PLYMOUTH, Wis. — If there’s one thing Tyler Reddick knows for sure, it’s where he’ll be in 2023 — and that’s competing in the NASCAR Cup Series for his fourth full-time season.
“Next year is all taken care of,” Reddick said Saturday at Road America. “I’ll be racing with RCR next year.”
Which is where he is right now, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing.
Reddick has been with the two-car operation – teammates with Austin Dillon in the No. 3 entry – since joining the top level in 2020. He was with the organization at large a year prior on the way to a second straight Xfinity Series title.
The 2023 season was an option year for Reddick, and team owner Richard Childress has previously indicated the team would exercise that option. There has not been a formal announcement, though.
Rather than relaxing with that news, Reddick glances ahead periodically to 2024, when he’s not guaranteed a ride.
“Well, it’s a tough thing,” Reddick said. “It is far down the line, but you have to be thinking. You gotta give as much as you can in the present and the now, but some of what happens in the present now is set up by what you do in the future. So, certainly thinking about that. And we’ll see. I got a little bit of time, I guess.”
Career-wise, Reddick has 91 starts and is still seeking his first win. The 26-year-old already topped his previous season-best top-five (three, in 2020 and 2021) and laps-led (43 in 2021) marks by notching four and 249, respectively, this season – just 17 races into the 36-race schedule. His best finish remains second, doing so twice this year and five times overall. There’s only one driver all-time who had more runner-ups without a win in his career: G.C. Spencer with seven.
Reddick qualified fourth for Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 at Road America (3 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), where he came in eighth last season.
BetMGM lists Reddick at 22-1 odds to win. Polesitter Chase Elliott, a fellow Chevy pilot, is the favorite at 9-2. Reddick was 0.313 seconds and 0.252 mph slower than Elliott, last week’s winner at Nashville and defending Road America winner.
“Honestly, even if you’re secure like I am, you’re always racing,” Reddick said. “Because you got to be able to negotiate for the next better deal. You want to make a little bit more money or whatever it might be. … If you run really bad, you’re not going to be as valuable as you would be if you run really good.”
See where your favorite driver will pit in Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 in the NASCAR Cup Series at Road America (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Nearing the final buzzer, Chase Elliott edged out Chase Briscoe on his final lap of qualifying to earn the Busch Light Pole Award for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Road America (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Early on, Briscoe had the hot hand, setting the tone in both of Saturday’s sessions and seemingly locking down the first starting position with a blistering 134.465-second run around the circuit. But with time winding down, road-course ace and defending race winner Elliott had the last say, squeezing past the No. 14 on the leaderboard by just 0.038 seconds. Elliott won last year’s race after starting in 34th, so the outstanding effort makes him even more of a challenge to beat Sunday.
Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson checked in with the third-fastest time of 134.672 seconds, followed by Chevrolet counterpart Tyler Reddick (134.74 seconds) in fourth. Austin Cindric (134.78 seconds) rounded out the top five, contributing to an impressive Ford effort in qualifying. Michael McDowell, Chris Buescher, Alex Bowman, renowned road racer Joey Hand and Cole Custer each raced inside the top 10.
Briscoe topped the charts in Group A’s lone session of the morning, speeding to a 134.663-second lap time at 108.217 mph in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. Briscoe is no stranger to success at the popular Wisconsin road course, finishing sixth in this race in 2021 and reeling in a pair of top-seven finishes when he was in the Xfinity Series — seventh in 2019 and third in 2020.
Group A’s short session went without many incidents, but there were some. Most notable was Larson’s spin near the end of his six-lap run. The No. 5 only suffered minor damage and set a 135.278-second lap time, good for fifth overall.
Second out on the track, Group B was led by Ross Chastain, continuing Trackhouse Racing’s road-course prowess so far this season. Chastain’s fastest lap — 135.262 seconds — was clocked at third-quickest overall, 0.599 seconds behind Briscoe’s mark. Chastain’s No. 1 Chevrolet did have break issues upon later inspection, forcing the team to make changes for safety before Sunday’s race. No penalty was issued.
Toyota’s road-racing woes continued early with Christopher Bell fastest among the bunch in 12th. Bubba Wallace and Martin Truex Jr. finished 16th and 18th, respectively, with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch slotting in outside the top 20. No Toyota driver made it into the final round of qualifying.
The part-time effort entered by Team Hezeberg loses engineer Jonah Karpinski for the weekend and will not be able to select its pit stall for Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 at Road America (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
In NASCAR Xfinity Series pre-qualifying inspection, the No. 21 Chevrolet from the Richard Childress Racing stable also failed twice and lost its pit selection.
Editor’s note: This article originally ran July 2, 2017.
The conversation started several weeks ago, bouncing around ideas for Richard Petty’s 80th birthday celebration. Boss starts dreaming big: “What about a photo gallery with all 200 wins?”
What I intended to say was: “Great! I gleefully accept the assignment.” What I actually blurted out, with concern for organizing and maintaining a 200-slide photo gallery, was: “What? That’ll be like flushing all the toilets in the building at the same time.”
The Petty project that developed was a hybrid — one part photo gallery of iconic images and one part research paper, both offering a tour through NASCAR’s history from the perspective of its winningest driver.
The photo gallery did not hit the double-century mark, instead rounding out at 80 photos to coincide with the 80th birthday festivities. The reason: Short of a herculean effort to scour the archives of numerous speedways, fans and drivers, no readily accessible photos exist for some of Petty’s earliest victories. For each of Petty’s seven thoroughly documented Daytona 500 triumphs, there’s a substantially larger number of weekday wins on semi-obscure short tracks, several of which are long since gone.
But armed with Racing-Reference and access to newspaper clippings, we pressed on with capsules for all 200 wins. The exercise provided a glimpse into not only Petty’s greatness, but how much stock-car racing changed during his prime.
There were the battles with Hall of Famers: Pearson, Isaac, Yarborough, Allison. The wins with multiple-lap margins of victory. The wins with automakers now relegated to the history books: Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile. The races sponsored by beer brands of a bygone time: Falstaff, Tuborg, Schaefer. Then the races in NASCAR’s infancy without names at all.
Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin and Bill Elliott all made their debuts in races that Petty won. When NASCAR’s premier series said farewell to racing on dirt in 1970, it was Petty who gave it a triumphant send-off.
And oh, the oddities. The race red-flagged for observance of a funeral at a nearby cemetery. The time that vandals sabotaged cars ahead of a Talladega event in the 1970s. The King’s wins in cars numbered something higher than No. 43, a thought that seems like heresy today.
What follows is both a document of two and a half decades of competitive excellence at NASCAR’s highest level and a tribute to one of the sport’s legendary champions.
**
Win No. 1
Date: Feb. 28, 1960
Race: No title.
Track: Southern States Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Charlotte, N.C.
Notable: Petty won in his 35th career start in NASCAR’s premier series, collecting $800 in prize money.
Win No. 2
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Date: April 10, 1960
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: The race inspired a 2013 song by Nashville group Wild Ponies called “Massey’s Run,” with lyrics telling the story from the perspective of runner-up Jimmy Massey.
Win No. 3
Date: Sept. 18, 1960
Race: No title.
Track: Orange Speedway, .9-mile dirt track in Hillsborough, N.C.
Notable: Petty led all 110 laps to notch his first win from the pole position.
Win No. 4
Date: April 23, 1961
Race: Richmond 200
Track: Atlantic Rural Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Richmond, Va. (later Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway)
Notable: Petty led 182 of 200 laps to top the 12-car field, one of the smallest in series history.
Win No. 5
Date: May 21, 1961
Race: World 600 Qualifier No. 1
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile track in Concord, N.C.
Notable: Victory helped Petty win the pole for NASCAR’s longest race; qualifier also marked the series debut for NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Isaac.
Win No. 6
Date: April 15, 1962
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty led the final 82 laps, taking command when Ned Jarrett exited with engine failure. Final career start for NASCAR Hall of Famer Herb Thomas.
Win No. 7
Date: April 22, 1962
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Event marked the first race in more than a year for Lee Petty, Richard’s father, who returned from injuries suffered in a qualifying race the previous season at Daytona.
Win No. 8
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Date: July 14, 1962
Race: Pickens 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty drove one of only two Plymouths in the 21-car field, winning by more than three laps over runner-up Jack Smith.
Win No. 9
Date: Aug. 8, 1962
Race: No title.
Track: Huntsville (Ala.) Speedway, .25-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty led all 200 laps in the only premier-series race hosted by the Huntsville track, which is still in weekly operation today.
