Stock Car History Online - Bobby Allison Commentary

A Look Back At The Legacy Of Petty Enterprises
By Rick Houston

It’s hard to believe that Petty Enterprises is no more, at least not in the form we’ve always known it.

NASCAR without Petty Enterprises? It’s like Boston without the Red Sox. It’s like baseball without Babe Ruth and football without the Green Bay Packers. It just doesn’t feel right. It’s wrong. This ain’t the way it’s supposed to be. There’s always been a Petty Enterprises in NASCAR, and there always should be.

That’s not the way it’s worked out, for whatever unfortunate reasons. Here at stockcarhistoryonline.com, there will be no blame assigned, no finger pointing, no wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth that this signals the end of NASCAR as we know it.

There’s no reason to. That goes without saying.

Instead, we chose to remember what Petty Enterprises has meant to NASCAR. We honor that legacy with this photo essay.

A beautiful shot of a beautiful car, circa 1962 at Darlington … (Don Hunter Collection)

Same track, same driver, a decade or so later … another beautiful shot of another beautiful car ... (Don Hunter Collection)

Richard celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first NASCAR start in 2008. Even just a few months ago, it was hard to imagine the changes that would be coming. (Tom Copeland)