Lee Petty facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Petty
Lee Petty in 1959
Born	Lee Arnold Petty (1914-03-14)March 14, 1914 Randleman, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	April 5, 2000(2000-04-05) (aged 86) Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Achievements	1954, 1958, 1959 Grand National Champion 1959 Daytona 500 Winner (inaugural race)
Awards	1952-1954 Grand National Series Most Popular Driver International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1990) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1996) North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame NASCAR Hall of Fame (2011) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
427 races run over 16 years
Best finish	1st (1954, 1958, 1959)
First race	1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)
Last race	1964 The Glen 151.8 (Watkins Glen)
First win	1949 untitled race (Pittsburgh)
Last win	1961 untitled race (Jacksonville)
Wins Top tens Poles 54 332 18
NASCAR Convertible Division career
28 races run over 3 years
Best finish	13th (1957)
First race	1957 Race #2 (Daytona Beach & Road Course)
Last race	1959 Race #14 (Greenville-Pickens)
First win	1958 Race #10 (Charlotte Fairgrounds)
Last win	1959 Race #14 (Greenville-Pickens)
Wins Top tens Poles 2 21 1
Statistics current as of February 1, 2018.

Lee Arnold Petty (born March 14, 1914 – died April 5, 2000) was a famous American stock car racing driver. He raced during the 1950s and 1960s. Lee Petty was the leader of the famous Petty racing family. He was one of the first and most famous drivers in NASCAR. He was also the first driver to win the NASCAR Cup championship three times.

Lee Petty is the father of Richard Petty. Richard became the driver with the most wins in NASCAR Cup Series history. Lee is also the grandfather of Kyle Petty and the great grandfather of Adam Petty.

Lee Petty's Racing Career

Lee Petty's No. 42 1956 Dodge Coronet

Lee Petty was born near Randleman, North Carolina. He started his racing career when he was 35 years old. He took part in NASCAR's very first race in 1949. This race was held at the Charlotte Speedway. Lee raced a 1948 Buick Roadmaster that he borrowed from a neighbor. He promised to use his prize money to pay for any damage to the car. During that race, Lee lost control and his car rolled over.

Petty often took regular cars to a service station. He would remove the mufflers and then go racing. He finished in the top five in points for NASCAR's first eleven seasons. He won the NASCAR Grand National Series championship three times. Lee Petty also won the first-ever Daytona 500 race in 1959.

Retirement from Racing

The 1961 Daytona 500 Crash

In 1961, during a qualifying race for the Daytona 500, Lee Petty was in a serious crash. Another driver, Johnny Beauchamp, lost control and hit Petty's car. Both cars crashed through the guardrail and off the track. Petty's car hit a spectator, who was cut but still helped him. Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp had raced against each other before. They were involved in a very close finish at the first Daytona 500 two years earlier.

Lee Petty suffered very serious injuries in the crash. These included broken bones, internal injuries, and a punctured lung. He had to stay in the Daytona Hospital for four months. This crash meant he couldn't race full-time anymore. He did race a few more times, but his last race was in 1964.

Petty Enterprises Racing Team

Lee Petty was the father of Richard Petty, who became NASCAR's winningest driver. With his sons Richard and Maurice Petty, Lee started a racing team called Petty Enterprises. This team became one of NASCAR's most successful racing teams.

Lee was also the grandfather of Kyle Petty. His great-grandson, Adam Petty, sadly died in a crash during a practice session. Lee's nephew, Dale Inman, worked for Petty Enterprises as Richard's crew chief for many years.

Awards and Honors

Lee Petty received many awards for his racing career:

• In 1990, he was added to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
• He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1996.
• He was also chosen for the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
• In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers, along with his son, Richard Petty.
• He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on May 23, 2011.

Teams Lee Petty Drove For

• Petty Enterprises (1949–1964)
• Gary Drake (1954)
• Carl Krueger (1955)
• Fred Frazier (1956)

Lee Petty's Death

Lee Petty passed away on April 5, 2000, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was 86 years old. He died a few weeks after having surgery for a serious health problem. He was buried at the Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery in Randleman, North Carolina. Lee died just three days after his great-grandson Adam made his first race in the Winston Cup Series. Adam would sadly die in a crash just five weeks later.

Daytona 500 Results

Images for kids

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  Lee Petty's No. 42 1956 Dodge Coronet

See also

In Spanish: Lee Petty para niños