NASCAR is steeped in tradition and many venues are considered iconic. Perhaps none more so than the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500. In different forms of motorsport, several races hold some form of prestige. This includes the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500. If there had to be a fourth prestigious race added to the list, the Daytona 500 would be an appealing candidate.

Aside from legendary race tracks, NASCAR also boasts of legendary drivers. One of the most prominent has to be 7-time NASCAR champion, Richard Petty. The 87-year-old jointly holds the record for the most titles, alongside the late great Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson. Along the way, Petty also established a rich racing dynasty in the NASCAR Cup Series arena.

Admittedly, Petty can’t take credit for the establishment of that NASCAR dynasty. That honor goes to his father, Lee Petty, who was the first in his family to get involved in racing. He was also one of the earliest to race in NASCAR, winning three championships during his tenure. Meanwhile, Richard Petty proved that talent does run in the family, with his seven titles. Dare we say it, that officially makes him the greatest in the Petty family.

Richard Petty reunites with another NASCAR legend

Now, Petty has long since retired, but his legendary status is pretty much immortal. Just as legendary as him, is the Daytona International Speedway, so what happens when the two of them meet? For the upcoming Coke Zero Sugar 400, Petty, son Kyle, and nephews Timmy, Mark, and Ritchie, will be the grand marshals. All of them have raced in NASCAR at some point in their careers. but never quite reached the same level of success.

Regardless, each of them has played an important role in the sport. Owing to that, NASCAR wanted to honor them, especially since NASCAR is celebrating 75 years of the Petty family’s involvement. The ‘King’ is probably best known for driving his iconic #43 Plymouth Superbird. Even though he has retired, his legacy continues to live.

That is thanks to his father’s team’ Petty Enterprises, which has undergone several evolutions. The latest incarnation of the team is Legacy Motor Club, which actually is the brainchild of Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. Admittedly, the team has not achieved much success in the past few years, but the process is still slow going.

The 7-time champion has a rich history with Daytona

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Having enjoyed an astounding 35 years in the NASCAR Cup series, is it surprising that he rewrote the record books? Among his many accolades, he has won the Daytona 500, a record seven times in his career. In addition to that, he also owns the most all-time wins at the Daytona International Speedway. This probably explains why it makes perfect sense for the famed superspeedway to invite him and his family to be the grand marshals.

Especially, considering how much the Petty family has given back and contributed to the sport. After Richard, his son Kyle, and nephews Timmy, Mark, and Ritchie, also competed in racing. Then came the fourth generation, headed by Kyle’s son, Adam Petty. When he first began his racing career, there was an unbelievable amount of pressure on him. To be frank, he had been touted as Richard’s successor and the next great Petty.

Tragically, he lost his life in an accident at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. At the time, he had been competing in a practice session in 2000, back on May 12th. As it happened, the throttle of his #45 Petty Enterprises Chevrolet, had stuck wide open. To make matters worse, his car was entering the third turn of the track, so this happened at the worst possible time. Naturally, the helpless car smashed into the outside wall virtually head-on, killing the driver instantly, owing to a basilar skull fracture. Now, none of the Petty family members are racing anymore, but they are still firmly entrenched in NASCAR.