I was just at Petty's Garage and Museum and got to meet him. If you are visiting on a week day you have a pretty good chance he will drop in. He looked like he had to be somewhere but took time for a pic and autographs. And he looks you in the eye and thanks you for coming in. Another stop on my NASCAR in Carolinas was Darlington, in the the museum there is a display of illegal mods and parts they caught. Smokey Yunic once said half the rules in NASCAR are because of me. My fave of his was a 2 inch fuel line pipe with an extra 3 gal of fuel they didn't catch because the tank was on spec.
I met Richard at Talladega, May of 1975. This was the tragic day his brother in-law was killed in the pits. Richard quit the race, obviously. My dad worked in the infield hospital. He told Richards manager how big of a Petty fan I was. Two weeks later I got a cardboard tube from Petty Enterprises, Randleman, North Carolina. On what was probably the most tragic day of his life he thought enough of an 11 year old fan to send him a pic. Class man.
Their are actually several replacements for displacement. Compression, nitrous, turn it 20,000 rpms. But in a racing class with rules, added displacement is an easy way to add power. If you get away with adding displacment, shame on the tech inspectors.
@@kevinkelley3657 You're wrong simply because you can put all of the power adders on the bigger engine. All other things being equal the bigger engine will make more power
@@kevinkelley3657 On the big tracks, keep in mind they have restrictors that attempt to limit the power. Which is probably why Petty did better with the bigger engine... but not that much better.
@@GiveMeLibertyOrGiveMeDeath147You're just now discovering that the advantage they had was raw hp? No shit 50 years later, with modern transmissions, fuel, tires, and aerodynamics cars are faster.
What was funny is that Waltrip said that the difference between the 1st and 2nd place purse was…$35k. Then he said, they took my $35k and paid Richard’s fine with it, LOL. This was on a DJ interview a few years back. The story is hilarious.
@@ludicrous7044 That's what was so funny about it: Junior Johnson & DW couldn't really say anything about Petty being illegal when they knew themselves they were illegal too. 🤣
@@BurningEmerald The cheating at NASCAR is nowhere near as bad as the cheating at MLB. Baseball refuses to implement a true salary cap, allowing NYY to get into the playoffs 80 percent of the time. NY doesn’t always win the World Series, but what other team has the expectation of being in the playoffs 80 percent of the time? Crap, what other fanbase never has to worry about losing its favorite players to free agency? How is it not systemic cheating when MLB refuses to force the teams to play with the same sized payrolls?
I'm on the Smoky Yuninick side of the rules myself. If you get away with it, "bend it, break it, or throw away the rule book all together." But I haven't watched Nascar in years, but I do love Nascar history.
Great Story! I was at this race all those years ago. I remember reading the papers the next day and them discussing Petty’s illegal engine and the illegal tire swap. Being a Petty Fan I was happy to see Petty kept the win. It was also the only time I ever was at a race Petty won! But I also was surprised that they let him keep it with 2 significant infractions of the rules. The information you provided about Waltrip was something I had never heard. Being a member of the anyone but Waltrip club and NASCAR knowing how unpopular Waltrip was I always thought that was why they didn’t take the win away from Petty. A Fan rebellion over Waltrip getting the win. Finding the information you provided here about how Waltrip’s car was probably just as illegal as Petty’s puts the whole thing in a different light. How could they disqualify Petty from the win when Waltrip’s disappearing act after the race meant his possible illegal car couldn’t be inspected. I can imagine how the reaction would have been if the skipped over Waltrip and gave the win to Benny who by that time was probably long gone. It’s only taken 40 years for me to finally learn the probable truth about what actually happened on that day. Under the circumstances, I’ll say NASCAR made the correct decision, as distasteful as it must have been at the time. Thank You so much for filling me in on a piece of history that I was lucky enough to have been there to see and always wondered about. 👍🏻🍻😎
Remember when Mikey got caught lining his intake manifold with some concoction at Daytona? They still try cheating, big penalties now. You don't get away with stealing races anymore.
He had a falling out with Maurice after he got caught over boring the engine or something like that. Richard was pissed because it made them look bad. I think he fired his brother for it
@@sergeantmasson3669 Man the only thing I’ve ever raced in as the little go carts at Panama City Florida and Pigeon Forge Tennessee. I never said I was an expert but I’ve been a race fan since 1976. I can just tell you what I’ve read and seen and heard racecar drivers and crew members say like on MRN or Ned Jarrett’s Goodys world of racing and others like that. The only racecar driver I’ve ever met was Bill Elliott at the local Ford dealer where I live. I wasn’t a particularly Bill Elliott fan not that I had anything against Bill but he drove a Ford and I pulled for the Chevrolets. My Brother-in-law worked in the in field dirt track in Douglasville and Woodstock Georgia and I was briefly acquainted with a dirt racer by the name of Leon Sells and another one named Stan Massey who are deceased now. One funny story about Leon Sells if that’s how he spelled his name is he went down to the Atlanta Racetrack in 1974 to enter his car in a sportsman race (Xfinity I think now) and he blew all the top dogs away Petty,Pearson, Allison etc. but NASCAR disqualified him because they said his car was illegal. Years later I was working for an AC Delco/Motorcraft distributor and delivered to a dealership called Lee Motor Company GMC in Mableton Georgia and Leon lived right behind the dealership and the parts manager was Steve Lee the owners son and I said they say Leon went down to the Atlanta raceway (that’s what they called it then Atlanta international raceway) and they said his car was illegal and Steve Lee said I know it was illegal I helped him build it. No man I’m no expert I can hardly tell a spark plug from an oil plug. I’m just a long time fan and some things are just what I’ve read.
