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.

 

 

 

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Year Age Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn RAF Miles LLF 1953 22 1 of 37 0 0 0 0 222 0 26.0 38.0 0 303.3 0 1954 23 4 of 37 0 1 1 1 535 0 0.3 26.0 2 364.8 0 1955 24 36 of 45 5 12 18 2 4815 790 7.2 12.2 18 3267.8 6 1956 25 13 of 56 0 1 1 1 1131 60 10.8 21.1 2 944.1 1 1957 26 1 of 53 0 0 0 0 102 0 11.0 20.0 0 63.8 0 1958 27 27 of 51 6 12 16 0 4244 317 8.1 12.0 17 3073.6 8 1959 28 28 of 44 5 14 15 1 4433 166 12.7 10.9 18 2816.0 6 1960 29 34 of 44 3 14 18 3 5096 320 9.6 14.2 19 3936.7 7 1961 30 41 of 52 7 16 22 10 7016 2365 6.8 12.1 21 5405.9 10 1962 31 23 of 53 1 7 8 2 3663 648 6.1 17.6 8 3297.7 4 1963 32 33 of 55 7 13 14 9 5671 2396 4.2 14.4 12 4867.8 10 1964 33 29 of 62 3 12 15 5 6298 1116 5.3 12.1 13 4662.3 4 1965 34 36 of 55 13 18 19 9 7144 3998 3.3 11.4 17 5236.2 14 1966 35 7 of 49 0 1 1 3 1813 467 5.7 16.0 1 1216.0 0 14 years    313 50 121 148 46 52183 12643 8.4 17.0 148 39456.0 70

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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.

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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.

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Year Age Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Rank AvSt AvFn RAF Miles LLF 1975 24 1 of 30 0 0 0 0 355 0 129 33.0 22.0 1 532.5 0 1976 25 2 of 30 0 0 0 0 416 0 104 20.5 25.0 0 634.4 0 1977 26 1 of 30 0 0 0 0 25 0 118 36.0 38.0 0 37.5 0 1978 27 5 of 30 0 1 2 0 1359 0 44 21.4 11.2 5 2375.4 0 1979 28 27 of 31 1 11 17 4 8340 605 7 7.8 10.7 23 9533.2 6 1980 29 31 of 31 5 19 24 0 9615 866 1 9.0 8.2 27 11314.5 13 1981 30 31 of 31 0 9 17 0 8134 300 7 8.0 13.5 21 10237.8 7 1982 31 30 of 30 1 7 12 1 7208 1062 12 10.6 18.8 12 7877.2 6 1983 32 30 of 30 2 9 14 0 7701 1029 8 9.2 15.3 17 9073.2 8 1984 33 30 of 30 2 12 22 0 9584 384 4 10.8 9.6 28 11027.7 10 1985 34 28 of 28 4 10 16 1 8231 1237 8 9.5 14.7 19 9335.3 9 1986 35 29 of 29 5 16 23 1 9212 2126 1 6.9 7.4 25 11344.4 15 1987 36 29 of 29 11 21 24 1 9043 3357 1 7.3 5.9 27 11077.6 23 1988 37 29 of 29 3 13 19 0 9561 1756 3 10.2 8.8 28 11419.5 17 1989 38 29 of 29 5 14 19 0 9112 2735 2 8.0 10.3 27 10770.1 19 1990 39 29 of 29 9 18 23 4 9162 2435 1 5.9 8.0 28 11034.4 20 1991 40 29 of 29 4 14 21 0 9541 1209 1 11.1 8.6 27 11410.3 17 1992 41 29 of 29 1 6 15 1 8694 483 12 14.7 14.9 25 10170.3 9 1993 42 30 of 30 6 17 21 2 9787 1475 1 9.7 8.2 28 11781.2 21 1994 43 31 of 31 4 20 25 2 9546 1013 1 15.3 8.0 28 11382.7 22 1995 44 31 of 31 5 19 23 3 9625 1566 2 13.8 9.2 29 11687.9 22 1996 45 31 of 31 2 13 17 2 9530 611 4 14.6 10.6 29 11496.2 21 1997 46 32 of 32 0 7 16 0 9693 220 5 20.0 12.1 32 12476.0 21 1998 47 33 of 33 1 5 13 0 9459 273 8 26.5 16.2 30 12282.2 16 1999 48 34 of 34 3 7 21 0 9751 248 7 24.8 12.0 31 12762.7 22 2000 49 34 of 34 2 13 24 0 10005 353 2 21.1 9.4 34 13188.8 28 2001 50 1 of 36 0 0 0 0 199 17 57 7.0 12.0 0 497.5 0 27 years    676 76 281 428 22 202888 25360    14.5 12.9 581 246760.5 352

