNOWN — 1952: Fans get an “up close and personal” look at Larry Mann’s 1951 Hudson Hornet before a NASCAR Cup race. Mann ran the car in five Cup events during the year. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Several drivers fielded the No. 43 in NASCAR's earliest days before Richard Petty made his first premier-series start with the number in 1959. Here, fans get a closer look at Larry Mann's 1951 Hudson Hornet before an event.

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UNKNOWN — 1950s: Jimmie Lewallen of Archdale, NC, ran in 142 NASCAR Cup races between 1949 and 1960, scoring 57 top 10 finishes. He also competed with the NASCAR Convertible Division from 1956 through 1959, making 38 starts with 26 top 10s. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Jimmie Lewallen was among the earliest competitors to use the No. 43, making four starts with it in 1953. Names such as Shorty York, Jim Reed, Billy Irvin and Bob Ross were other drivers of the No. 43 before Petty's career took off.

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HILLSBORO, NC — April 2, 1961: Wendell Scott (No. 34) leads Maurice Petty (No. 43) and Rex White (No. 4) during a NASCAR Cup race at Orange Speedway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Maurice Petty wheels the No. 43 as he races behind Wendell Scott's No. 34 at Orange Speedway in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Maurice, Richard's brother, made four starts in No. 43, but became better known as a master mechanic, engine builder and crew chief.

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1965: Jim Paschal (in car) and Richard Petty during the latter part of the NASCAR Cup season. Chrysler Corporation had boycotted NASCAR Cup action for the better part of the season. When they returned, Petty Enterprises hired Paschal to drive in three races for them and he responded by finishing no worse than fifth in those events. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Jim Paschal was another keeper of the No. 43 before Richard Petty's reign took hold with the number. Paschal won 25 times in NASCAR's top division, registering two of those in the Petty Enterprises No. 43 in 1963.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Richard Petty and his 1957 Oldsmobile convertible at the first annual Daytona 500, February 22, 1959 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Petty fell out of the race with engine failure. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty stands beside his 1957 Oldsmobile before the first Daytona 500 in 1959. Cars from the NASCAR Convertible Division competed alongside hardtops; Petty dropped out with engine failure after just eight laps and finished 57th in the 59-car field.

Petty made 15 starts in the Convertible tour in the late '50s, posting his first NASCAR win with the No. 43 in 1959 at Columbia Speedway in South Carolina.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - 1960: Richard Petty with his Plymouth NASCAR Cup car at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty alongside his 1960 Plymouth at Daytona International Speedway. Petty landed his first three wins in 1960 along with two pole positions on his way to a second-place finish in the standings behind champion Rex White.

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UNKNOWN — Early-1960s: Richard Petty gets set to start a NASCAR Cup race in a car that has obviously already gotten a few battle scars from previous races. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Petty's No. 43 sports some scars from previous short-track battles in the early 1960s.

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SOUTH BOSTON, VA — April 14, 1963: Lee Petty confers with his driver (and son) Richard Petty while he makes a pit stop during a NASCAR Cup race at South Boston Speedway. Petty won both Cup races held at South Boston during the year. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Family patriarch Lee Petty leans in to consult with son Richard during a pit stop at South Boston Speedway in 1963. Lee Petty was best known for driving car No. 42, but grabbed one of his 54 career wins using the No. 43, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1959.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - 1963: Richard Petty poses with his Plymouth NASCAR Cup car at Daytona International Speedway. Petty finished sixth in the Daytona 500 and was eighth in the Firecracker 400. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty with his 1963 Plymouth at Daytona International Speedway. Petty had scored eight wins the previous season, but jumped to a 14-victory total in '63.

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BRISTOL, TN - 1964: Richard Petty exits his car following a race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Petty went on to win his first NASCAR Cup championship that year. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty exits the No. 43 after an event at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1964, the year that delivered his first championship in NASCAR's top series and his first Daytona 500 win.

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HICKORY, NC - SEPTEMBER 10, 1965: Richard Petty won the Buddy Shuman Memorial 100-miler on the dirt at Hickory in 1965. It was Petty's third win of the year. He had sat out half the season in a rules dispute with NASCAR over the Chrysler Hemi engine. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty takes the checkered flag in the Buddy Shuman Memorial 100-miler at Hickory Speedway in 1965. Petty sat out most of the '65 campaign in a dispute with NASCAR officials, who had banned the Chrysler Hemi engine.