Win No. 10
Date: Aug. 15, 1962
Race: No title.
Track: Starkey Speedway, .25-mile asphalt track in Roanoke, Va.
Notable: One of a handful of wins for the King in a car not numbered 43. Petty drove a Plymouth with No. 42.
Win No. 11
Date: Aug. 18, 1962
Race: International 200
Track: Bowman Gray Stadium, .25-mile asphalt track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Notable: A rare instance where foreign cars were permitted — Austin-Healey, Alfa Romeo and MG were among the automakers represented.
Win No. 12
Date: Aug. 21, 1962
Race: No title.
Track: Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Spartanburg, S.C.
Notable: Runner-up Joe Weatherly was the only other driver on the lead lap in Petty’s third consecutive win.
Win No. 13
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Date: Sept. 30, 1962
Race: Wilkes 320
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty led the final 160 laps, taking the lead from hometown favorite Junior Johnson at the halfway point.
Win No. 14
Date: Nov. 11, 1962
Race: No title.
Track: Golden Gate Speedway, .3-mile asphalt track in Tampa, Fla.
Notable: Only premier-series race run at the Tampa facility, which was the original home of the prestigious Florida Governor’s Cup Late Model race.
Win No. 15
Date: March 2, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Spartanburg, S.C.
Notable: Petty drove away from contact with the wall with 17 laps left, then took over with two laps remaining when Ned Jarrett ran out of fuel.
Win No. 16
Date: March 3, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Asheville-Weaverville (N.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Pole-starter Junior Johnson, Petty’s main competition, pitted twice with tire trouble; race marked the sixth consecutive short-track victory for Plymouth.
Win No. 17
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Date: April 14, 1963
Race: South Boston 400
Track: South Boston (Va.) Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led the final 325 laps, beating runner-up Jim Paschal to the finish by a two-lap margin.
Win No. 18
Date: April 21, 1963
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Staggered by heat and fumes, Petty briefly collapsed in Victory Lane after winning the Virginia 500 for the second straight year.
Win No. 19
Date: April 28, 1963
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty scores his third consecutive North Wilkesboro victory in a race shortened from 400 to 257 laps by rain.
Win No. 20
Date: May 2, 1963
Race: Columbia 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track
Notable: Petty drove to his first victory with the No. 41; his brother, Maurice, drove the family team’s flagship No. 43 Plymouth.
Win No. 21
Date: May 18, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Old Dominion Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track in Manassas, Va.
Notable: Petty started from the pole and lapped the field, collecting $1,000 from the purse.
Win No. 22
Date: June 9, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Fairgrounds Raceway, .5-mile asphalt track in Birmingham, Ala.
Notable: Petty took command from Jack Smith on the 23rd lap and was in front the rest of the way
Win No. 23
Date: July 21, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Bridgehampton (N.Y.) Raceway, 2.85-mile road course.
Notable: Petty’s first road-course win; the 516-acre facility closed in 1998 and was later converted into a golf course.
Win No. 24
Date: July 30, 1963
Race: Pickens 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty grabbed the top spot from pole winner Ned Jarrett with 52 laps left.
Win No. 25
Date: Aug. 8, 1963
Race: Sandlapper 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty started first and led 138 laps; runner-up David Pearson led the other 62.
Win No. 26
Date: Oct. 5, 1963
Race: No title.
Track: Tar Heel Speedway, .25-mile asphalt track in Randleman, N.C.
Notable: Petty led the final 41 laps in his only victory in his hometown.
Win No. 27
Date: Oct. 20, 1963
Race: South Boston 400
Track: South Boston (Va.) Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty recovered from an early spin, rallying to lead the final 287 laps.
Win No. 28
Date: Dec. 29, 1963
Race: Sunshine 200
Track: Savannah (Ga.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track
Notable: Ned Jarrett started from the pole but retired with engine failure after leading the first 67 laps; Petty took command and led the rest of the way.
Win No. 29
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Date: Feb. 23, 1964
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: The first of Petty’s seven wins in The Great American Race.
Win No. 30
Date: May 17, 1964
Race: No title.
Track: South Boston (Va.) Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty benefited from making just one brief pit stop for fuel only in the 267-lap event.
Win No. 31
Date: June 11, 1964
Race: No title.
Track: Concord (N.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty led the final 85 of 200 laps in the track’s final premier-series race.
Win No. 32
Date: June 14, 1964
Race: Music City 200
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: A 19-second refueling stop — quicker than runner-up David Pearson’s 26-second stop — made the difference for Petty, who led 127 of 200 laps.
Win No. 33
Date: June 26, 1964
Race: No title.
Track: Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Spartanburg, S.C.
Notable: Billy Wade and Ned Jarrett crashed in a late contest for the lead, allowing Petty to shoot in front for the final 15 laps.
Win No. 34
Date: Aug. 2, 1964
Race: Nashville 400
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty goes wire-to-wire, leading all 400 laps from the pole; teammate Jim Paschal is declared the runner-up days later after a recheck of the scoring cards.
Win No. 35
Date: Aug. 16, 1964
Race: Mountaineer 500
Track: West Virginia International Speedway, .438-mile asphalt track in Huntington, W.Va.
Notable: Petty — wearing what newspapers termed an “air-conditioned” suit for the first time — led 396 of 500 laps, besting Junior Johnson by three laps.
Win No. 36
Date: Oct. 25, 1964
Race: No title.
Track: Harris (N.C.) Speedway, .333-mile asphalt track.
Notable: First of just two NASCAR premier-series races at the facility, which still operates today, but as a dirt track.
Win No. 37
Date: July 31, 1965
Race: Nashville 400
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty drove the only Plymouth in the 24-car field, topping second-place Ned Jarrett by a six-lap margin. It was his first win since sitting out most of the season because of NASCAR’s ban on the Chrysler Hemi engine.
Win No. 38
Date: Aug. 8, 1965
Race: Western North Carolina 500
Track: Asheville-Weaverville (N.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Junior Johnson (crash) and David Pearson (broken axle) were the closest competition for Petty, who led 346 of 500 laps.
Win No. 39
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Date: Sept. 10, 1965
Race: Buddy Shuman 250
Track: Hickory (N.C.) Speedway, .4-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty headed the field for the final 40 laps, taking over when Junior Johnson pitted for the final time.
Win No. 40
Date: Sept. 17, 1965
Race: No title.
Track: Old Dominion Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track in Manassas, Va.
Notable: Ned Jarrett was the runner-up after securing the final pole position of his career.
Win No. 41
Date: Nov. 14, 1965
Race: Georgia Cracker 300
Track: Augusta (Ga.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Tiny Lund started last in the 30-car field and charged to the top spot, which he held until a broken distributor cap gave the lead to Petty for the final 38 laps.
Win No. 42
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Date: Feb. 27, 1966
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led 108 of 198 laps from the pole for his second 500 win; race was shorted by two laps because of rain.
Win No. 43
Date: April 30, 1966
Race: Rebel 300
Track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 1.366-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s first Darlington win, a dominant performance with 281 of 291 laps led and a three-lap margin of victory.
Win No. 44
Date: May 7, 1966
Race: Tidewater 250
Track: Langley Speedway, .4-mile dirt track in Hampton, Va.
Notable: A broken spindle for John Sears and a flat tire for Elmo Langley cleared the way for Petty to lead the final 177 laps.
Win No. 45
Date: May 10, 1966
Race: Speedy Morelock 200
Track: Middle Georgia Raceway, .5-mile asphalt track in Macon, Ga.
Notable: Petty set the pace for 159 of 200 laps in the track’s first premier-series race.
Win No. 46
Date: June 12, 1966
Race: Fireball 300
Track: Asheville-Weaverville (N.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: David Pearson stopped with two laps to go for a splash of fuel, but cut a tire on pit road. That allowed Petty to scoot by on the final lap.
Win No. 47
Date: July 30, 1966
Race: Nashville 400
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led all 400 circuits and was five laps ahead at the end; Coo Coo Marlin, Marty Robbins made their series debuts.
Win No. 48
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Date: Aug. 7, 1966
Race: Dixie 400
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.5-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: Petty led 90 laps — including the final 36 — in his first Atlanta win. Event featured the innovative “yellow banana” Ford build by Junior Johnson and raced by Fred Lorenzen.
Win No. 49
Date: Nov. 13, 1966
Race: Augusta 300
Track: Augusta (Ga.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Pole winner Dick Hutcherson retired after 77 laps with engine failure, opening the door for Petty to lead the rest of the 300-lapper.
