The man simply called Chief supplied the horsepower that propelled Richard Petty to a majority of his record 200 NASCAR victories, seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships and seven Daytona 500 victories. Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton also won with his engines.

Petty had a brief driving career — 26 premier series races with seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes between 1960 and 1964 — but was satisfied to work behind the scenes as one of the top engine builders ever seen in the sport.

Petty, 21 months younger than his elder sibling, overcame polio as a child. Both Richard and Maurice worked on their father’s pit crew as teenagers. He later consulted with Dodge upon its return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001.

Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 in 1960 and in the process, became credited with the discovery of "drafting" on the massive superspeedways. He won 50 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series then surprised many people by retiring from driving to become an owner. As a competitor, Johnson never missed a beat; through the years his drivers won 132 races. There also were six series championships produced with Cale Yarborough (1976-78) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-82, ’85).

Johnson was immortalized in the epic 1965 Esquire Magazine story on NASCAR, written by acclaimed author Thomas Wolfe.

"The Last American Hero Is Junior Johnson Yes!" romanticized Johnson’s moonshine-running roots and glorified his accomplishments in NASCAR. Both aims were true, creating a larger-than-life caricature of a colorful man.

Named one of NASCAR’s "50 Greatest Drivers" in 1998, Johnson resides in Wilkesboro, N.C., and remains one of the sport’s most enduring — and endearing — personalities.

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

France spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its present status as the world’s largest stock car racing organization. Born in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 26, 1909, he came to Daytona Beach, Fla., in the 1930s. In 1936, he helped lay out the first beach/road course in Daytona Beach; in the first race on the course he finished fifth. Starting in 1938, he helped promote races on the sands of Daytona Beach. That endeavor was interrupted by World War II but resumed in 1946.

In 1947, France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR, it was called, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on State Road A1A in Daytona Beach — a structure that stands to this day, as a racing landmark.

In January 1972, France stepped down as president of NASCAR and handed the reins to his son William C. France. The elder France continued to be a consultant for a number of years, in addition to serving as ISC Chairman/President.

"Big Bill" France passed away in June 1992. He left behind a lasting legacy.

He remains larger than life — still.

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.

France, who died in June 2007 at the age of 74, grew up in the formative years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences and those of his father William Henry Getty France — who was known as Bill Sr., or “Big Bill” because of his 6-foot-5 stature. Bill Sr. was the founder and first president of NASCAR.

France Jr. became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport overall.

France, often referred to as “Bill Jr.,” remained president until November 2000, when Mike Helton took over the position. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR board of directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR vice chairman.

Earnhardt’s passionate all-or-nothing driving style — and modest everyman background — made him a fast fan favorite. His dominance didn’t hurt, either.

Earnhardt co-holds the record for most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (seven) with Richard Petty. And his enormous success didn’t take long to flourish.

In only his second full season, 1980, Earnhardt nabbed his first championship. After that, the crowns came in bunches. He won consecutive titles on three separate occasions (1986-87, ’90-91 and ’93-94). Earnhardt’s 76 victories rank seventh all-time.

Earnhardt won on the biggest stages. He is the all-time leader in race victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34, though the most prominent of them was a while in the making. 

In 1998, Earnhardt won his most coveted race — the Daytona 500. The scene was a memorable one, etched in the minds of race fans everywhere, forever. As Earnhardt’s black No. 3 rolled down pit road, a Daytona 500 winner at last, every crew member from every team lined up to congratulate one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

So in many ways, we have Petty to thank for the yearly spectacle that is “The Great American Race.” That’s because he created the very first spectacle.

On the final lap, Petty and Johnny Beauchamp barreled toward the finish line, in what would become one of the closest finishes in the prestigious race’s history. So close, in fact, that race officials put a hold on the results for three days. A photo snapped at the finish line confirmed Petty’s win, his first in another championship winning season. 

But that first Daytona 500 is only one of many Petty accomplishments. His career was a long list of “firsts” and “mosts.” Along with winning the first Daytona 500, Petty also was the first driver to capture three championships in what now is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

And up until the time his own son, Richard, caught and passed him, Lee won more races than any other driver — 54. That number still ranks ninth all-time.

But maybe his greatest legacy is his own name — and lineage. Petty, who started Petty Enterprises, is the father of “The King” Richard Petty and the grandfather of Kyle Petty.

Comments are currently unavailable. We’re working on the development of a NASCAR fan forum – please stay tuned.