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1966: A confident Richard Petty relaxes against the most successful car in NASCAR history. He claimed 27 victories in 1966 with this #43 Plymouth Dodge. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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After a brief stint in drag racing, Richard Petty returned with gusto in 1966. He guided his No. 43 Plymouth to eight wins in 39 starts.

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HAMPTON, GA - AUGUST 7, 1966: Richard Petty takes his potent blue Plymouth to victory at Atlanta International Raceway. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Among Petty's 1966 triumphs was his first victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His No. 43 led 90 of 267 laps and edged Buddy Baker by two seconds.

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WEAVERVILLE, NC - NOVEMBER 5, 1967: Richard Petty (No. 43) passes David Pearson during the Western North Carolina 500 at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway. Petty finished second and Pearson third behind winner Bobby Allison. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's most dominant season came in 1967, when his blue Plymouth stormed to 27 wins in 48 starts and his second championship. Here, Petty's No. 43 works to the low side of rival David Pearson at Asheville-Weaverville Speedway.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL — February 25, 1968: Richard Petty (No. 43) leaves pit road after his crew had used duct tape to help hold the black vinyl top in place on his Plymouth during the Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. Despite the problem, Petty was still able to score an eighth place finish. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty leaves pit road in the 1968 Daytona 500 after his crew patched the roof of the No. 43 with tape. Petty competed with a vinyl roof in an attempt to gain an aerodynamic edge, but the strategy backfired, leaving him eighth in the final order.

Petty's season, however, was a success, with 16 more wins added to his total.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL Ð 1969: Richard Petty with his Ford Torino Cobra NASCAR Cup car at Daytona International Speedway. Petty shocked his faithful Chrysler race fans by switching to the Ford factory team for the season. Petty finished 8th in the Daytona 500 and 5th in the Firecracker 400. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty switched to Ford for 1969 with the No. 43 Torino Cobra seen here in bright blue at Daytona International Speedway. He won 10 times and claimed second in the standings to champ David Pearson.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Richard Petty driver of the #43 STP Plymouth leans on his car before the Winston Cup Daytona 500 on February 14, 1971 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Petty would go on to win the 500. Petty would go onto win the 500. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Petty was back with Plymouth for 1970-78. Here, he leans on his 1971 Daytona 500 winner, which swept to 21 victories that season and his third series championship.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL — February 1973: Richard Petty won his fourth Daytona 500 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway behind the wheel of the Petty Enterprises Dodge Charger. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 rides took on a splash of bright STP red with his familiar blue in the early 1970s. And the King added some '70s-style facial hair as well.

His 1973 Dodge became a Daytona 500 winner that year, winning by two laps over runner-up Bobby Isaac's Ford.

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TALLADEGA, AL - AUGUST 11, 1974: Richard Petty won the Talladega 500 in 1974, his 3rd straight superspeedway win for the year. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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A fifth championship was Petty's byproduct in the 1974 campaign in this striking No. 43 Dodge.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL -ÊJULY 4, 1975: Richard Petty with his STP Dodge in victory lane after winning the Firecracker 400 NASCAR Cup race at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Petty made it back-to-back titles in 1975, earning his fourth championship in a five-year span. Here, Petty celebrates in Daytona's Victory Lane after a triumph in the July 4 Firecracker 400.

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RIVERSIDE, CA Ð 1970s: Richard Petty wheels his STP Dodge through a corner during a NASCAR Cup race at Riverside International Raceway in the mid-1970s. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 STP Dodge navigates Riverside International Raceway's winding layout in the mid-1970s.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL — 1978: Richard Petty with the Petty Enterprises Dodge Mirada at Daytona International Speedway. Petty took 33rd in the Daytona 500 in February but had a nice fourth place showing in the Firecracker 400 in July. Late in the season, Petty abandoned the new Dodge model and switched to a Chevrolet. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty poses with the No. 43 Dodge at Daytona International Speedway in 1978. Petty switched over to Chevrolet before the season was out.

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MARTINSVILLE, VA - 1979: Richard Petty (No. 43) hugs the car of Buddy Baker down the Martinsville straight. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 stays close alongside Buddy Baker's No. 28 at Martinsville Speedway in 1979. Petty ended a drought of more than a year in the historic '79 Daytona 500, then added four more triumphs to run his win total to 190 for his career to that point.