I have to imagine the 2nd place car was also illegal since it left the track before it could be inspected. It was a Junior Johnson car, soooo... Also, Petty went winless in '78 as well
One of our fine RUclips commentators, indeed one “grahammonohan92,” lets loose with a picture of a brown triangularly shaped amiable fellow with big brown eyes. What is the nature of this singular individual?
@@lordracer7743 Yep, but that was explained. And I was at that race, was happy to see Richard win ( my only time) But Petty’s name was tarnished, forcing him to fire Maurice…. Never knew the story about Waltrip until I watched this.. As much as I’m a Petty fan, given the circumstances, he should have been disqualified, but with Waltrip long gone with a potential illegal car, what should they have done? Give it to Benny? He was probably gone too… I guessed they also considered Richards popularity, Waltrip being hated by so many and figured this was the best of a bad situation…
My Grand Dad was a NASCAR Fan up until day he died. He retired from Ford Engineering as Head of Dyno Lab in 75. All through the 60's I met every FoMoCo racer that had any Factory help, and got to sit in winning LeMan GT at big ceremony when the winners were rolled out of trailers at a Sunday shindig for all the Ford Engineering employees. Many fond memories on Michigan Ave. 2nd to last time I saw him he gave me a box of paperwork, all correspondence between him and Hank the Deuce is up in my attic, things like Engineering employee's home phone #'s in late 50's, building plans from New Dyno building on Michigan Ave. Before new building Dyno Lab was at Mercury Livernois Plant, Ford Motor Company was involved with Racing in every form, but Papa liked NASCAR the best, it proved those engines. He also had a hand in 65 Indy motor and head work on Boss & Cleveland motors. The 1st Mustang to get a Big Block was a 66, a Engineering employee's son's car, that paved way for those FE and cammer engines to fit. He always liked Mickey Thompson too. My best meeting was Jackie Stewart and Mario Andretti, a Tie.
That's kind of funny. The Frances and Pettys had a interesting relationship. Lee was an early star that lost a 4th title because of a penalty handed down by NASCAR in the '50s. I can't remember the details but the penalty was steep. Look there was no doubt there was no doubt they looked the other way many times on the 43 from the '60s-'83. But they did the same for the Johnson 11, 3, 24, and 48. Rest assured even today no car on the grid is rulebook legal. In a way, Petty paid a higher price than any fine from NASCAR. The incident pretty much ripped the family apart for several years. Adam's hoped for Cup career was going to heal old wounds as according to their RUclips channel Timmy, Ritchie, and Mark all were slated to work on Adam's 45. Sadly not to be.
The Petty's were big fan favorites and the sport needed the publicity. I am thankful NASCAR was so popular. Honestly after the 1992 Hooters 500 the sport has been unwatchable boring trash. I can remember being a 7yr old kid waking up extra early in Hawaii to catch races in 1990 because of the timezones watching my favorite driver Richard Petty come nearly dead last every race. The Days Of Thunder time period was definitely prime time NASCAR.
200 wins by Petty is the most untouchable record in sports. Just think about it. You would have to win 10 races a year for 20 years straight just to tie it. Or you could try 20 wins a season for 10 years running if that will make it easier.
Yeah, they often raced several times a week back when Richard was dominating. There just aren't enough races now for anyone to ever hit that number. I think they run about 8 less per year now on average.
Back in the early to late 60s NASCAR ran on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 60 races a year and the competition wasn't as high if you had five cars finish on the lead lap that was equivalent to have 20-25 car finish on the lead lap today
Petty earned that record by being the best… at cheating and playing the NASCAR politics of his day. His racing skills were undeniable, but not that special.
If Alan Kulwicki or Davey Allison and Tim Richmond had lived Earnhardt wouldn’t have won seven championships. I wasn’t a Davey Allison fan or Alan Kulwicki for that matter but even Earnhardt said if those three had lived he wouldn’t have won as many championships.
@@rolltide9547 No he wasn’t winning as much even if he did finish second in the points in 2000 and he hadn’t won a championship since 94 and you had people like Jimmy Johnson,Tony Stuart, Matt Kennseth,Kurt Busch and others to contend with.
That’s brilliant using the wax to trick the air pump test into thinking it was a smaller motor. Lol idk what kinda wax he used but something random woulda been fine I’m sure you wouldn’t need much to get the job they needed done and it’d just mix into the engine oil i assume no problem. Richard surely had to know even if he was naive to it he woulda noticed he was just faster than ppl and it didn’t make sense he woulda asked but he knew anyway it’s way too much fun not to and seems like they know you always keep your wins anyway
The bore and stroke of that engine must have been 4.170" a 0.045" over Bowtie Block and a 3.48" stroke for 381ci basically a 377 with another 0.015" over.
The tires is what made the difference. The downside no one talks about is that Maurice Petty fell on the sword and cost him is career in NASCAR it took years for Mike Beam to admit they all knew it was big.
Wrong. Racing is all about horsepower. Period. In NASCAR oval racing softer tires may help a bit short term but they also quickly wear... meaning you have to stop giving up valuable track distance. Engines, i.e. horsepower, doesn't. Maurice didn't fall on any sword either; he was caught red handed. He wasn't the first nor the last racer to push the rule book envelope.
