“I Love and Miss Her”- Richard Petty & Son Kyle Send Heavenly Wishes to Late Mrs. the King on Her 82nd Birthday

Richard Petty has carved his name in NASCAR history as arguably the greatest veteran of the sport. Commanding 200 race victories and 7 Cup Championships, he is indubitably a true hero for any budding racer. He built his own world of racing from scratch despite being the son of Lee Petty, a primary pioneer of NASCAR. But he would not have been able to be the legend that he is without the unflinching support of his better half.

Lynda Petty was the matriarch of Petty Enterprises, and to many, the first lady of stock car racing. She stood as a solid pillar for Richard Petty, who won races while she raised four children. So on what “would have been Mrs. Lynda’s 82nd birthday,” her son and six-time Cup winner and TV analyst Kyle Petty, and her husband fondly remembered her in a heartwarming social media post.

Richard Petty posted a photo of the late Mrs. Petty in her later years on X. He tweeted, “Today would have been Mrs. Lynda’s (Mrs. The King) 82nd birthday. Please send her a heavenly birthday wish today 🙏”

From the ’50s to the ’90s, millions of people herded to watch Richard Petty perform on the track, which earned him the title ‘The King’. Similarly, his wife was also handed a badge of honor: ‘Mrs. The King’. This power duo has been adapted into Pixar’s popular movie ‘Cars,’ where both Richard and Lynda voiced their characters’ roles.

Kyle Petty also posted a sweet family photo with a tearjerker caption. He tweeted, “Happy birthday to my mom. I love and miss her more every day…”

Kyle Petty and his siblings were raised by an Iron Woman. He recalled in a piece how Lynda would drive the children in a family station wagon. If a slow tractor held her up, she would take two wheels off the rolling roads and put it in the dirt. She also single-handedly fed the kids and Richard’s pit crew from the back of a 1960 Chrysler sedan, while Petty snagged wins.

Lynda Petty had been intimately involved with NASCAR races.

Mrs. Petty once gave the call to the drivers

Being the wife of a veteran racer, Lynda Petty received the respect due to any full-time racer on the track. In May 2005, the first Southern 500 race was held at Darlington Raceway on Mother’s Day. NASCAR officials extended the invite to Mrs. The King to give the command to drivers to start their engines in her regal, powerful voice. 

Read More: Richard Petty’s Personal Secretary Reveals Double-date Stories With The King & Her Hilarious “Claim To Fame” With Son Kyle

Mrs. Petty fulfilled her duty as a routine thing. “I’m honored they asked me,” she told USA TODAY in 2005. “But I’m not really excited. I don’t know if you get excited about being the grand marshal. I guess some people might. I’ve been coming (to races) for so long, I never thought about it.”

Lynda Petty passed away at 72 years of age in March 2014, succumbing to a hard-fought battle with cancer. Despite her absence in the mortal world, she remains etched in the hearts of true racing fans.