Win No. 50
Date: March 5, 1967
Race: Fireball 300
Track: Asheville-Weaverville (N.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led the final 67 laps, stretching out his final margin of victory to two laps over pole-sitter and race runner-up Darel Dieringer.
Win No. 51
Date: April 6, 1967
Race: Columbia 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track
Notable: Petty paced the final 121 laps after a lead-swapping duel with Jim Paschal. Win moved him past Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson on NASCAR’s all-time win list.
Win No. 52
Date: April 9, 1967
Race: Hickory 250
Track: Hickory (N.C.) Speedway, .4-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty made six pit stops because of excessive tire wear, taking control when Bobby Allison slowed with overheating problems.
Win No. 53
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Date: April 23, 1967
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty snared the lead for the final time when Cale Yarborough skidded in oil and glanced off the retaining wall.
Win No. 54
Date: April 30, 1967
Race: Richmond 250
Track: Virginia State Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Richmond, Va.
Notable: Petty led 191 of 250 laps to win in Virginia’s capital city for the first time in six years.
Win No. 55
Date: May 13, 1967
Race: Rebel 400
Track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 1.366-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led a dominant 266 of 291 laps, passing his father, Lee, for first place on NASCAR’s all-time win list. “I really wasn’t thinking about records,” he told reporters. “All I thought about was winning the race.”
Win No. 56
Date: May 20, 1967
Race: Tidewater 250
Track: Langley Speedway, .4-mile dirt track in Hampton, Va.
Notable: Pole-sitter Petty led 223 of 250 laps, edging runner-up Bobby Allison by six seconds.
Win No. 57
Date: June 6, 1967
Race: Macon 300
Track: Middle Georgia Raceway, .5-mile asphalt track in Macon, Ga.
Notable: Petty led the final 149 laps in the 300-lap event, pouring it on for a five-lap margin of victory.
Win No. 58
Date: June 8, 1967
Race: East Tennessee 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .5-mile dirt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: Petty bested runner-up Jim Paschal by half a lap, sealing a 1-2 finish for Plymouth.
Win No. 59
Date: June 18, 1967
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: “It’s not as much a thrill to win now, but the money spends just as well,” Petty said after leading 249 of 500 laps for his first triumph at The Rock and his 11th win of the season.
Win No. 60
Date: June 24, 1967
Race: Pickens 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Dick Hutcherson was the only other driver to finish on the lead lap.
Win No. 61
Date: July 9, 1967
Race: Northern 300
Track: Trenton (N.J.) Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led 244 of the 300 laps from the pole, slowed only by a faulty wheel installed on a Lap 220 pit stop.
Win No. 62
Date: July 13, 1967
Race: No title.
Track: Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty’s blue Plymouth Belvedere wins again from the pole, with prime challenger Bobby Allison’s pursuit stalled by a crash in the 137th of 200 laps.
Win No. 63
Date: July 15, 1967
Race: Islip 300
Track: Islip (N.Y.) Speedway, .2-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s first victory at the Long Island venue, which was the shortest track to ever host NASCAR’s premier series.
Win No. 64
Date: July 23, 1967
Race: Volunteer 500
Track: Bristol (Tenn.) International Speedway, .533-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s first Bristol victory after beginning his career 0-for-11 at the Tennessee bullring.
Win No. 65
Date: July 29, 1967
Race: Nashville 400
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: News reports listed Petty as many as 12 laps down because of unscheduled early pit stops, but attrition fueled both his comeback and a tidy five-lap victory over runner-up James Hylton.
Win No. 66
Date: Aug. 12, 1967
Race: Myers Brothers 250
Track: Bowman Gray Stadium, .25-mile asphalt track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Notable: Petty’s 18th victory of 1967 tied Tim Flock’s single-season record set in 1955.
Win No. 67
Date: Aug. 17, 1967
Race: Sandlapper 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track
Notable: Bobby Allison led 171 of the 200 laps, but crashed shortly after Petty permanently took the lead with 12 laps to go.
Win No. 68
Date: Aug. 25, 1967
Race: No title.
Track: Savannah (Ga.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty cruised to a five-lap margin of victory, leading all 200 laps from the pole position.
Win No. 69
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Date: Sept. 4, 1967
Race: Southern 500
Track: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, 1.366-mile asphalt track.
Notable: The first and only Southern 500 win for Petty, who led 345 of 364 laps. Runner-up David Pearson was relieved by Cale Yarborough in the final 100 miles.
Win No. 70
Date: Sept. 8, 1967
Race: Buddy Shuman 250
Track: Hickory (N.C.) Speedway, .4-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty limped home on a flat tire for the final two laps, besting runner-up Jack Ingram, who notched his career-best finish in NASCAR’s top division. First premier-series race since Hickory switched from dirt to pavement.
Win No. 71
Date: Sept. 10, 1967
Race: Capital City 300
Track: Virginia State Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Richmond, Va.
Notable: Petty recovered from a crash in practice that altered the No. 43’s steering to lead 177 of the 300 laps.
Win No. 72
Date: Sept. 15, 1967
Race: Maryland 300
Track: Beltsville (Md.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty led 171 of 300 laps, taking command when Bobby Allison pitted for a flat tire past the halfway point.
Win No. 73
Date: Sept. 17, 1967
Race: Hillsboro 150
Track: Orange Speedway, .9-mile dirt track in Hillsborough, N.C.
Notable: Petty rallied from an unscheduled early pit stop to clear mud from his windshield, leading from Lap 80 to the end of the 167-lap feature.
Win No. 74
Date: Sept. 24, 1967
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Paul Goldsmith led the majority of the laps (286), but gave way to Petty when he retired with a broken differential.
Win No. 75
Date: Oct. 1, 1967
Race: Wilkes 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: The final victory in Petty’s amazing 10-race win streak; he led 256 of the 400 laps.
Win No. 76
Date: Nov. 26, 1967
Race: No title.
Track: Montgomery (Ala.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty halts Bobby Allison’s three-race win streak, leading 154 of 200 laps.
Win No. 77
Date: April 7, 1968
Race: Hickory 250
Track: Hickory (N.C.) Speedway, .4-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty bypassed pole-starter David Pearson to lead the final 64 laps.
Win No. 78
Date: April 13, 1968
Race: Greenville 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Trouble for challengers David Pearson (crash) and Bobby Isaac (brake failure) allowed Petty to lead comfortably for the final 40 laps.
Win No. 79
Date: May 31, 1968
Race: Asheville 300
Track: New Asheville (N.C.) Speedway, .333-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led all 300 laps from the pole; Second-place starter David Pearson crashed out early after contact with Stan Meserve, sparking a fistfight between drivers and crews.
Win No. 80
Date: June 6, 1968
Race: East Tennessee 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .5-mile dirt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: A broken oil pan sidelined Bobby Isaac, handing the lead to Petty for the final 101 laps.
Win No. 81
Date: June 8, 1968
Race: No title.
Track: Fairgrounds Raceway, .5-mile asphalt track in Birmingham, Ala.
Notable: Petty led all but one lap, holding off Bobby Isaac at the finish.
Win No. 82
Date: June 22, 1968
Race: Pickens 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track.
Notable: Petty drove past pole-starter David Pearson in the 170th of 200 laps to claim a $1,200 payday.
Win No. 83
Date: July 9, 1968
Race: Maine 300
Track: Oxford Plains Speedway, .333-mile asphalt track in Oxford, Maine.
Notable: Petty was in front for 187 of 300 laps to win the final premier-series race in the Pine Tree State.
Win No. 84
Date: July 11, 1968
Race: Fonda 200
Track: Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty unseated pole-sitter David Pearson for the lead on Lap 21, setting the pace for the remainder of the 200-lapper.
Win No. 85
Date: July 25, 1968
Race: Smoky Mountain 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .5-mile dirt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: Pole winner Bobby Isaac’s wreck after 39 laps in front gave Petty an opening; he led the final 161 of the 200 laps.
Win No. 86
Date: Aug. 23, 1968
Race: No title.
Track: South Boston (Va.) Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led a dominant 265 of 267 laps, but was just five car-lengths ahead of runner-up David Pearson at the checkered flag.
Win No. 87
Date: Sept. 8, 1968
Race: Capital City 300
Track: Virginia State Fairgrounds, .625-mile asphalt track in Richmond, Va.
Notable: First paved race at the Richmond fairgrounds layout, which was then measured at .625 miles.