@@joneskendrick2084 go back and watch the race. Petty was struggling until they put the left sides on. You can have 1000hp but if the car will not handle you are not going anywhere.
@@israelmathes6268 I stated left side tires might help over a limited number of laps. (Other conditions also play a part … track temp, chassis setup, etc) Reality is horsepower wins every time under all conditions… handling, unless really, really bad on a 1.5 mile oval has a minimal impact. Plus Petty “struggling” could easily be an intentional head fake. I witnessed it many times.
It's been Known for a While that a significant number of the top cars in those days were "in violation" of many details, as some called them... I believe that they kept up with each other in such detail as to somewhat self regulate. if it could pass tech inspection, it's good!
Back when the cheaters were fogging the outside of the air filter with Nos. DW was one of those nitrous guys. A kidney shaped nitrous bottle, tucked inside the firesuit so it stayed warm against the body and kept pressure up. A driver always sweats, and looses weight during a race. Who's to say??.
Oh man - the people that say Petty only has 199 wins because of this controversy are out of their minds. NASCAR may now be (and this is debatable in the extreme) a rulebound and somewhat inflexible sanctioning body, stock car racing of the past was very different. A sport with its roots in the hopped-up cars of moonshiners, the characters who drove them, and the myriad little tracks and questionable race promoters is built on a different set of goals and values than many other Motorsports. As the show grew into a sport, it needed to claw back some Motorsport legitimacy and much was done to try to make things more fair. This time in the 80’s was a time of transition and NASCAR as we know it came out of it. But make no mistake - every last team at the time was doing nearly everything they could to “get competitive,” as Jimmy Means says. The Petty’s were no different than Junior and this time they got caught. NASCAR was never interested in taking away wins and for the most part merely fined teams and docked them points because the races were focused on the attendees rather than some wider TV audience. NASCAR, the teams, and track owners all needed people to come back to the next race and for this was more interested in spectacle than perhaps fairness: NASCAR rules weren’t meant to keep things fair, they were meant to keep the races from being boring by having someone run away with things.
When the CUP series started. It was called the “strictly stock” division. Meaning the cars weren’t supposed to be modified at all. The first strictly stock car race was won by a car with modified shocks and was disqualified. Petty had at least two wins with oversized engines and the engine in his 200th win was allegedly oversized as well.
@@DaveReece-u4b - Oh, I believe it. It may sound mean, but I’ve always felt that “Grand National” or Winston Cup racing had more kinship to the WWE (even more the NWA) than Formula 1. It became more, I dunno, serious through the 80’s, but NASCAR always had an enormous interest in its “stars,” since they tended to be the draw for races. As sponsorship became more and more important, some of that deference went away in service of the “sport” itself, but in the 70’s, Richard Petty was NASCAR. That he got away with this or that is no accident.
@@charlieromeo7663 - I count this as a positive, personally, but to me NASCAR in the past was something more like the WWF than like the Indy 500. It wasn’t complete fiction like wrestling, but they are from the same region and they both were keenly interested in the experience of the crowds at events. Like Petty’s motor wasn’t 1cc over like Junior/Brewer’s was in 1991(?) - it was like 25ci larger! There’s a reason the Petty’s thought they could get away with that.
The real rub was Richard Petty saying he had no knowledge of what was happening. Now there are people that worked in that shop say, that car wasn't washed without Richard Petty knowing.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Pettys car he won his 200th win had an oversized engine. Because after that win, Richard Petty was never really a threat at anymore races until he retired
Actually you only needed to get the car by the inspectors on Thursday. The pre-race tech check was only about ride height, ground clearance, basic body shape.
Left side tires ... right side tire. Shouldn't be a mandate but a team strategy. Like, when to switch from dry to wet tires or from wet to dry tires. It's a "sticky" rule.
@@JCin-s9h From a point of safety you’re wrong. How would you as an owner or driver feel if someone violated that tire rule, blew out a tire from overheating, started a 15 car pileup, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to race cars, potentially injuring drivers or crew, even maybe spectators? How about a lifetime ban from the sport, fines matching the cost of repairing everyones cars and lastly, Criminal charges if anyone was hurt…You might think differently about these things… Petty’s crew took a gamble which worked out for them that time, but like I said what happens if something goes horribly wrong?
I'm not one for cheating, however I do love hearing about these old NASCAR cheats. There's just so much innovation going on that it's not funny. Smokey was the king of "nonstandard rule interpretation," but here, the wax on the valves bit was just genius. Almost as good as Toyota's rally Celica GT-4 turbo restrictor bypass cheat.
@@Stiitchjones They always do a post race inspection. IT was a legal car. It's in the Smithsonian, so it would not be hard to tear back down and check it again, but there's no need to. Only time he ran an oversized engine was at this race in the video and he fired Maurice for cheating. The King is one man that did not have to cheat to win.
I remember when Richard was fined a large amount for jet fuel in the tank. So I guess that STP fuel treatment with jet fuel you could buy at the parts store must have worked.
And NASCAR's inconsistency to be consistent still shows today. All this shows in their attendance and Fan Base. I lost interest in the sport because of this as have many fans. Yes the fans, sponsors, and viewers win when it all is correctly called under the rules in place. That includes NASCAR for doing what you wrote the rules for to start with!
