Richard Petty’s Grandson Honors Him With a New Iconic Paint Scheme for Their 75th Anniversary in the Racing World

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Petty family in NASCAR. An outstanding legacy that started with Lee Petty back in 1949 and is currently being carried forward by his great grandsons. In a bid to commemorate the special occasion and offer fans an intimate look at the racing dynasty’s storied history, throughout the year, the celebration will showcase unique content on digital and social media platforms, pulled from the Petty family’s extensive photo and video archives. But that’s not all!

Even the Petty family members are gearing up to reminisce about their past, as Richard Petty’s grandson Thad Moffitt decided to honor his grandfather with a unique paint scheme.

Richard Petty’s return to NASCAR racing cars

Being the son of Richard Petty’s daughter Rebecca, Moffitt has been honoring his grandfather’s legacy in various ways. In 2022, he made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with a special tribute. He drove a No. 43 STP Chevrolet reminiscent of Richard Petty’s famous No. 43 car post his retirement in 1992. Recently, in an interview with Eric Estepp, Moffitt described what news he is bringing to honor his family’s 75th anniversary.

Moffitt said, “So we put the petty 75 in place of the STP logos, so it’s got the cool family tie. They ran five different schemes that year to celebrate STP being with the Petty family for 25 years. So, it’s pretty cool for me to get the honor to run that at Darlington this year. And it’s really cool that the fans can be a part of it. So we’re selling names on the decklid of the truck. You can get a 16:4 or A24 die cast.”

“All these packages are available on daily downforce even if you don’t get the die cast. So you can still get your name on the decklid and be part of it and ride with me at Darlington. So really cool for the fans to get to interact and really cool to have the petty 75 on this need of a car that’s going to look awesome,” he continued. Notably, Thad Moffitt has expanded his racing portfolio by entering the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s TA2 class in 2023. This is alongside his Truck Series commitments. He has introduced the No. 43 Safety-Kleen Chevrolet Camaro he will be driving.

Meanwhile, Richard Petty also competed in a Plymouth Barracuda during the 1966 Trans Am race at Virginia International Raceway. He shared his enthusiasm for Thad’s involvement in the series. Petty viewed it as a valuable chance for him to master road racing. Moffitt’s racing activities, both in the Truck Series and the Trans Am Series, serve as a tribute to the rich racing heritage of the Petty family and Richard Petty’s monumental impact on the sport.

Having said that, 2024 is going to be a packed schedule for the Petty family as the celebration is well-deservedly going to extend till the year-end.

The year-long celebration

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The Petty family’s legacy persists beyond the racetracks as well. This includes Maurice Petty driving the engine program at Petty Enterprises and Dale Inman pioneering the crew-chief role. The 75th-anniversary festivities will be showcasing a new commemorative logo, which will adorn all Petty-associated events and Legacy Motor Club race cars throughout 2024. 

King Petty expressed that reaching a 75-year milestone in the sport is a remarkable achievement for his family, particularly considering its origins as a family business. He further conveyed his anticipation for the year 2024, which will be dedicated to celebrating the family’s successes and contributions to racing. The legacy, which began with his parents, has been carried on by Richard Petty’s brother Maurice, cousin Dale Inman, and has passed through Kyle, Timmy, Ritchie, Mark, and Adam, with Thad now continuing the family tradition.

He shared the family’s collective excitement about recounting these stories to the fans. It would be exciting to see if new stories or memories come up.