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.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Year Age Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn RAF Miles LLF 1949 35 6 of 8 1 3 5 0 890 1 7.0 6.3 5 595.4 2 1950 36 17 of 19 1 9 13 0 1558 43 5.8 7.7 15 1441.7 1 1951 37 32 of 41 1 11 19 0 1103 99 7.3 10.9 32 1087.3 2 1952 38 32 of 34 3 21 27 0 5094 191 10.6 6.6 27 3478.9 8 1953 39 36 of 37 5 26 32 0 3021 209 3.2 4.8 35 2248.3 8 1954 40 34 of 37 7 24 32 3 5903 595 1.9 5.6 31 4032.7 11 1955 41 42 of 45 6 20 30 1 6524 769 8.9 8.3 32 4541.5 11 1956 42 47 of 56 2 17 28 1 7407 246 9.4 10.2 32 4949.3 5 1957 43 41 of 53 4 20 33 3 7466 449 7.4 7.8 35 4614.0 8 1958 44 50 of 51 7 28 43 4 9315 439 5.2 6.3 45 6074.0 14 1959 45 42 of 44 11 27 35 2 8278 1010 7.2 6.2 34 5229.6 14 1960 46 39 of 44 5 21 30 3 7518 514 7.7 8.6 30 5520.5 13 1961 47 3 of 52 1 2 2 1 433 126 9.7 6.3 2 290.5 1 1962 48 1 of 53 0 1 1 0 499 0 5.0 5.0 1 262.5 0 1963 49 3 of 55 0 1 2 0 291 0 10.7 9.3 2 178.5 1 1964 50 2 of 62 0 0 0 0 28 0 18.5 19.5 0 31.6 0 16 years    427 54 231 332 18 65328 4691 7.8 8.1 358 44576.3 99

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His 105 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories ranks second all-time, and he amassed that figure in only 574 races — a winning percentage of 18.29.

In a career that spanned 27 years, Pearson never once ran every single race in a given season. When he came close to running the full schedule, he won a championship — or came darn close.

In 1966, Pearson ran 42 of 49 races to win his first championship. In his 1968 championship winning campaign, he ran 48 of 49 races. And in 1969, he ran 51 of 54 en route to his third and final title. 

His consistent greatness might best be defined by his 1974 performance, a season he did not win the championship. He finished third that year behind Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough — but raced only 19 of 30 races.

Ranking second in wins and poles, Pearson’s numbers are eclipsed only by Petty. Pearson won the Daytona 500 once (1976), but had six victories overall at Daytona International Speedway.

 

 

 

 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Year Age Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led Rank AvSt AvFn RAF Miles LLF 1960 26 22 of 44 0 3 7 1 3885 0    14.7 15.4 12 3792.3 1 1961 27 19 of 52 3 7 8 1 3087 247    8.8 14.6 10 3466.7 3 1962 28 12 of 53 0 1 7 0 2690 280    8.2 13.7 6 3585.5 1 1963 29 41 of 55 0 13 19 2 8697 178    11.8 12.6 25 6724.8 3 1964 30 61 of 62 8 29 42 12 13225 2256    5.2 8.3 39 9152.5 11 1965 31 14 of 55 2 8 11 1 3243 576    4.1 8.7 7 1890.3 4 1966 32 42 of 49 15 26 33 7 10781 3174    5.6 6.4 34 8587.7 21 1967 33 22 of 49 2 11 13 2 5638 667    5.7 11.5 13 5985.7 5 1968 34 48 of 49 16 36 38 12 13097 3950    3.4 5.8 38 9923.2 29 1969 35 51 of 54 11 42 44 14 14270 2905    4.6 5.3 42 11710.8 29 1970 36 19 of 48 1 9 11 2 4210 580    5.8 12.8 10 5818.3 4 1971 37 17 of 48 2 8 9 2 2998 252    7.0 18.9 9 3122.2 3 1972 38 17 of 31 6 12 13 4 4902 1570    5.1 7.9 12 6622.9 7 1973 39 18 of 28 11 14 14 8 5338 2658    3.4 7.8 14 7209.0 14 1974 40 19 of 30 7 15 15 11 4630 1167    2.2 7.9 15 7757.8 15 1975 41 21 of 30 3 13 14 7 5653 1343 15 3.4 10.3 13 8591.3 9 1976 42 22 of 30 10 16 18 8 6194 1227 9 3.5 6.9 18 9060.3 14 1977 43 22 of 30 2 16 16 5 5694 868 13 5.4 9.6 16 8191.8 12 1978 44 22 of 30 4 11 11 7 5375 757 16 4.7 15.6 11 7612.7 8 1979 45 9 of 31 1 4 5 2 2271 264 32 4.8 12.9 5 3232.9 3 1980 46 9 of 31 1 4 5 1 1787 172 37 6.7 13.9 5 3254.1 4 1981 47 6 of 31 0 0 2 1 1309 48 69 8.8 22.0 2 1878.6 0 1982 48 6 of 30 0 2 2 2 1019 7 38 12.3 22.2 2 1721.0 1 1983 49 10 of 30 0 1 4 0 1643 18 33 11.4 22.1 4 3093.6 1 1984 50 11 of 30 0 0 3 1 1630 10 41 10.3 26.2 4 2974.0 1 1985 51 12 of 28 0 0 1 0 1418 2 36 9.3 30.1 2 2644.7 0 1986 52 2 of 29 0 0 1 0 337 0 82 11.0 23.0 1 605.0 0 27 years     574 105 301 366 113 135021 25176    6.9 13.8 369 148209.7 203