Some say he only has 199 wins!? Ha! Not the first time the King won with an illegal car. I've heard stories about how he got good fuel milage back in the day, and it didn't involve "lifting early" for the turns!
I like how everyone literally ignores how Petty just literally rode around for the last 8 years of his career. After the win in 1984, he never won another race. Anyone else would have been heavily encouraged to retire but the sponsors loved Petty so much I guess they let him be basically Danica Patrick from 1985-1992.
Richard Petty was one of the most popular drivers of his time and even if he never won another race in those eight years you mentioned. How many paying people came to those races specifically to support Richard. I know the 20 or so races I attended I was there to see Richard. My last NASCAR race I attended was the Coke 600 during his final season. What made it really special to me was it was also the only race I ever saw Dale win. A passing of the torch for me. Having seen 2 of the greatest drivers actually win a race I was at is a memory I’ll treasure always.
@@topcat43truffles15 Guys back then tended to race longer too. Petty obviously won a lot of races but the money wasn’t nearly what it is now. Most good drivers will retire in their early 40s now because they don’t need to keep racing for the money. Petty was 55 when he retired. Mark Martin kept hanging on at the end of his career too. He kept chasing that elusive title that was never to be. Even joining the evil empire at Hendrick for a few seasons. And gave a good showing despite being in his 50s at the time. But he was never going to win a title there, Jimmie was their pick and no way they would let an outsider outperform him.
@@gregrowe1168 Can’t argue with any of your points. I’d say some of todays drivers make more in one year than drivers like Richard made in their lifetimes. I might not follow NASCAR as religiously as I did back in the day but still occasionally watch a couple of races. It was nice to see the Woods Brothers team get their 100th win as well as Harrison’s first. Every once in a while the fates seem to lend a hand to make something special happen. Mark Martin is probably the greatest driver to never win that elusive Championship. These days I’m usually rooting for Chase to win, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Kyle win a couple more for Childress. It’s been a long ride for me starting with Pete Hamilton’s Superbird win in Daytona all those decades ago. Now we’re seeing another generation of young pups starting to make their mark. Been a pleasure conversing with you Greg. All the best, Tom 👍🏻🍻😎
@@topcat43truffles15 I'm just not sure Kyle made the right choice to go with Childress but he clearly got pushed out the door at Gibbs so Ty could have a ride. At least he looks more competitive recently. The team just isn't that strong anymore. In a few years, all these great drivers will be gone, and the young guys will be all that's left. Carl Edwards is the one that still puzzles me. Left in his prime and didn't make it all the way to the top. If he never comes back, his career will forever be a what if.
Petty’s was famous for if they seen or heard anything was going on even board line illegal on other peoples cars. Within 45 mins 1 of them would be spotted sneaking towards NASCAR trailer to rat you out. I always thought that was very funny. That has been reported countless times before by numerous other teams. That’s how Petty’s got by with a lot of stuff.
I don't believe the wax theory it would either be inconsistent or low. Which would also raise eyebrows. I believe they just had one small cylinder. And made it the easiest one to get to to test. You could easily balance that out.
At first they did as state..... and it worked till 1973 Charlotte race. The wax idea is better because when NASCAR started checking random cylinders it would make ALL of them seem identical. The was would prolly evaporate as soon as the engine was cranked. Pretty slick!
David Pearson only ran the full schedule 4 times his entire career and he won the championship 3 times out of those four years. If Pearson had run the full schedule every year he would have likely had over 160 wins and Petty would have likely would have only had around 145 wins. Pearson was that good.
Cheating is a mainstay in Nascar. They all have talked about how they cheated in different ways. All major teams are trying to cheat and not get caught. Waltrip admitted to using lead shot to increase pre race weight checks. Earnhardt and Jr. also cheated. Its no surprise, it is part of the game. "Legal" is probably rare, and odds are the winners are almost never innocent.
To some degree cheating has always been part of the sport. Perhaps they need to formalize cheating since it is part of the fun. Engines that pass pre race inspection are good to run. Unless flagged during the race the car that crosses the line first wins. It is that or move closer and closer to IROC.
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I was just at Petty's Garage and Museum and got to meet him. If you are visiting on a week day you have a pretty good chance he will drop in. He looked like he had to be somewhere but took time for a pic and autographs. And he looks you in the eye and thanks you for coming in. Another stop on my NASCAR in Carolinas was Darlington, in the the museum there is a display of illegal mods and parts they caught. Smokey Yunic once said half the rules in NASCAR are because of me. My fave of his was a 2 inch fuel line pipe with an extra 3 gal of fuel they didn't catch because the tank was on spec.
You would need a warehouse for Smokey Yunic
I met Richard at Talladega, May of 1975. This was the tragic day his brother in-law was killed in the pits. Richard quit the race, obviously. My dad worked in the infield hospital. He told Richards manager how big of a Petty fan I was. Two weeks later I got a cardboard tube from Petty Enterprises, Randleman, North Carolina. On what was probably the most tragic day of his life he thought enough of an 11 year old fan to send him a pic. Class man.
Richard, Maurice, Dale Inman, were all nice guys.... fiercely competitive, too. They brought well-prepared gorgeous race cars to the track as well.
problem is back then if you disqualified the illegal cars there’d be no winner
@@metronorthfoamer4085 Exactly. 100 % true.
Why is that?