Win No. 88
Date: Sept. 15, 1968
Race: Hillsborough 150
Track: Orange Speedway, .9-mile dirt track in Hillsborough, N.C.
Notable: Petty leads 155 of 167 laps as NASCAR marks a pair of farewells. It’s the last race at the Hillsborough track and the final premier-series event for Hall of Famer Curtis Turner.
Win No. 89
Date: Sept. 22, 1968
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty sidestepped a first-lap wreck among the front-runners, leading 324 of 500 circuits to deny runner-up Cale Yarborough, the pole-starter.
Win No. 90
Date: Sept. 29, 1968
Race: Wilkes 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty lost the lead only during the exchange of pit stops, pacing 318 of 400 laps.
Win No. 91
Date: Oct. 27, 1968
Race: American 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty matched Pearson with his 16th victory of the year, but Pearson clinched the season-long championship battle by finishing second.
Win No. 92
Date: Nov. 17, 1968
Race: Georgia 500
Track: Middle Georgia Raceway, .5-mile asphalt track in Macon, Ga.
Notable: Only Petty and David Pearson were on the lead lap at the end. Third-place finisher James Hylton finished 10 laps behind the lead pair.
Win No. 93
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Date: Feb. 1, 1969
Race: Motor Trend 500
Track: Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway, 2.7-mile road course.
Notable: Petty’s first win in a Ford since the offseason dissolution of his 10-year association with Plymouth.
Win No. 94
Date: April 27, 1969
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track.
Notable: James Hylton drove in a relief role for Petty — suffering from heat exhaustion — for roughly 50 laps near the end. Runner-up David Pearson also used a relief driver, Cale Yarborough.
Win No. 95
Date: June 19, 1969
Race: Kingsport 250
Track: Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway, .4-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty rallied from his own spin, but benefited when Bobby Isaac and David Pearson collided and Isaac’s engine later quit.
Win No. 96
Date: July 6, 1969
Race: Mason-Dixon 300
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty prevails by six laps in the first premier series race held at the “Monster Mile.”
Win No. 97
Date: July 15, 1969
Race: Maryland 300
Track: Beltsville (Md.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Results and an official declaration of Petty as the winner were held up for nearly 40 minutes after the checkered flag after a scoring dispute by runner-up David Pearson.
Win No. 98
Date: July 26, 1969
Race: Nashville 400
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty survived after repeated bumper taps from runner-up Bobby Isaac, who was overcome by excessive heat, prompting a 30-lap relief stint by Dave Marcis.
Win No. 99
Date: July 27, 1969
Race: Smoky Mountain 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .5-mile dirt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: Second win in the same weekend in the Volunteer State by Petty, who led 127 of 200 laps after Bobby Isaac crashed out before the halfway point.
Win No. 100
Date: Aug. 22, 1969
Race: Myers Brothers 250
Track: Bowman Gray Stadium, .25-mile asphalt track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Notable: Petty spun out on the first turn, handing the top spot to Bobby Isaac for the first 241 laps. Isaac ran out of gas, allowing Petty in front for the final nine circuits of his landmark 100th victory.
Win No. 101
Date: Sept. 28, 1969
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: A drink can thrown from the stands hit Petty’s windshield with 39 laps remaining, forcing a caution flag that erased a sizable lead by David Pearson. Petty, down two laps at one point, took over when Pearson pitted. Petty said he believed fans were upset by his role in the drivers’ boycott two weeks earlier at Talladega Superspeedway.
Win No. 102
Date: March 8, 1970
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty spun twice, crashed once (with Bobby Isaac and Cale Yarborough), and made 15 pit stops but still won the 492-lap event by three laps, his first victory in the iconic No. 43 Superbird after his switch back to Plymouth.
Win No. 103
Date: March 15, 1970
Race: Savannah 200
Track: Savannah (Ga.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty leads 183 of 200 laps in the final premier-series race at the eastern Georgia track, which was paved the previous year.
Win No. 104
Date: April 18, 1970
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Engine trouble in qualifying relegated Petty to the 16th starting spot, but he stormed back to take a permanent lead in the 52nd of 400 laps.
Win No. 105
Date: April 30, 1970
Race: Columbia 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile dirt track
Notable: A rare win for Petty with someone other than Petty Enterprises listed as the owner. Don Robertson was the owner of record for the No. 43 in two dirt-track races that season.
Win No. 106
Date: June 14, 1970
Race: Falstaff 400
Track: Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway, 2.62-mile road course.
Notable: Petty endured sputtering out of fuel and relinquished the lead only during a pit-stop exchange to post his first win since suffering a shoulder injury in a crash a month earlier at Darlington Raceway.
Win No. 107
Date: June 26, 1970
Race: Kingsport 100
Track: Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway, .337-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty drove home two laps ahead of runner-up James Hylton and another two laps ahead of third-place finisher Dave Marcis, who was without brakes for the final two-thirds of the race.
Win No. 108
Date: July 7, 1970
Race: Albany-Saratoga 200
Track: Albany-Saratoga Speedway, .362-mile asphalt track in Malta, N.Y.
Notable: First of two premier-series races held at the eastern New York oval, which is still active today as a dirt track.
Win No. 109
Date: July 12, 1970
Race: Schaefer 300
Track: Trenton (N.J.) Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty emerged from a flurry of early lead changes to pace 71 of the final 75 laps.
Win No. 110
Date: July 24, 1970
Race: East Tennessee 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .520-mile asphalt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: Petty led 172 of 200 laps, but had to hold off Bobby Isaac by half a car-length at the checkered flag.
Win No. 111
Date: Aug. 2, 1970
Race: Dixie 500
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.522-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: Petty was in front for all but 33 laps, outlasting both runner-up Cale Yarborough and intense heat for a $19,600 payday.
Win No. 112
Date: Aug. 11, 1970
Race: West Virginia 300
Track: International Raceway Park, .437-mile asphalt track in Ona, W.Va.
Notable: Petty survived a scare in the form of a blackout at the track that halted the race for nearly 30 minutes on Lap 45 of 300. “I scraped another car, but whose I don’t know,” Petty told reporters.
Win No. 113
Date: Aug. 28, 1970
Race: Myers Brothers 250
Track: Bowman Gray Stadium, .25-mile asphalt track in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Notable: Bobby Isaac led the opening 63 laps, but surrendered the advantage to Petty, who topped runner-up Bobby Allison by half a lap.
Win No. 114
Date: Aug. 29, 1970
Race: Halifax County 100
Track: South Boston (Va.) Speedway, .375-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s last victory at South Boston, which gave him five wins in the 10 premier-series races that the track hosted from 1960-71.
Win No. 115
Date: Sept. 13, 1970
Race: Capital City 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led a staggering 488 of 500 laps; Donnie Allison — who wound up third behind his brother and runner-up Bobby Allison — led the other 12.
Win No. 116
Date: Sept. 20, 1970
Race: Mason-Dixon 300
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty drove ahead with 32 laps to go, upending Charlie Glotzbach’s charge from the last starting position because of a pre-race tire violation.
Win No. 117
Date: Sept. 30, 1970
Race: Home State 200
Track: North Carolina State Fairgrounds, .5-mile dirt track in Raleigh, N.C.
Notable: Petty leads 112 of 200 laps in the final race for NASCAR’s top division on dirt.
Win No. 118
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Date: Oct. 18, 1970
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty cruises, heading 480 of 500 laps. Twelve drivers are listed in the final rundown as “quit,” completing less than 40 laps in an apparent protest over the purse payout.
Win No. 119
Date: Nov. 8, 1970
Race: Georgia 500
Track: Middle Georgia Raceway, .548-mile asphalt track in Macon, Ga.
Notable: Petty and Bobby Isaac swapped the lead five times over the final 100 laps, with the No. 43 setting the pace for the final 56 circuits.
Win No. 120
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Date: Feb. 14, 1971
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led 69 of 200 laps for his third 500 crown, aided by handling issues for runner-up Buddy Baker and a lengthy pit stop for out-of-gas A.J. Foyt, who finished third.
Win No. 121
Date: March 7, 1971
Race: Richmond 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: As a penalty for an engine mounted an inch too far back on the frame, Petty was forced to start at the rear of the 30-car field and drive with a restrictor plate. He still rallied to lead 348 of 500 laps.
Win No. 122
Date: March 14, 1971
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty paced 198 of 492 laps, with runner-up Bobby Isaac and third-place Buddy Baker the only drivers on the lead lap at the finish.