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BRISTOL, TN — August 23, 1980: Dale Earnhardt (No. 2) races hard against Richard Petty (No. 43) during the Busch Volunteer 500 NASCAR Cup race at Bristol International Speedway. Earnhardt went on to finish second in the event behind winner Cale Yarborough, while Petty took fourth position. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 digs to the low side of Dale Earnhardt's No. 2 at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1980. The two legends won seven titles each and both were elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in its first class.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL — February 1981: Dale Inman (R) is all smiles as he helps push Richard Petty’s STP Buick through the garage area of Daytona International Speedway prior to the Daytona 500. Even though Petty won the Daytona race, Inman left Petty Enterprises right after the Daytona 500 to go to work for Rod Osterlund and driver Dale Earnhardt. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Crew chief Dale Inman, right, helps push Richard Petty's No. 43 Buick through the Daytona garage area in 1981. Inman oversaw Petty's record seventh Daytona 500 win that year, then left to work with Earnhardt and team owner Rod Osterlund.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL — 1982: Richard Petty’s NASCAR Cup races at Daytona International Speedway this year were ones he’d just as soon forget, as he crashed out of both the February Daytona 500 and the July Pepsi 400, finishing 27th and 25th respectively. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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The 1982 season brought a slightly different look to the No. 43 team, which shifted its allegiances to Pontiac. Petty went winless, stuck on 195 career wins by season's end.

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ROCKINGHAM, NC - MARCH 13: Richard Petty and Bill Elliott race to the checkered flag at the Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500. Petty would take 1st place and $24,150 for the victory. Elliott would finish in 2nd and take home $14,990. (Photo by Racing Photo Archives/Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 edges out Bill Elliott's No. 9 for the checkered flag at Rockingham in March 1983 to get back on a winning track. Two more wins that year put him just two wins away from the 200-win plateau.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 4, 1984: The Petty Enterprises crew pushes Richard PettyÕs car to victory lane following his 200th career NASCAR Cup win in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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The Petty Enterprises crew pushes Richard Petty's No. 43 to Victory Lane after recording his 200th career win in NASCAR's top series in the 1984 Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - JULY 4, 1984: Richard Petty recorded his 200th, and final, NASCAR Cup Series win at the 1984 Firecracker 400. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty celebrates his milestone 200th Cup Series win in Daytona's Victory Lane after the 1984 Firecracker 400.

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Richard Petty, driver of the #43 STP car is chased by Bobby Allison #22 during a Nascar Winston Cup race at the Riverside Raceway in Riverside, California. (Image by Mike Powell/Getty Images)

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Richard Petty's No. 43 Pontiac stays just ahead of Bobby Allison's No. 22 Buick during one of the last races held at Riverside International Raceway in California.

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1986: NASCAR superstar Richard Petty poses with the Space Shuttle Enterprise and his STP Pontiac NASCAR Cup car. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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A gem from the 1986 season: Richard Petty poses with his No. 43 car and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

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TALLADEGA, AL - JULY 26, 1987: Richard Petty (No. 43) in the Talladega 500 on July 26, 1987 at the Talladega Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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Richard Petty leads the pack in the 1987 Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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The #43 STP Pontiac of Richard Petty in action during the Coca Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

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The shape of Richard Petty's No. 43 Pontiac had shifted by the 1989 season, but the familiar colors remained the same.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - 1990s: Richard Petty with the Pontiac he used in the early 1990s for his farewell tour. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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The 1990s arrived with Petty in the twilight of his driving career. The legend made plans to retire at the end of the 1992 season at age 55.

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HAMPTON, GA - NOVEMBER 15, 1992: This Pontiac Grand Prix, bearing the familiar No. 43, was Richard Petty's last ride in Cup competition. Petty's final race was the Hooters 500, at Atlanta International Raceway, during his Fan Appreciation Tour. (Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images)

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This No. 43 Pontiac Grand Prix would be Richard Petty's final ride in Cup Series competition. He brought his career and fan appreciation tour to a close after the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - 1990s: Car owner Richard Petty poses with driver Bobby Hamilton at Daytona International Speedway. Hamilton drove for Petty from 1995 through 1997, winning two NASCAR Cup races. (Photo by ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images)

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Petty's team shelved the No. 43 in favor of the No. 44 with Rick Wilson taking over driving duties in 1993. For 1994, the No. 43 returned with Wally Dallenbach Jr. and John Andretti splitting the season.

By 1995, Petty introduced Bobby Hamilton, right, as his driver, starting a three-season partnership. Hamilton scored two wins during that time, becoming the first person not named Petty to win with the No. 43 since Jim Paschal in 1963.

