Richard Petty
Photography by Mike Smith
CLICK THE PHOTOS TO SEE AN ENLARGEMENT
Riverside Raceway 1966
Petty Plymouth
HERE'S SOME NICE PICS OF RICHARD
PETTY WORKING HIS WAY THROUGH THE ESSES AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THESE PHOTOS
WERE TAKEN AT THE MOTOR TREND 500 IN JAN 1966. RICHARD FINISHED 26TH, FALLING
OUT ON LAP 105. THE KING COULD SLING IT THROUGH A ROAD COURSE, EVEN WITH THE
HEMI POWER. NO POWER STEERING HERE.
RICHARD FINISHED 3RD IN POINTS FOR
1966 WITH 8 WINS, 20 TOP 5'S AND 22 TOP 10'S.
DAVID PEARSON WON THE G.N. CHAMPIONSHIP
IN 1966 WINNING 15 RACES. DAVID WON A STAGGERING $59,205 FOR THE YEAR. THAT
WAS PRETTY GOOD MONEY IN 1966.
1965 AND 1966 WERE THE YEARS OF ENGINE
BANS WITH THE CHRYSLER HEMI IN 1965 AND THE FORD SOHC 427 AT THE START OF
1966. FORD SAT OUT MUCH OF 1966, EVEN AFTER MID-SEASON RULE CHANGES ALLOWED
THE SOHC 427 WITH A WEIGHT HANDICAP. THE WEDGE ENGINES WERE ALLOWED TO RUN
TWO FOUR-BARREL CARBS. THE CARS RAN ON A LB/CI WEIGHT RULE AND SMALL BLOCKS
WERE EVEN TRIED BY SOME, INCLUDING BOBBY ALLISON WITH A 327.
FORD WON THE MANUFACTURERS TITLE
WITH 10 WINS AND 216 CARS WITH TOP 10 FINISHES. PLYMOUTH TOOK SECOND WITH
16 WINS AND 92 TOP 10 FINISHES. DODGE FINISHED THIRD WITH THE MOST WINS AT
18 AND 98 TOP 10 FINISHES AND HAD THE BEST WIN AVERAGE OF .318.
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43AGRR66 - 8x10
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43BGRR66 - 8x12
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43CGRR66 - 8x12
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Riverside Raceway 1967
Petty Plymouth
Riverside Raceway 1970
Petty Plymouth Superbird
HERE'S A NICE SERIES OF A YOUNG RICHARD
PETTY AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AT THE MOTOR TREND 500
IN JAN 1970. THE PETTY'S ALSO OWNED THE #42 PLYMOUTH SUPERBIRD DRIVEN BY "THE
MAN", DAN GURNEY.
A.J. FOYT WON THE RACE WITH RICHARD
TAKING FIFTH.
RICHARD FINISHED 4TH IN POINTS IN
1970 TO THE CHAMPION BOBBY ISAAC.
WE'RE TALKIN' HEMI HERE. CHECK OUT
THE CHROME WIND WINGS AND WINDOW TRIM ON THIS CAR !!! NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL
STOCK!!
THE 1970 SEASON SAW MANY RULE CHANGES
AND THE EVENTUAL WITHDRAWAL OF FACTORY SUPPORT DURING THE SEASON. AT THE MICHIGAN
RACE THE DREADED "RESTRICTOR PLATE", KNOWN THEN AS A CARBURETOR
PLATE, WAS MANDATED THAT CUT THE THROTTLE PLATE OPENING FROM 1-11/16"
TO 1-1/4". THE TIRES AT THE ATLANTA RACE WERE ONLY LASTING A FEW LAPS
ON SOME OF THE CARS AND THEY HAD TO SLOW THE CARS DOWN. ENGINE SIZES WERE
REDUCED JUST BEFORE THE DAYTONA FIRECRACKER 400 FROM 430 C.I. TO 366 C.I..
CHRYSLER DESTROKED THE HEMI TO MEET THE NEW RULE REQUIREMENTS.
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43AGRR70 - 8x12
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43BGRR70 - 8x12
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43CGRR70 - 8x10
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REAR OF CAR, BY PLYMOUTH
DECAL, IS BLURRED. FRONT IS GOOD. PHOTO STILL LOOKS GOOD
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43DGRR70 - 8x10
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43EGRR70- 8x10
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Riverside Raceway 1972
Petty Plymouth
HERE'S A SERIES OF RICHARD PETTY
AT RIVERSIDE RACEWAY. THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN AT THE FOG ABBREVIATED WINSTON
WESTERN 500 IN JAN 1972. THIS WAS THE FIRST RACE THAT THE KING WAS SPONSORED
BY ANDY GRANATELLI AND STP, THE REST IS HISTORY.
RICHARD WON THE RACE, A TOTAL OF
8 RACES FOR THE YEAR AND HIS 4TH CHAMPIONSHIP.
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43AWRR72 - 8x12
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43BWRR72 - 8x12
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43CWRR72- 8x10
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43DWRR72 - 8x12
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43EWRR72 - 8x12
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43FWRR72- 8x12
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Riverside Raceway 1978
Petty Dodge
HERE'S A SERIES OF RICHARD PETTY
AT THE NAPA RIVERSIDE 400 IN JULY 1978. RICHARD STARTED 7TH, HAD A LATE RACE
FLAT TIRE AND STILL FINISHED 2ND TO BENNY PARSONS.
CHECK OUT THE LENGTH OF THE HOOD
ON THIS CAR!
RICHARD STARTED THE SEASON IN THE
DODGE BUT SWITCHED TO A CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO AT THE AUGUST RACE AT MICHIGAN.
THE DODGE WAS JUST NOT COMPETITIVE ENOUGH FOR RICHARD. HE HAD TEN TOP-10 FINISHES
IN THE FIRST 19 RACES BUT WENT WITHOUT A WIN.
RICHARD WENT WINLESS IN 1978 AND
FINISHED SIXTH IN POINTS TO CALE YARBOROUGH.
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43AWRR78- 8x12
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43CWRR78 - 8x10
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43DWRR78 - 8x12
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43EWRR78 - 8x12
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Riverside Raceway 1988
STP Pontiac Grand Prix
