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NASCAR legend Richard Petty earns another racing honor

Richard Petty’s drag racing career was a short one but it was enough to get him elected into another racing hall of fame.

Richard Petty with the second 43 JR. Hemi Barracuda.

Richard Petty with the second 43 JR. Hemi Barracuda.

Petty Enterprises

Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Petty

On February 18, Petty – already a member of several halls of fame based on his legendary NASCAR career – will be inducted into the N.C. Drag Racing Hall of Fame in a ceremony as part of the 15th annual Shriners Drag Racing & Hot Rod Expo in Greensboro, N.C.

“It’s always an honor when someone wants to recognize you for what you have accomplished. Drag racing wasn't our main deal, but we did it for a few years when we went looking for something to do after the Hemi ban,” Petty said in a statement provided to Motorsport.com.

“It took just as much effort to go drag racing than anything else we did. It’s nice to be honored for that effort.”

Petty’s brief drag racing career developed after NASCAR founder Bill France outlawed Petty and Chrysler’s 426 Hemi engine which Petty used in dominating the 1964 season in NASCAR’s premier series.

Instead of changing engines, Petty elected not compete in the 1965 NASCAR season and built a Hemi-powered Barracuda to compete in drag racing. Petty’s drag racing career included mostly exhibition match races across the country.

The original “Outlaw 43jr” Plymouth Barracuda was buried on Petty’s property after it was involved in a deadly accident at a drag strip near Atlanta, when the front suspension broke sending the car into a crowd of spectators, killing one child and injuring eight others.

Petty’s drag racing career continued for a short while afterwards with a second 43 Jr. Barracuda. The second Barracuda won the B/Altered class at the NHRA Spring nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) International Dragway.

Petty resumed his NASCAR career in 1966 when NASCAR again made the Hemi engine legal. The second Barracuda will be on display at the expo.

In addition to Petty, other 2017 inductees are Frank Teague of Hickory, N.C., Jean Howard of Polkton, N.C., and Terry Adams of Millers Creek, N.C.

 

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