Being born into a legendary family does not necessarily mean that you will flourish. The Petty family is like royalty on the racetracks of NASCAR. Starting from the family patriarch Lee Petty, who raced between 1949 and 1964, the Petty magic has continued for decades, reaching a peak under Richard Petty. However, at present, it seems to be fading with the latest successor.

Thad Moffitt signed up for a full-time Truck ride last year, looking forward to success. However, his dreams have not materialized, and he suffered a wreck at Richmond recently. So fans want him out before he maligns the Petty name any further.

Richard Petty’s grandson is under a lot of pressure

Well, Thad Moffitt does have a tall order to fulfill. Moffitt’s family history represents the face of NASCAR’s nostalgia. Lee Petty, Richard Petty (raced 1958-1992), Kyle Petty (1979-2008), and Adam Petty, who tragically died in a 2000 Xfinity wreck, all hold marvelous resumes. Those four Pettys won 264 Cup Series races, earned 10 Cup championships, and picked up 13 Most Popular Driver awards. It did not feel like a real NASCAR race unless a Petty was on the grid.

However, Thad Moffitt finds it hard to prove his worth and name. In today’s Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway, the No. 46 Chevy driver was running poorly from the get-go. He qualified 30th and stayed there mostly throughout the race. This echoes Moffitt’s overall experience in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. 2022 was quite similar, as his best finish was 18th, and his average finish was 27.5. In 2023, he drove in the Trans Am Series.

Speaking of the Richmond 2024 race, it held more misfortune in store for him. Following the break between stages 2 and 3, as the other cars prepared to run under green, chaos unfolded. Richard Petty’s grandson sealed his fate even further with a wreck involving Keith McGee, Dean Thompson, and other drivers.

The start of stage three turned into a wreck fest, cutting the night short for several drivers. Heading into turn three, Ty Dillon made contact with Dean Thompson, sending Thompson’s No. 5 Toyota spinning up the track. The chaos that followed took out multiple trucks, including playoff contenders Matt Crafton, Thad Moffitt, Keith McGee, William Sawalich, Stefan Parsons, and Mason Massey.

For Thompson, McGee, and Moffitt, the damage was race-ending, with Moffitt’s No. 46 suffering another tough blow in what has already been a rough season. The wreck was just another example of how quickly fortunes can change on the short track at Richmond. As Bob Pockrass updated the situation on X, he wrote, “Caution … several trucks involved … McGee and Moffitt.”

Holding the 30th position on the driver rankings, this outcome hardly benefits the 23-year-old Petty descendant. However, this is not the first time Moffit has experienced something of this sort this season. In Texas earlier this year, a mechanical issue slowed down Moffitt’s truck. On just the second lap of the SpeedyCash.com 250, Thad Moffitt’s night took a turn for the worse when a suspected mechanical issue hit, forcing him to slow down from his 23rd starting position. As he entered Turns 1 and 2, Moffitt’s truck started sliding down the track, almost as if the rear axle had snapped.

In the chaos that followed, Moffitt’s No. 46 made contact with the right rear of Kris Wright’s No. 1 truck before slamming into the side of Tyler Ankrum’s No. 18 machine. Reflecting on the incident, Moffitt even commented, “We had a big run going down into [Turn] 1. I thought I was being pretty cautious, but things got out of hand quickly.”

As Moffitt continues his chaotic tradition, NASCAR fans give a harsher verdict.

NASCAR community bashes latest Petty driver

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Richard Petty’s grandson is witnessing some poor results this year. Moffitt finished outside the top-30 seven times this year, including his recent 33rd-place in Richmond. Besides, he also suffered 4 DNFs – his best finish was 18th at Darlington Raceway. Thad Moffitt’s misery is piled up by the fans’ biting comments as well. One fan lamented the disintegrating Petty family tradition. “Richard Petty and The Petty family, please give up on Thad Moffitt as a race car driver.” Another echoed that sentiment, commenting on Moffitt’s 25-30th-place finishes this year and writing, “Thad Moffitt complete bust.”

Before Thad Moffitt entered the Truck series, he was in ARCA. He’s done relatively well in 45 ARCA starts, with nine top-5 finishes and 26 top-10 finishes. One fan opined that Moffitt should not bring his ARCA quirks to NASCAR Truck: “Thad Moffitt with the ARCA Brakes smh.” 

Another fan cruelly claimed that Moffitt should go back to his roots: “Thad Moffitt really shouldn’t be in anything higher than late models…” Somebody else stressed Moffitt’s inclination to crash more often: “Someone remind Thompson where the brake pedal is.”

Evidently, Thad Moffitt is not carving a pretty picture for the Petty family. With his points lagging to an all-time low, let us wait and see what the race outcome brings for him.