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ROCKINGHAM, NC - NOVEMBER 1: John Andretti #43, driver of the Petty Enterprises Dodge Intrepid R/T, during qualifying for the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 on November 1, 2002 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, North Carolina. (Photo by Craig Jones/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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John Andretti returned to the No. 43 team in 1998, starting a five-year term with the Petty group. Their time together produced one win -- Andretti's last -- at Martinsville in 1999.

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SONOMA, CA - JUNE 27: John Andretti speeds down the track during the Save-Mart/Kragen 350 at the Sears Point International Speedway on June 27, 1999 in Sonoma, California. (Photo by: Jonathan Ferrey /Getty Images) | Getty Images

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John Andretti's 1999 Pontiac makes the rounds at Sonoma Raceway.

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LOUDON, NH - SEPTEMBER 13: Christian Fittipaldi driver of the #43 Petty Enterprises Cheerios Dodge waits to practice for the NASCAR Winston Cup Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire International Speedway on September 13, 2003 in Loudon, New Hampshire. (Photo by Darrell Ingham/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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IndyCar veteran Christian Fittipaldi had a brief tenure in stock-car racing's top circuit from 2002-03. Of his 16 career starts, 10 of those came in the No. 43, which added a dash of Cheerios yellow to its paint schemes in the 2000s and switched to Dodge in the 2001 season.

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BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 3: Jeff Green, driver of the #43 Petty Enterprises Dodge, during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Food City 500 on April 3, 2005 at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo By Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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Jeff Green closed out the 2003 season with the No. 43 team, driving its Dodge until the end of the '05 campaign. Their pairing produced just one top-10 finish in 80 starts.

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INDIANAPOLIS - JULY 28: Bobby Labonte, driver of the #43 Totino's Pizza Rolls Dodge, sits in the garage with his team, prior to practice for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 28, 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) | Getty Images

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Bobby Labonte chats with the No. 43 crew at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007. The former Cup Series champion drove the No. 43 for three seasons (2006-08)

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BROOKLYN, MI - AUGUST 16: Reed Sorenson, driver of the #43 Auto Valve Bumper to Bumper Dodge, pits during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series CARFAX 400 at Michigan International Speedway on August 16, 2009 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) | Getty Images

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Reed Sorenson joined the No. 43 group for 2009, marking just his fourth full season at the Cup Series level. The campaign was also the No. 43 team's final season with Dodge.

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FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 19: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #43 Insignia / Best Buy Ford, looks on prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 19, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR) | Getty Images

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AJ Allmendinger became the pick for the No. 43 in 2010, forging a two-season association. Allmendinger corralled one pole position in that first season, ending a pole drought of nearly 11 years for the No. 43.

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SPARTA, KY - JULY 07: A.J. Allmendinger drives the #43 Valvoline Ford during testing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky Speedway on July 7, 2011 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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AJ Allmendinger sports red-white-and-blue colors on the No. 43 Valvoline entry at Kentucky Speedway.

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KANSAS CITY, KS - JUNE 03: Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty poses with A.J. Allmendinger, driver of the #43 STP Ford, and a 1972 Dodge with Petty's original paint scheme at Kansas Speedway on June 3, 2011 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR) | Getty Images

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Allmendinger's time with the Petty-owned team also provided many opportunities for retro-look designs on the No. 43 as the 2011 Ford lines up beside one of Petty's 1970s racers.

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HAMPTON, GA - AUGUST 31: Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 AdvoCare Ford, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on August 31, 2012 in Hampton, Georgia. (Photo by Tyler Barrick/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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Aric Almirola came aboard the No. 43 team as its driver in 2012, the first season of what would become a six-year relationship.

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WATKINS GLEN, NY - AUGUST 07: Aric Almirola, driver of the #43 Smithfield Ford, practices for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen International on August 7, 2015 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)

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Aric Almirola finds the apex as he rounds a turn at Watkins Glen International in 2015. Almirola's time with the No. 43 group yielded a victory at Daytona International Speedway in July 2014, ending a 15-year dry spell for the team.

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Bubba Wallace stepped in for a four-race tryout with the No. 43 team while Almirola recovered from an injury in 2017 before joining the team full-time the following season. Wallace finished second in the 2018 Daytona 500 to kick off his rookie campaign.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 10: Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 Aftershokz Chevrolet, stands on the grid during qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series 61st Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 10, 2019 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

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The No. 43 continues to fly in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with Bubba Wallace aiming to add to its vibrant legacy.