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During 37 seasons in NASCAR’s premier division, Moore’s cars won 63 times and finished 298 and 463 times respectively among the top five and top 10. His cars also won 43 poles in the team’s 959 starts. Moore-owned cars have visited Victory Lane in most of the sport’s biggest events including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500.

Moore’s cars, both fast and dependable, attracted the sport’s top drivers. They included Weatherly, Dale Earnhardt, Fireball Roberts, David Pearson, Billy Wade, Darel Dieringer, Bobby Isaac, Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons, Bobby Allison, Ricky Rudd and Geoffrey Bodine.

As a top performer among Ford’s motorsports stable, Moore frequently was tapped to spearhead the company’s other racing endeavors. Among his successes was the 1970 Sports Car Club of America championship with Parnelli Jones.

Jarrett won his first series title in 1961 while driving a Chevrolet for W.G. Holloway Jr. He finished with only one victory, but posted an impressive 34 top-10s in 46 starts. In 1965, he won his second title while driving for DuPont heir Bondy Long, and despite a back injury sustained at Greenville, S.C., Jarrett finished with 13 wins and 42 top-fives in 54 starts that season. He also won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway by 14 laps, (17.5 miles), still the largest margin of victory in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. 

In addition to his immense success in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jarrett also captured two championships in the Sportsman Division (1957 and 1958).

Nicknamed “Gentleman Ned,” Jarrett and his wife, Martha, reside in Hickory, N.C. Their family includes son Dale, who won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup title. Since retiring, the elder Jarrett has become one of NASCAR’s greatest ambassadors. He’s also considered instrumental to the sport’s growth through his second career as a broadcaster. Now retired from broadcasting, he is especially remembered for the emotional call of his son Dale’s 1993 Daytona 500 victory.

Jarrett was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

Year Age Races Win Top 5 Top 10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn RAF Miles LLF 1953 21 2 of 37 0 0 0 0 8 0 26.0 35.0 1 10.9 0 1954 22 2 of 37 0 0 0 0 273 0    19.5 1 129.0 0 1955 23 3 of 45 0 0 0 0 403 0 31.7 30.7 1 488.4 0 1956 24 2 of 56 0 0 0 0 244 0 16.0 16.5 1 135.4 0 1957 25 1 of 53 0 0 0 0 7 0 19.0 19.0 0 3.5 0 1959 27 17 of 44 2 4 7 0 2929 2 12.9 14.0 9 1513.1 4 1960 28 40 of 44 5 20 26 5 7399 382 8.9 9.9 28 5609.7 8 1961 29 46 of 52 1 23 34 4 9813 606 8.3 7.6 35 7476.8 6 1962 30 52 of 53 6 19 35 4 11296 866 9.3 9.3 38 7435.3 8 1963 31 53 of 55 8 32 39 4 11845 1897 7.0 8.6 42 8274.7 16 1964 32 60 of 62 15 40 45 9 13325 3304 5.9 7.3 37 9023.2 19 1965 33 54 of 55 13 42 45 9 13527 2244 4.5 4.9 45 9367.5 23 1966 34 21 of 49 0 5 8 0 4584 167 11.6 16.9 8 4363.4 2 13 years    353 50 185 239 35 75653 9468 12.4 15.3 246 53830.9 86

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