On Friday afternoon, in front of the main entrance to North Wilkesboro, Richard Petty and son Kyle Petty unveiled an oversized Petty hat to commemorate the accomplishments of the Petty family at the 0.625-mile short track.
The hat is an apt symbol. For years, Richard Petty has worn trademark hats made for him by Charlie 1 Horse. The much larger version, made of fiberglass on a concrete base, features embossed photos of Petty’s exploits and serves as a tribute to the Petty family’s 75-year history in the sport.
“I’m going to get the big head,” Petty quipped when the hat was unveiled.
Petty raced at North Wilkesboro 66 times, winning 15 of his record 200 NASCAR Cup Series races there. In 1959 and 1960, Petty’s father, Lee Petty, won three straight events at the vaunted short track.
Kyle Petty raced at North Wilkesboro 32 times, with a best finish of second (twice).
“The new fans out there don’t know where NASCAR started,” Richard Petty said after the dedication. “This gives them a throwback deal when they see the hat… So it’s good for us, the Petty family, and it’s good for the fans. NASCAR hasn’t always been mile-and-a-half race tracks. There used to be some dirt tracks and short tracks like this.
“We were here when it first started. We’ve been through all the changes with the cars, different kinds of tracks, different rules—all that kind of stuff. We were here when it started. We were here when it was changing. We’re here when it’ll change again.”
Source: Reid Spencer | NASCAR Wire Service