@@MrJohnnyDistortion all the cars were cheating one way or the other.
@@MrJohnnyDistortion Basically if you weren't cheating, your weren't trying hard enough to win...
@@vinewood8295
So you have to be a cheat to increase your chances of success? Is that what your values are?
Bro literally said "There's no replacement for displacement".
Their are actually several replacements for displacement. Compression, nitrous, turn it 20,000 rpms. But in a racing class with rules, added displacement is an easy way to add power. If you get away with adding displacment, shame on the tech inspectors.
@@kevinkelley3657 You're wrong simply because you can put all of the power adders on the bigger engine. All other things being equal the bigger engine will make more power
@@kevinkelley3657 On the big tracks, keep in mind they have restrictors that attempt to limit the power. Which is probably why Petty did better with the bigger engine... but not that much better.
@@insulman100cars from the 60's and 70's were slow as shit. Todays minivans are faster than most "muscle cars"
@@GiveMeLibertyOrGiveMeDeath147You're just now discovering that the advantage they had was raw hp? No shit 50 years later, with modern transmissions, fuel, tires, and aerodynamics cars are faster.
What was funny is that Waltrip said that the difference between the 1st and 2nd place purse was…$35k. Then he said, they took my $35k and paid Richard’s fine with it, LOL. This was on a DJ interview a few years back. The story is hilarious.
I saw that interview and laughed when DW said it. It was like adding insult to injury.
What's hilarious is Waltrip KNEW he was illegal and was sandbagging!😮😁
@@ludicrous7044 🤣
@@ludicrous7044 That's what was so funny about it: Junior Johnson & DW couldn't really say anything about Petty being illegal when they knew themselves they were illegal too. 🤣
“Yeah, we cheated. In two different ways.”
“Understandable, have a good day.✌️”
Literally everyone cheated back then, they all talk about it now 😂😂😂
@@lowtunedg9211 If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin.
Smokey Yunick has entered the chat.
@@BurningEmerald The cheating at NASCAR is nowhere near as bad as the cheating at MLB. Baseball refuses to implement a true salary cap, allowing NYY to get into the playoffs 80 percent of the time. NY doesn’t always win the World Series, but what other team has the expectation of being in the playoffs 80 percent of the time? Crap, what other fanbase never has to worry about losing its favorite players to free agency? How is it not systemic cheating when MLB refuses to force the teams to play with the same sized payrolls?
@@lowtunedg9211there's a difference between ingenuity and blatant cheating. Petty was a blatant cheater
Holy shit. Those look like actual cars you'd see on the road.
NASCAR is about fun entertainment keeping the stands full.
I'm on the Smoky Yuninick side of the rules myself. If you get away with it, "bend it, break it, or throw away the rule book all together."
But I haven't watched Nascar in years, but I do love Nascar history.
Jeff Gordon once said that any car that passed inspection on the first go around had zero chance of winning.
Great Story!
I was at this race all those years ago.
I remember reading the papers the next day and them discussing Petty’s illegal engine and the illegal tire swap.
Being a Petty Fan I was happy to see Petty kept the win. It was also the only time I ever was at a race Petty won!
But I also was surprised that they let him keep it with 2 significant infractions of the rules.
The information you provided about Waltrip was something I had never heard.
Being a member of the anyone but Waltrip club and NASCAR knowing how unpopular Waltrip was I always thought that was why they didn’t take the win away from Petty. A Fan rebellion over Waltrip getting the win.
Finding the information you provided here about how Waltrip’s car was probably just as illegal as Petty’s puts the whole thing in a different light. How could they disqualify Petty from the win when Waltrip’s disappearing act after the race meant his possible illegal car couldn’t be inspected. I can imagine how the reaction would have been if the skipped over Waltrip and gave the win to Benny who by that time was probably long gone. It’s only taken 40 years for me to finally learn the probable truth about what actually happened on that day. Under the circumstances, I’ll say NASCAR made the correct decision, as distasteful as it must have been at the time.
Thank You so much for filling me in on a piece of history that I was lucky enough to have been there to see and always wondered about. 👍🏻🍻😎
He's got the BIG iron under his foot. King Petty forever!
He cheated. Shallow victory, I don't care what the others did.
@@RichardQuaid I say he improvised..adapted and overcame!
@@breakawaymotorsports Try it today.
Remember when Mikey got caught lining his intake manifold with some concoction at Daytona? They still try cheating, big penalties now. You don't get away with stealing races anymore.
That’s when nascar was for real, it sucks now
NOT the first time that Richard Petty had an illegal NASCAR engine either.
He had a falling out with Maurice after he got caught over boring the engine or something like that. Richard was pissed because it made them look bad. I think he fired his brother for it
@@sergeantmasson3669 With the exception of the Wood Brothers and Waddell Wilson they all cheated or as Junior Johnson use to say being creative lol.
@@edmondcamp2878 WRONG. You're a NASCAR expert, how? How many NASCAR race cars/trucks have you ever driven?
@@sergeantmasson3669 Man the only thing I’ve ever raced in as the little go carts at Panama City Florida and Pigeon Forge Tennessee. I never said I was an expert but I’ve been a race fan since 1976. I can just tell you what I’ve read and seen and heard racecar drivers and crew members say like on MRN or Ned Jarrett’s Goodys world of racing and others like that.
The only racecar driver I’ve ever met was Bill Elliott at the local Ford dealer where I live.