Win No. 123
Date: March 21, 1971
Race: Hickory 276
Track: Hickory (N.C.) Speedway, .363-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty withstood three caution periods and an unusual red flag; the race was stopped — according to differing news reports, from 15 to 30 minutes — for a funeral at a nearby cemetery.
Win No. 124
Date: April 8, 1971
Race: Columbia 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty emerged from a fender-rubbing clash with Benny Parsons with two laps left to win the first premier-series race on pavement at Columbia.
Win No. 125
Date: April 15, 1971
Race: Maryville 200
Track: Smoky Mountain Raceway, .52-mile asphalt track in Maryville, Tenn.
Notable: Petty led 134 of 200 laps and edged runner-up Benny Parsons by eight seconds in the final premier-series event at the Smoky Mountain track.
Win No. 126
Date: April 18, 1971
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: A brush with the Turn 4 guardrail failed to slow Petty, who was a full lap ahead of David Pearson at the finish.
Win No. 127
Date: April 25, 1971
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Pole-starter Donnie Allison retired with engine failure after leading 367 laps; Petty surged in front for the final 88 circuits.
Win No. 128
Date: May 21, 1971
Race: Asheville 300
Track: New Asheville Speedway, .333-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Just five of the 17 starters were running at the finish of the caution-free race, with Petty in front for 252 of the 300 laps.
Win No. 129
Date: June 26, 1971
Race: Pickens 200
Track: Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty claimed the final premier-series race at the historic South Carolina track, taking command after early leader and pole winner Bobby Allison parked with an engine problem.
Win No. 130
Date: July 14, 1971
Race: Albany-Saratoga 250
Track: Albany-Saratoga Speedway, .362-mile asphalt track in Malta, N.Y.
Notable: Petty rolled from the pole, leading 181 of 250 laps in the track’s farewell to NASCAR’s top series. J.D. McDuffie notched his career-best finish in third place.
Win No. 131
Date: July 15, 1971
Race: Islip 250
Track: Islip (N.Y.) Speedway, .2-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led wire-to-wire in a race shortened by 20 laps because of a scoring error. Friday Hassler finished a career-best second, two laps down.
Win No. 132
Date: July 18, 1971
Race: Northern 300
Track: Trenton (N.J.) Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty started second and led 128 laps, including the final 88 to beat runner-up Buddy Baker by 23 seconds.
Win No. 133
Date: July 24, 1971
Race: Nashville 420
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .596-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty set the pace for the final 399 laps, zooming past when Bobby Allison was sidelined by a suspension failure.
Win No. 134
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Date: Aug. 1, 1971
Race: Dixie 500
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.522-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: Petty becomes the first stock-car driver to top the $1 million mark in career winnings, edging Bobby Allison at the start/finish line by just two car-lengths.
Win No. 135
Date: Aug. 8, 1971
Race: West Virginia 500
Track: International Raceway Park, .437-mile asphalt track in Ona, W.Va.
Notable: An exhausted Petty led 279 of 500 laps, needing oxygen at the end of the sweltering summer Sunday.
Win No. 136
Date: Aug. 27, 1971
Race: Sandlapper 200
Track: Columbia (S.C.) Speedway, .5-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty topped runner-up Tiny Lund by 10 car-lengths in the final premier series race in the South Carolina capital.
Win No. 137
Date: Oct. 17, 1971
Race: Delaware 500
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Pole-starter Bobby Allison led 394 laps and had a two-lap advantage when a broken wheel hub stud forced him into a four-minute stop for repairs. Meanwhile, Petty zipped by to lead the final 101 circuits.
Win No. 138
Date: Oct. 24, 1971
Race: American 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty leads a 1-2 sweep for Petty Enterprises with teammate Buddy Baker, who initially challenged the scoring — saying that Petty had passed him under caution — before relenting.
Win No. 139
Date: Nov. 14, 1971
Race: Capital City 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty clinches his third series championship in style, leading 330 of 500 laps.
Win No. 140
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Date: Dec. 12, 1971
Race: Texas 500
Track: Texas World Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in College Station, Texas.
Notable: Petty finished 18 seconds ahead of Petty Enterprises teammate Buddy Baker in the season finale.
Win No. 141
Date: Jan. 23, 1972
Race: Winston Western 500
Track: Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway, 2.62-mile road course.
Notable: Petty prevails in the first race with STP as a sponsor, the start of what became a long-running partnership. The event was shortened from a scheduled 191 laps to 149 because of fog.
Win No. 142
Date: Feb. 27, 1972
Race: Richmond 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led all but two of the final 206 laps, finishing a lap and a half ahead of pole-starter Bobby Allison.
Win No. 143
Date: April 23, 1972
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Early leaders Bobby Allison and Bobby Isaac faded on blistering tires, giving Petty the upper hand for the final 25-lap push.
Win No. 144
Date: April 30, 1972
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty breezed to a seven-lap margin of victory as runner-up Bobby Allison lost two laps in the pits in the late stages.
Win No. 145
Date: June 25, 1972
Race: Lone Star 500
Track: Texas World Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in College Station, Texas.
Notable: Petty headed the field for 186 of 250 laps in oppressive heat, scoring his first victory for the Dodge brand.
Win No. 146
Date: Sept. 10, 1972
Race: Capital City 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty made contact with Bobby Allison and Buddy Baker 108 laps from the finish, with Petty’s car bounding off the guardrail but sustaining minimal damage.
Win No. 147
Date: Sept. 24, 1972
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Bobby Allison led 432 of 500 laps from the pole, but Petty’s final surge kept the No. 43 in front for the final 39 laps. Allison was fined $500 for ignoring a black flag for driving without a gas cap, an infraction he blamed on an on-track brush with Petty.
Win No. 148
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Date: Oct. 1, 1972
Race: Wilkes 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: After making contact in the previous three races, the Petty-Allison feud boiled over. The two traded the lead 10 times in the final 50 laps, both repeatedly ramming each other with Petty taking the lead for keeps in the final lap.
Win No. 149
Date: Feb. 18, 1973
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty posts his fourth win in the Great American Race. A charging Buddy Baker led 156 laps, but his pursuit ended with engine failure six laps short of the finish.
Win No. 150
Date: Feb. 25, 1973
Race: Richmond 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s No. 43 lost a right-front fender in an early collision with the car of Neil “Soapy” Castles, driving away to a 13.6-second victory over runner-up Buddy Baker.
Win No. 151
Date: April 8, 1973
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty drove with relatively few challenges, leading 387 of 400 laps to best Benny Parsons by four laps at the finish.
Win No. 152
Date: June 10, 1973
Race: Alamo 500
Track: Texas World Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in College Station, Texas.
Notable: Petty and pole-sitter Buddy Baker were involved in all but three of the 28 lead changes, but Baker lost ground when a battery cable became dislodged.
Win No. 153
Date: Sept. 9, 1973
Race: Capital City 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty avoided a nine-car crash on the fourth lap, setting the pace for 429 of 500 laps and holding off runner-up Cale Yarborough.
Win No. 154
Date: Sept. 30, 1973
Race: Old Dominion 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Cale Yarborough led 366 laps from the pole, but Petty was out front for the final 28 laps when rain stopped the race just 20 laps shy of the 500-lap distance.
Win No. 155
Date: Feb. 17, 1974
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led 74 laps for his fifth victory in the Daytona 500, with Cale Yarborough some 47 seconds behind at the finish.
Win No. 156
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Date: March 3, 1974
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty totaled 278 laps led out of 492, outrunning second-place Cale Yarborough by one-plus lap at the finish.
Win No. 157
Date: April 21, 1974
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty paced 336 of 400 laps to pocket the $8,250 winner’s purse. The first 40 laps were not scored in an effort to shorten races by 10 percent during that year’s oil and energy crisis.
Win No. 158
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Date: May 11, 1974
Race: Music City USA 420
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .596-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Cale Yarborough’s engine issues after leading 198 laps gave Petty the opportunity to forge ahead. He led the final 106 laps at the fairgrounds facility.
Win No. 159
Date: June 16, 1974
Race: Motor State 360
Track: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in Brooklyn, Mich.
Notable: Petty started fourth and led 80 laps to register the first of his four wins at Michigan.
Win No. 160
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Date: July 28, 1974
Race: Dixie 500
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.522-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: Petty came back from an unscheduled pit stop for a cut tire in the 171st of 328 laps. He led 94 laps and was 21 seconds ahead of second-place David Pearson at the end.
