Petty family to be honored during Dover race weekend
The yearlong celebration of the Petty family’s 75th anniversary in NASCAR comes to Dover Motor Speedway this spring with multiple opportunities for fans to see and personally meet NASCAR legends Richard Petty, Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson, the Monster Mile’s all-time leader in victories.
Legacy Motor Club, co-owned by Johnson, is partnering with NASCAR tracks across the country to produce one-of-a-kind sculptures featuring “The King’s” famous cowboy hat. Petty serves as Legacy M.C.’s ambassador.
The design of each hat is unique to each facility and honors Petty’s family racing legacy, which began when Richard’s father Lee entered the June 1949 race in Charlotte – the first event sanctioned by NASCAR.
“It’s always special to be recognized, and this does take it to the very top,” Petty said. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time and effort to make this happen, and our family is honored by that.”
Richard made an early mark at the Monster Mile in 1969, winning Dover’s inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race, the Mason-Dixon 300, by six laps, an event he later called NASCAR’s Invasion of the North. Richard won seven NASCAR Cup Series races at Dover, with the last coming in 1984 for his 199th career victory.
Inman was Richard’s crew chief for three decades, 198 race wins and seven NASCAR Cup Series titles. Inman earned his eighth title with Terry Labonte in 1984 and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012.
Richard’s son Kyle’s last NASCAR Cup Series victory came in the Monster Mile’s debut weekend with a concrete surface in 1995, while Kyle’s son Adam made two NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Dover in 1999.
Meanwhile, 11-time Monster Mile winner Jimmie Johnson will make his first Dover Motor Speedway Cup Series start since 2020 in the Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday, April 28.
The newly inducted NASCAR hall of famer and seven-time NASCAR champion is driving the No. 84 Toyota part time for Legacy M.C. this season.
Johnson's 83rd and final Cup Series victory to date came at Dover in the AAA 400 Drive for Autism in 2017.
“Across more than half a century of action, Richard Petty, his crew chief Dale Inman and Jimmie Johnson are some of the Monster Mile’s top performers,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover Motor Speedway president and general manager. “We are thrilled that these racing legends will be at Dover this spring and hope our fans take advantage of these unique opportunities to see these hall of famers and honor the Petty family’s NASCAR legacy.”
The Monster Mile’s full 2024 race schedule includes: Friday, April 26: General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race; Saturday, April 27: A-GAME 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race; and Sunday, April 28: Würth 400 NASCAR Cup Series race.