I wasn’t a particularly Bill Elliott fan not that I had anything against Bill but he drove a Ford and I pulled for the Chevrolets.
My Brother-in-law worked in the in field dirt track in Douglasville and Woodstock Georgia and I was briefly acquainted with a dirt racer by the name of Leon Sells and another one named Stan Massey who are deceased now.
One funny story about Leon Sells if that’s how he spelled his name is he went down to the Atlanta Racetrack in 1974 to enter his car in a sportsman race (Xfinity I think now) and he blew all the top dogs away Petty,Pearson, Allison etc. but NASCAR disqualified him because they said his car was illegal. Years later I was working for an AC Delco/Motorcraft distributor and delivered to a dealership called Lee Motor Company GMC in Mableton Georgia and Leon lived right behind the dealership and the parts manager was Steve Lee the owners son and I said they say Leon went down to the Atlanta raceway (that’s what they called it then Atlanta international raceway) and they said his car was illegal and Steve Lee said I know it was illegal I helped him build it.
No man I’m no expert I can hardly tell a spark plug from an oil plug.
I’m just a long time fan and some things are just what I’ve read.
@@sergeantmasson3669 I can just go by what I’ve heard people like Barney Hall, Ned Jarrett and others said.
I have to imagine the 2nd place car was also illegal since it left the track before it could be inspected. It was a Junior Johnson car, soooo...
Also, Petty went winless in '78 as well
Well, by Junior's philosophy, "He didn't get caught, sooooo" 😂
This was back when racing was racing. Not the 💩we have today!
Back when winning was cheating! Yeah sounds shit
nostalgia is one hellova drug
Keep trying kiddo you almost sounded smart. @@alexmaccain2362
One of our fine RUclips commentators, indeed one “grahammonohan92,” lets loose with a picture of a brown triangularly shaped amiable fellow with big brown eyes. What is the nature of this singular individual?
What a dumb comment. This wasn't racing, this was cheating. Back then most of the field would be lapped with only a handful on the lead lap.
I've always said, in NASCAR, it's the crew chief who wins the race , not always the driver.
The car plays the biggest role 😂
Don you are so correct!
If you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'!
Heavy missed opportunity to title this video "Richards Petty Big Engine
Thats the title now haha
We all knew that Waltrips car was illegal,very few races Junior Johnson was ever involved in he didnt cheat.
Jr. Johnson was famous for cheating. A friend of mine made titanium parts for him that were sprayed over, so they would be magnetic.
The King will always be The King.
The thing is: he was allowed to keep his win.
Yeah he went over that in the video bro
So…why NOT cheat?
Ergo why have rules at all?
@@lordracer7743
Yep, but that was explained.
And I was at that race, was happy to see Richard win ( my only time)
But Petty’s name was tarnished, forcing him to fire Maurice….
Never knew the story about Waltrip until I watched this..
As much as I’m a Petty fan, given the circumstances, he should have been disqualified, but with Waltrip long gone with a potential illegal car, what should they have done?
Give it to Benny? He was probably gone too… I guessed they also considered Richards popularity, Waltrip being hated by so many and figured this was the best of a bad situation…
So what? Bobby Allison got caught running a roller cam in his car after winning a race. He was allowed to keep his win too.
@@BulldogGTX-i2f
Curious, who finished 2nd?
Was it Waltrip? 🤣
Between Smokey and Junior they are the NASCAR rule book. 😂😂😂
Talking about pushing the envelope... there'll never be another Smokey Yunick...
My Grand Dad was a NASCAR Fan up until day he died. He retired from Ford Engineering as Head of Dyno Lab in 75. All through the 60's I met every FoMoCo racer that had any Factory help, and got to sit in winning LeMan GT at big ceremony when the winners were rolled out of trailers at a Sunday shindig for all the Ford Engineering employees. Many fond memories on Michigan Ave. 2nd to last time I saw him he gave me a box of paperwork, all correspondence between him and Hank the Deuce is up in my attic, things like Engineering employee's home phone #'s in late 50's, building plans from New Dyno building on Michigan Ave. Before new building Dyno Lab was at Mercury Livernois Plant, Ford Motor Company was involved with Racing in every form, but Papa liked NASCAR the best, it proved those engines. He also had a hand in 65 Indy motor and head work on Boss & Cleveland motors. The 1st Mustang to get a Big Block was a 66, a Engineering employee's son's car, that paved way for those FE and cammer engines to fit. He always liked Mickey Thompson too. My best meeting was Jackie Stewart and Mario Andretti, a Tie.
Darrell Waltrip describes the story very differently.
this is when bill france jr heavily favored petty cuz he wanted him to get 200 wins.
I still think Richard is at 199.
Come on now.
NASCAR would *_never_* favor one driver or team over another!
Whyyyy we hear on dale jr download all the time about illegal cars @@tankerboysabot
That's kind of funny. The Frances and Pettys had a interesting relationship. Lee was an early star that lost a 4th title because of a penalty handed down by NASCAR in the '50s. I can't remember the details but the penalty was steep. Look there was no doubt there was no doubt they looked the other way many times on the 43 from the '60s-'83. But they did the same for the Johnson 11, 3, 24, and 48. Rest assured even today no car on the grid is rulebook legal. In a way, Petty paid a higher price than any fine from NASCAR. The incident pretty much ripped the family apart for several years. Adam's hoped for Cup career was going to heal old wounds as according to their RUclips channel Timmy, Ritchie, and Mark all were slated to work on Adam's 45. Sadly not to be.