Win No. 161
Date: Aug. 4, 1974
Race: Purolator 500
Track: Pocono International Raceway, 2.5-mile asphalt track in Long Pond, Pa.
Notable: Petty leads 152 of 192 laps in the first premier-series race ever held at Pocono. The event was shortened by eight laps because of rain.
Win No. 162
Date: Aug. 11, 1974
Race: Talladega 500
Track: Alabama International Motor Speedway, 2.66-mile asphalt track in Talladega, Ala.
Notable: Petty drafted with Buddy Baker to build a cushion, then warded off David Pearson at the finish for his first Talladega win. Controversy swirled when vandals sabotaged 10 front-running cars in the garage during the overnight hours before the race.
Win No. 163
Date: Sept. 8, 1974
Race: Capital City 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Cale Yarborough’s crash-related retirement after 121 laps allowed Petty to lead the rest of the way. He finished half a lap ahead of runner-up Benny Parsons.
Win No. 164
Date: Sept. 15, 1974
Race: Delaware 500
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty alleviates the heartache of his previous Dover visit (engine failure while leading with two laps left) by roaring to a three-lap margin of victory, leading 491 of 500 laps.
Win No. 165
Date: Feb. 23, 1975
Race: Richmond 500
Track: Richmond (Va.) Fairgrounds Raceway, .542-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Another Petty rout results in a six-lap advantage at the finish and 444 of 500 laps led.
Win No. 166
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Date: March 16, 1975
Race: Southeastern 500
Track: Bristol (Tenn.) International Speedway, .533-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty led 243 of 500 laps, leaving closest pursuer Benny Parsons six laps in arrears at the checkered flag.
Win No. 167
Date: March 23, 1975
Race: Atlanta 500
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.522-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: Petty led 170 laps, but turns back Buddy Baker’s challenge by .6-seconds at the finish.
Win No. 168
Date: April 6, 1975
Race: Gwyn Staley 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty gets around Cale Yarborough in the 179th lap, then leads the rest of the 400-lap main event.
Win No. 169
Date: April 27, 1975
Race: Virgina 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: The top six finishers all led multiple laps, but Petty logged the most — 240 laps in front — to collect a lucrative $20,000 payout.
Win No. 170
Date: May 25, 1975
Race: World 600
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track in Concord, N.C.
Notable: Petty ends an 0-for-25 Charlotte skid with his first victory in NASCAR’s longest race. Another notable first: Dale Earnhardt took 22nd place in his premier-series debut.
Win No. 171
Date: June 8, 1975
Race: Tuborg 400
Track: Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway, 2.62-mile road course.
Notable: Quick pit work gave Petty the edge over Bobby Allison, who made the same number of stops (six) during the course of the race.
Win No. 172
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Date: July 4, 1975
Race: Firecracker 400
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Buddy Baker led 118 laps to Petty’s 16, but the “King “was out front for the final 13 circuits, prevailing by 2.35 seconds at the finish.
Win No. 173
Date: Aug. 24, 1975
Race: Champion Spark Plug 400
Track: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in Brooklyn, Mich.
Notable: Petty and David Pearson traded the lead four times in the last four laps, with the No. 43 finishing just a hood’s length ahead of Pearson’s No. 21.
Win No. 174
Date: Sept. 14, 1975
Race: Delaware 500
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Mechanical trouble dealt Petty an early eight-lap deficit, but he rallied to take the lead from Dick Brooks for a final time just nine laps from the end.
Win No. 175
Date: Sept. 21, 1975
Race: Wilkes 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty held on in a late-race restart, eclipsing Cale Yarborough by 2.4 seconds at the checkered flag.
Win No. 176
Date: Oct. 5, 1975
Race: National 500
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track in Concord, N.C.
Notable: Petty led 168 laps — including the final 111 — to edge David Pearson by a scant 0.26 seconds.
Win No. 177
Date: Nov. 2, 1975
Race: Volunteer 500
Track: Bristol (Tenn.) International Speedway, .533-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty dominated the second half of the race, leading all but 13 circuits from Laps 272-500.
Win No. 178
Date: Feb. 29, 1976
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty leads 362 of 500 laps to win the only race in NASCAR premier-series history on a Leap Year day. Bill Elliott finishes 33rd in his debut in NASCAR’s top division.
Win No. 179
Date: Aug. 1, 1976
Race: Purolator 500
Track: Pocono International Raceway, 2.5-mile asphalt track in Long Pond, Pa.
Notable: Petty surged past David Pearson, who slowed with a flat right-rear tire, to lead the final two laps.
Win No. 180
Date: Oct. 24, 1976
Race: American 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty survived four stops for cut tires on the gritty track, but avoided the mechanical woe that thwarted Dave Marcis, who led 154 of the 492 laps.
Win No. 181
Date: March 13, 1977
Race: Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: Petty withstood a record 11 yellow flags to lead 281 of 492 laps. The surface was treated before the race with bear grease, which made the pavement slippery but served the purpose of curbing excessive tire wear.
Win No. 182
Date: March 20, 1977
Race: Atlanta 500
Track: Atlanta International Raceway, 1.5-mile track in Hampton, Ga.
Notable: The last of Petty’s six Atlanta wins was slowed by just two caution periods, giving the race a then-record average speed of 144.093 mph.
Win No. 183
Date: May 29, 1977
Race: World 600
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track in Concord, N.C.
Notable: “I didn’t have any problems today, major or minor,” said Petty, who led nine times for 311 of 400 laps, scoring a $69,550 winner’s prize.
Win No. 184
Date: June 12, 1977
Race: NAPA 400
Track: Riverside (Calif.) International Raceway, 2.62-mile road course.
Notable: Petty led 71 of 95 laps, topping runner-up David Pearson by 9.6 seconds for his final road-course win.
Win No. 185
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Date: July 4, 1977
Race: Firecracker 400
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty set the pace for 95 of 160 laps, including the final 19 to outdistance second-place Darrell Waltrip. It was the only premier series race where three women competed — Lella Lombardi (31st), Christine Beckers (37th), and Janet Guthrie (40th) all retired with mechanical trouble.
Win No. 186
Date: Feb. 18, 1979
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty avoided the Cale Yarborough-Donnie Allison crash on the last lap, driving from third to first to corral his sixth Daytona 500 triumph. The race is the first flag-to-flag race broadcast live.
Win No. 187
Date: April 22, 1979
Race: Virginia 500
Track: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, .526-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty fended off Buddy Baker by four seconds to post his first of six career victories in a Chevrolet.
Win No. 188
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Date: Aug. 19, 1979
Race: Champion Spark Plug 400
Track: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in Brooklyn, Mich.
Notable: Benefiting from a final pit stop for fresh tires with 22 laps left, Petty overpowered Buddy Baker in the final turn to win by a hood length.
Win No. 189
Date: Sept. 16, 1979
Race: CRC Chemicals 500
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty held off Donnie Allison by half a car-length, leading 110 of 500 laps.
Win No. 190
Date: Oct. 21, 1979
Race: American 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: A narrow victory (0.17 seconds) over Benny Parsons helped Petty take the points lead from Darrell Waltrip in his march to a seventh series championship.
Win No. 191
Date: April 20, 1980
Race: Northwestern Bank 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty soared to lead 327 of 400 laps, winning by a full lap over runner-up Harry Gant and third-place Bobby Allison, the pole starter.
Win No. 192
Date: May 10, 1980
Race: Music City USA 420
Track: Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, .596-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Cale Yarborough led 279 of 420 laps, but faded to third as Petty rallied for the last of his nine career Nashville victories.
Win No. 193
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Date: Feb. 15, 1981
Race: Daytona 500
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: A strategic final pit stop for fuel only helped guide Petty to the last of his record seven Daytona 500 wins.
Win No. 194
Date: April 5, 1981
Race: Northwestern Bank 400
Track: North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, .625-mile asphalt track
Notable: Petty’s final short-track victory denied runner-up Bobby Allison, who led a race-high 186 laps. Also of note, Mark Martin qualified fifth but retired early in his NASCAR premier-series debut.
Win No. 195
Date: Aug. 16, 1981
Race: Champion Spark Plug 400
Track: Michigan International Speedway, 2-mile asphalt track in Brooklyn, Mich.
Notable: Petty comes out on top after a remarkable 65 lead changes, pacing the final five laps and edging out Darrell Waltrip by a car-length. Worth noting also, Dale Earnhardt finished ninth in the first race of a partnership to drive car owner Richard Childress’ No. 3 Chevrolet.