The Petty's were big fan favorites and the sport needed the publicity. I am thankful NASCAR was so popular. Honestly after the 1992 Hooters 500 the sport has been unwatchable boring trash. I can remember being a 7yr old kid waking up extra early in Hawaii to catch races in 1990 because of the timezones watching my favorite driver Richard Petty come nearly dead last every race. The Days Of Thunder time period was definitely prime time NASCAR.
200 wins by Petty is the most untouchable record in sports. Just think about it. You would have to win 10 races a year for 20 years straight just to tie it. Or you could try 20 wins a season for 10 years running if that will make it easier.
Yeah, they often raced several times a week back when Richard was dominating. There just aren't enough races now for anyone to ever hit that number. I think they run about 8 less per year now on average.
Back in the early to late 60s NASCAR ran on Friday, Saturday and Sunday 60 races a year and the competition wasn't as high if you had five cars finish on the lead lap that was equivalent to have 20-25 car finish on the lead lap today
And Pontiac had nothing to do with it.
Petty earned that record by being the best… at cheating and playing the NASCAR politics of his day. His racing skills were undeniable, but not that special.
That season he won 27 times, he raced in over 50 races. He literally was beating plumbers and carpenters in some of those races 😅.
Dale Earnhardt wouldn't have 7 championships if Tim Richmond had not gotten sick.
If Alan Kulwicki or Davey Allison and Tim Richmond had lived Earnhardt wouldn’t have won seven championships. I wasn’t a Davey Allison fan or Alan Kulwicki for that matter but even Earnhardt said if those three had lived he wouldn’t have won as many championships.
@@edmondcamp2878exactly, the heart of NASCAR died and the sport became unwatchable trash after the 1992 Hooters 500.
Or if Mark Martin's carb spacer was welded instead of just bolted.
If he lived another 10 years Earnhardt may have had 9 or 10.
@@rolltide9547 No he wasn’t winning as much even if he did finish second in the points in 2000 and he hadn’t won a championship since 94 and you had people like Jimmy Johnson,Tony Stuart, Matt Kennseth,Kurt Busch and others to contend with.
That’s brilliant using the wax to trick the air pump test into thinking it was a smaller motor. Lol idk what kinda wax he used but something random woulda been fine I’m sure you wouldn’t need much to get the job they needed done and it’d just mix into the engine oil i assume no problem. Richard surely had to know even if he was naive to it he woulda noticed he was just faster than ppl and it didn’t make sense he woulda asked but he knew anyway it’s way too much fun not to and seems like they know you always keep your wins anyway
I remember the race. My dad took me.
The bore and stroke of that engine must have been 4.170" a 0.045" over Bowtie Block and a 3.48" stroke for 381ci basically a 377 with another 0.015" over.
If you watch other Nascar stories on RUclips it sounds like all the front running teams were constantly cheating.
If they win the race, there is something on the car that isn't exactly by the rulebook. Guaranteed.
Creativity!
@@jeffreyroth7517Heck, listen to some of the mid-pack guys from that era. You had to bend the rules to get 20th.
Back then it was a feat just to have an engine that could finish the race
I was there !!!
I was at that race and remember Petty just shoot by Waltrip then we heard about the illegal engine.
"It ain't cheatin' if you don't check it.....wax. what wax?"
This was the good ole days of racing, not the stupid IROC racing today.
If ya ain't cheatin ya ain't eatin
Petty also had a winless season in 1978.
Hence why he started the 1979 season with limited STP sponsorship
The tires is what made the difference. The downside no one talks about is that Maurice Petty fell on the sword and cost him is career in NASCAR it took years for Mike Beam to admit they all knew it was big.
Wrong. Racing is all about horsepower. Period. In NASCAR oval racing softer tires may help a bit short term but they also quickly wear... meaning you have to stop giving up valuable track distance. Engines, i.e. horsepower, doesn't. Maurice didn't fall on any sword either; he was caught red handed. He wasn't the first nor the last racer to push the rule book envelope.
@@joneskendrick2084 go back and watch the race. Petty was struggling until they put the left sides on. You can have 1000hp but if the car will not handle you are not going anywhere.
@@israelmathes6268 I stated left side tires might help over a limited number of laps. (Other conditions also play a part … track temp, chassis setup, etc) Reality is horsepower wins every time under all conditions… handling, unless really, really bad on a 1.5 mile oval has a minimal impact. Plus Petty “struggling” could easily be an intentional head fake. I witnessed it many times.
back when NASCAR was worth watching.
nostaiga is one hellova drug
It's been Known for a While that a significant number of the top cars in those days were "in violation" of many details, as some called them... I believe that they kept up with each other in such detail as to somewhat self regulate. if it could pass tech inspection, it's good!
Back when the cheaters were fogging the outside of the air filter with Nos. DW was one of those nitrous guys. A kidney shaped nitrous bottle, tucked inside the firesuit so it stayed warm against the body and kept pressure up.
A driver always sweats, and looses weight during a race. Who's to say??.
In the previous Grand Prix, F1 disqualified race winner George Russell for the car being 3 or 4 Ibs under the legal limit - LOL
3 - 4 kilograms....
Great stuff
Real fans know, "If you're not cheating, you're not racing!"