Win No. 196
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Date: March 13, 1983
Race: Warner W. Hodgdon Carolina 500
Track: North Carolina Motor Speedway, 1.017-mile asphalt track in Rockingham, N.C.
Notable: A crash between front-runners Cale Yarborough and Neil Bonnett with 48 laps left gave Petty the avenue to end a 42-race winless streak by half a car-length over Bill Elliott. The race was started a week earlier, halted by rain and completed the following Sunday.
Win No. 197
Date: May 1, 1983
Race: Winston 500
Track: Alabama International Motor Speedway, 2.66-mile asphalt track in Talladega, Ala.
Notable: Petty led 52 of 188 laps, avoiding the crashes and mechanical pitfalls that left just 16 of the 42 starters running at the finish.
Win No. 198
Date: Oct. 9, 1983
Race: Miller High Life 500
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway, 1.5-mile asphalt track in Concord, N.C.
Notable: Petty led only the final 23 laps of a controversial victory. He was stripped of 104 points after an oversized engine and a tire violation were found in post-race inspection.
Win No. 199
Date: May 20, 1984
Race: Budweiser 500
Track: Dover (Del.) Downs International Speedway, 1-mile asphalt track.
Notable: Petty’s seventh and final “Monster Mile” victory was his first win driving for car owner Mike Curb. Young up-and-comer Tim Richmond placed second.
Win No. 200
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Date: July 4, 1984
Race: Firecracker 400
Track: Daytona International Speedway, 2.5-mile asphalt track.
Notable: With President Reagan in attendance, Petty edges Cale Yarborough by a bumper in the race back to a race-ending yellow flag for his final victory.
PLYMOUTH, Wis. — For the first time since 2018, Kyle Larson will compete in a NASCAR Xfinity Series event Saturday — and he will also start the race from the pole position in Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 17 Chevrolet.
Larson won P1 Friday at Road America, posting a top qualifying speed of 108.495 mph and completing a lap around the 4.048-mile road course in 134.318 seconds. Ty Gibbs from Joe Gibbs Racing will line up next to Larson after falling 0.573 mph and 0.713 seconds slower. Larson was the only one in the 38-driver field to crack the 108-mph mark.
“It was honestly surprising when I read that it’s been since 2018,” Larson said. “It doesn’t feel that long ago. But yeah, I don’t know. Just getting into the car, I guess. The driving stuff is whatever. It’s just like the visuals of the tag and the gauges, it’s a different style dash than what I was even used to when I was racing Xfinity for (Chip) Ganassi. So, just the little things like that. It’s hard to adjust to at first, but once you’re out there, it kind of becomes natural and it’s just another stock car at that point.”
This Hendrick Motorsports entry marks the team’s first in the Xfinity Series since 2009. Tony Stewart was the last to pilot a Hendrick Motorsports car inside the second-tier level, winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Team owner Rick Hendrick holds 23 Xfinity Series victories in 339 starts.
Larson’s return at Road America is the first of three Xfinity Series races Hendrick Motorsports has committed to in 2022. Alex Bowman will make his first start since 2018 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on July 30. William Byron will then run his second race this season – showed up for JR Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway back in May; finished runner-up – at Watkins Glen International on Aug. 20.
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The three drivers combine for 17 Xfinity Series wins. Byron adds a championship from 2017.
“I’m looking forward to competing with a lot of the young up-and-comers, as I’m sure they’re looking forward to compete with me also,” Larson said. “It should be a lot of fun this weekend and for the couple others I get to run the rest of the year.”
Larson alone has 108 career starts in the Xfinity Series, spanning from 2013-18. He has 12 wins, with the latest coming in 2018 at Bristol Motor Speedway. That year, he won in four of the six races he participated in. He ran a part-time schedule each year but 2013, when he turned out eighth in the season standings.
During that full-time gig, Larson was introduced to Road America. He came in seventh, didn’t lead any laps. His next meeting with the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, track didn’t come until 2021 in the Cup Series, where he placed 16th.
“I picked this one because I’ve only raced here twice,” Larson said. “I don’t remember all the race I ran here in 2013, but I don’t remember being that fast. And then, the Cup race last year, this was probably our worst road course we had of the season. So that’s why it was important for me to get to run in this race and just try to learn something every lap.”
Niece Motorsports announced Friday that Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks will make his return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this month, driving the organization’s No. 41 Chevrolet at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Marks, 41, will return to the 2.258-mile circuit where he scored his lone NASCAR national-series win during an Xfinity Series race in 2016. The Truck Series will make its debut at Mid-Ohio with the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 on July 9 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM).
Marks has made 79 NASCAR national-series starts, including 38 in Camping World Trucks. The Mid-Ohio race will mark his first national-series appearance since 2018.
Sponsorship for the Niece Motorsports No. 41 effort comes from Worldwide Express, which also backed Trackhouse’s Ross Chastain in the Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway last month. Marks is in his second year of Cup Series competition as a team owner with Trackhouse, which has netted three victories so far this season.
“I’m glad I can help support Niece Motorsports and thrilled to be in the Worldwide Express colors,” Marks said in a release provided by the team. “Their Silverados have been fast this year so we are going to Mid-Ohio this weekend with the mindset of not only having fun, but believing we will run well.”
Marks is racing in Trans-Am competition this weekend at Road America, which also hosts the Cup Series and Xfinity Series for a NASCAR doubleheader.
Niece’s No. 41 Chevy has been a part-time entrant in Camping World Truck Series competition this year. Chastain has driven it in five races this season, including a victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Tyler Carpenter made his series debut in the No. 41 last month at Knoxville Raceway.
When Chase Robertson was 5, his parents gave him a choice.
“I started playing football when I was 5, and I got a Bandolero when I was 5, too,” Robertson said. “My dad wanted me to race. My mom wanted me to play football. So they told me to go try both, and I fell in love with both of them, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”
Twelve years later, Robertson has still never chosen between football and racing. This summer, the 17-year-old attends his high school football practices in the mornings during the week, and on weekends, he can be found on the track at Bowman Gray Stadium, a NASCAR-sanctioned quarter-mile flat asphalt oval track in a football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
In addition to football, Robertson also wrestles and plays baseball for his high school. None of those really prevent him from racing, since Bowman Gray’s schedule usually begins after the baseball season is over and is done by the time the football season starts in late August.
Instead of being a hindrance to his race career, football and year-round sports actually have a lot of benefits in the car.
“I’m a lot younger than a lot of them, so the 100 lappers don’t really faze me that much because I’m hydrated. I’m always in shape, so that really comes in handy, too,” Robertson said. “I think football helps me out with racing just because lifting weights, that can help me control the car a lot better than if I didn’t play football. And also a little bit of mental toughness, too, to overcome a lot of stuff in football.
“Not a lot of things go your way in racing, too, so you’ve got to move on and move to the next race.”
Robertson’s grandfather got motorsports started in the family. He raced, as did Robertson’s dad, uncle, and older brother.
While Robertson said he wishes he could race against his family, he’s happy they’re all still involved with his team and he has a chance to share the sport they all love together.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Usually my dad does it and I still go to him for a lot of things, too. He’s my spotter, so he can watch over me and see what my car’s doing if I can’t tell what it’s doing. He helps me a lot, too, with mentoring me, and my brother comes there a lot. He’s won tons of races over there.
“My family has been over there my entire life, so I’ve got a lot of people behind me.”
It’s the family aspect of racing, and getting to share the sport with those closest to him, that Robertson said he loves best.
“My family has done it for a long time. I feel like it’s just right if I do it,” he said. “It’s family bonding, too, at the race track every weekend. I have a lot of friends that come to the track, too, and Bowman Gray is so close to everybody in Winston and other parts of North Carolina that they could just come and watch me race. I have a lot of friends from high school come and watch me, and that’s what keeps me going.”
(Photo: Erick Messer Photography)
Coming into the season, Robertson said he knew he had a car that would be one to beat at Bowman Gray. This is his third year racing at the track, all of which have been in the McDowell Heating & Air Sportsman Series, which he said he thinks is the track’s most competitive division.
Not even he knew just how good of a season he would have, though. Robertson has one win, six top fives, and 11 top 10s in 12 races. He is currently fourth in the Bowman Gray sportsman standings and fifth in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series Division II national championship points.
“At the beginning of the season, when we were testing before the first race started, I knew I had a really good car,” Robertson said. “Every practice I did we were really fast compared to other people.
“The first race was terrible. I lost power steering on Lap 2 and it was a 40-lapper, so I didn’t get a good finish, but after that, when we got everything fixed, it was kind of like I started drawing (for start position) a little better. Over there drawing is key, because you get no qualifying or anything, so it’s the luck of the draw, and you’ve just got to make your way to the front, and that’s what we did.
“My dad was telling me, ‘You don’t have to win every race, just be consistent,’ and that’s what we did.”
This season was also Robertson’s first working with his mentor, Dylan Ward, who sets up his car as well as several others at Bowman Gray.
Much like in football, working with others and getting advice from those who have been there before has been the key to success for the young racer.
“I’ve got really good people behind me,” he said. “It’s really nice having (Ward) at the track, because he watches everybody that he sets up the cars for, so it’s nice having feedback from those other drivers, too. I get to talk to them.
“I think that’s what really helped me this year, because it’s our first year with Dylan, and he has a lot of people behind him, too, so it’s just really good to talk to other drivers and him to see how their cars are handling and coming back and taking that info and trying to capitalize on it.”
Robertson’s goals coming into the season were to win a race and compete for a track championship. He reached that first goal on June 4. Now he hopes to continue building on his third — and most successful — season.
Racing will return to Bowman Gray on July 9 for a 100-lap Modified race presented by Real Rock 105.7, with double points awards in all division. The night will feature sportsman, street stock and stadium stock races.
“I felt was going to be a really good year just based off of our practices and how the car felt,” Robertson said. “And my determination just to go out there and do it.”
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is still lurching toward its midway point, and Ross Chastain has already occupied opposite ends of the spectrum of the season’s most emotionally charged moments.
There were the springtime heights of his first two big-league victories, each one punctuated with raucous celebrations involving bear hugs and smashed fruit. Then the lows. That breakthrough victory at Circuit of The Americas came at the expense of a dented and distraught AJ Allmendinger after a final-lap collision. He also drew the anger of championship contenders Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin at the Gateway inaugural, and then struck an apologetic tone afterward – almost too apologetic amid the glare of the TV cameras, he says now.
Through it all, the 29-year-old Floridian has ridden to the top tier of the Cup Series standings entering Sunday’s Kwik Trip 250 presented by Jockey Made in America (3 p.m. ET, USA Network, NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM) at Road America. Chastain says he wants to stay true to the approach that’s gotten him here, but that he’s also keenly aware of the incidents that have pockmarked his campaign to date. That, he’s trying to mend.
“They’re in my head all the time and trying to kind of balance that is a challenge,” Chastain said Thursday, noting that his recent track record has sometimes factored into and influenced his on-track decisions. “Unfortunately, there’s been a few instances in the last month or so where the thought has come too late or I didn’t do a good enough job to see it through. So yeah, I look back at some of the moves that I make and stuff and I’m like damn it, I can be better in those instances. So it’s a work in progress.”
Chastain’s aggressive driving style isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s just that this season, his hard-edged approach has been on more prominent display – regularly at the front of the pack in the Cup Series, instead of further back in the premier-series pack or during the national-series preliminaries.
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That elevated echelon has been spurred on by the meteoric rise of his Trackhouse Racing team, the second-year organization owned by Justin Marks and Pitbull. The performance uptick has made Cup Series winners of both Chastain and teammate Daniel Suárez this season, and the two-car operation is 2-for-2 on road courses so far in 2022. “This isn’t just a moment, but this an arrival of Trackhouse,” Chastain said, a nod to the ongoing fulfillment of Marks’ sweeping vision.
That upward arc against more established teams has been one of the season’s most impactful stories. But the burbling feuds and the “Ross Chastain vs. everybody” headlines have siphoned away a smidge of the feel-good thunder. By some measures, Chastain has clawed and scrapped to make it to the Cup Series level. Now that he’s here, he’s striving for some middle ground.
“Like if I can just clean up that kind of stuff, you know, just race with a little cooler head in the car where I can still … I still want to pass these guys, I still want to pass the cars in front of me, but let’s do it a little bit better way,” Chastain says. “You know, I’m all for … being you know, the show sometimes, and I’m good, I’m OK with that. I’ve accepted that, but I probably don’t need to be it every single week. For my liking, there’s been a bit too much attention on me. You know, it’s … most of it’s my own doing.”
With that extra attention has come additional clamor from the grandstands during driver introductions, a trend he says began to turn around 2019. That season, Chastain added his second victory in the Xfinity Series, but his mid-stream switch to collecting Camping World Truck Series points in a mission for that tour’s championship resonated. He made it all the way to the final four and wound up second in his “Melon Man Challenge” title quest.
Those were the days when a 10th-place finish in that year’s Daytona 500 was something to strut about. Top 10s come fairly frequently for Chastain now, and so do the accolades from a growing rooting section.
“I remember when the first time it got a little loud in a truck race and now it’s, it’s wild,” Chastain says. “It’s hard to in the moment, like you walk out and it’s just a big grandstand or an infield grass area, the ballfield, they’re full of people. The Daytona 500 is just obviously the biggest buzz that I’ve felt. And it’s wild, and I don’t know how to explain it really. … It’s so hard to describe.
“And I have had those moments where they boo and it catches you off guard. It’s like ‘what, oh. Somebody really doesn’t like me.’ I gotta be honest, though, there’s been a lot more cheers lately, which is, I didn’t know which way this kind of stuff would go. So it’s a lot more cheers lately.”
Road America has a special place in Michael McDowell’s heart. Six short years ago, he earned his first NASCAR national touring win at the historic venue in a Xfinity Series race for Richard Childress Racing.
This year, McDowell returns to Road America with loads of confidence. Through the opening 17 races of the 2022 Cup Series season, the 2021 Daytona 500 champion already has a career-high six top-10 finishes and is on pace to set a new personal benchmark when it comes to best average finish, currently at 17.1.
Many folks in the garage may be surprised by McDowell’s success this year. But he’s not too far off from where he anticipated running this season.
“I’ve been waiting for this Next Gen car, and the reason I feel that is I felt really confident at what I was doing with the cars that we had and extracting the most out of it and, more than anything, just confident with how it’s going with everything,” McDowell said in a media availability on Wednesday. “I felt like we were gonna be in a position to do what we’re doing. It wasn’t a big shock to me.”
“I think what’s been surprising has been the consistency of it. I knew that there would be moments that if we hit right and we have all the same parts and pieces that we were gonna be able to contend.”
The consistency has come at a variety of race tracks. The No. 34 team, led by first-year crew chief Blake Harris, backed up its Daytona 500 win from last season by finishing seventh in the Great American Race this year. Then, McDowell went two months before picking up his second top-10 result on Easter at the Bristol Motor Speedway Dirt Race.
Including Bristol, McDowell has been on a tear, with five top-10 efforts in the last nine races. He was running inside the top 10 at Nashville before a late caution flew and dropped him to 13th in the finishing order. His other top 10s have come at Talladega, Darlington, Charlotte and Sonoma, while also leading a career-high 34 laps at Gateway.
“We’re covering all of them and I think that’s probably what’s most impressive is that we’re able to do it more consistently now and the next step for us is to be able to do that throughout the entirety of this season, and that’s the question mark that we don’t know,” McDowell said of his top 10s. “I believe that we can, but the big teams always seem to, in the past, develop a little bit quicker and a little bit more than the smaller teams.”
Jerry Freeze, general manager of Front Row Motorsports, says he is pleased with McDowell’s on-track success. He recalls McDowell emphasizing this year, because of the Next Gen car being compared to a sports car, where his driver has a chunk of experience.
“He kept telling us that it was going to suit him because of his road-racing background and maybe the new cars align to some of that thinking with the transaxle and other components,” Freeze said in a statement to NASCAR.com. “I don’t know if it’s been all the reason for the success, but Michael enjoys this car and we really saw it at Sonoma. Hopefully, we see the same at Road America this weekend, too.”
Last time out on a road course, McDowell, arguably, had the best run of his career, being a mainstay inside the top five.
Entering the weekend 21st on the playoff grid and 97 points below the cutline, McDowell knows it will likely take a win over the next nine races to make the postseason. But don’t count him out. In the Cup Series’ return to Road America last year, McDowell finished 30th, but in two road course races this year in the Next Gen car, the No. 34 car has an average result of eighth.
“Road America is my best track, so with as well as we’ve been running and as well as we ran at Sonoma, we have to highlight this as a weekend that we’ve got to try and get a win,” McDowell said. “But it’s not our only shot and that’s nice. We’re not quite where we need to be to be legitimate contenders for wins every weekend on ovals, but we’re pretty close.”