Oh man - the people that say Petty only has 199 wins because of this controversy are out of their minds. NASCAR may now be (and this is debatable in the extreme) a rulebound and somewhat inflexible sanctioning body, stock car racing of the past was very different. A sport with its roots in the hopped-up cars of moonshiners, the characters who drove them, and the myriad little tracks and questionable race promoters is built on a different set of goals and values than many other Motorsports. As the show grew into a sport, it needed to claw back some Motorsport legitimacy and much was done to try to make things more fair. This time in the 80’s was a time of transition and NASCAR as we know it came out of it.
But make no mistake - every last team at the time was doing nearly everything they could to “get competitive,” as Jimmy Means says. The Petty’s were no different than Junior and this time they got caught. NASCAR was never interested in taking away wins and for the most part merely fined teams and docked them points because the races were focused on the attendees rather than some wider TV audience. NASCAR, the teams, and track owners all needed people to come back to the next race and for this was more interested in spectacle than perhaps fairness: NASCAR rules weren’t meant to keep things fair, they were meant to keep the races from being boring by having someone run away with things.
When the CUP series started. It was called the “strictly stock” division. Meaning the cars weren’t supposed to be modified at all. The first strictly stock car race was won by a car with modified shocks and was disqualified. Petty had at least two wins with oversized engines and the engine in his 200th win was allegedly oversized as well.
@@DaveReece-u4b - Oh, I believe it. It may sound mean, but I’ve always felt that “Grand National” or Winston Cup racing had more kinship to the WWE (even more the NWA) than Formula 1. It became more, I dunno, serious through the 80’s, but NASCAR always had an enormous interest in its “stars,” since they tended to be the draw for races. As sponsorship became more and more important, some of that deference went away in service of the “sport” itself, but in the 70’s, Richard Petty was NASCAR. That he got away with this or that is no accident.
199
The cars just looked better back then, didn’t they? Come on folks, do we really think NASCAR has any shreds of integrity and credibility, then or now?
@@charlieromeo7663 - I count this as a positive, personally, but to me NASCAR in the past was something more like the WWF than like the Indy 500. It wasn’t complete fiction like wrestling, but they are from the same region and they both were keenly interested in the experience of the crowds at events. Like Petty’s motor wasn’t 1cc over like Junior/Brewer’s was in 1991(?) - it was like 25ci larger! There’s a reason the Petty’s thought they could get away with that.
Richard Petty: laughs like Muttley 😁
Ingenious!!!
The real rub was Richard Petty saying he had no knowledge of what was happening. Now there are people that worked in that shop say, that car wasn't washed without Richard Petty knowing.
He did not know that Maurice built the engine too big on purpose. That's why he fired him for staining their reputation.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Pettys car he won his 200th win had an oversized engine. Because after that win, Richard Petty was never really a threat at anymore races until he retired
I like NASCAR back in the '80s. The cars had different body lines. Now days they all look the same.
Happens in every sport
Stroker engines for the win!!
Richard Petty also went winless 1978.
Do the complete inspection before the race and quarantine the car till the start. No inspection after, if you got something past you got it past.
Actually you only needed to get the car by the inspectors on Thursday. The pre-race tech check was only about ride height, ground clearance, basic body shape.
Left side tires ... right side tire. Shouldn't be a mandate but a team strategy.
Like, when to switch from dry to wet tires or from wet to dry tires.
It's a "sticky" rule.
@@JCin-s9h
From a point of safety you’re wrong.
How would you as an owner or driver feel if someone violated that tire rule, blew out a tire from overheating, started a 15 car pileup, destroying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage to race cars, potentially injuring drivers or crew, even maybe spectators?
How about a lifetime ban from the sport, fines matching the cost of repairing everyones cars and lastly,
Criminal charges if anyone was hurt…You might think differently about these things…
Petty’s crew took a gamble which worked out for them that time, but like I said what happens if something goes horribly wrong?
what engine-crank combo was that ? was that a 350 bored over with a 400 crank or a 400 with a 350 crank ? Im not too tech savvy on this
I'm not one for cheating, however I do love hearing about these old NASCAR cheats. There's just so much innovation going on that it's not funny. Smokey was the king of "nonstandard rule interpretation," but here, the wax on the valves bit was just genius. Almost as good as Toyota's rally Celica GT-4 turbo restrictor bypass cheat.
The real oddity was finding a car that was legal.
This wasn't the only "BIG" engine petty had!!
Nope, he got caught with one in 1974, and his car that he won his 200th win was probably oversized. They never did a post race inspection of it.
@@DaveReece-u4b I always wondered about that win in 1984 at daytona his last one....didn't know if they did an inspection on that motor
@@Stiitchjones They always do a post race inspection. IT was a legal car. It's in the Smithsonian, so it would not be hard to tear back down and check it again, but there's no need to. Only time he ran an oversized engine was at this race in the video and he fired Maurice for cheating. The King is one man that did not have to cheat to win.
He put stp additive in
I remember when Richard was fined a large amount for jet fuel in the tank. So I guess that STP fuel treatment with jet fuel you could buy at the parts store must have worked.
he made it to 200 because in the early days he was the only driver that could afford to start every race.
Petty had a stroker motor 383 inches
I was a little kid but i remember his Stp son of a gun protectant commercials.
SHOOT THE TARS!!
SHOOT THE DASH!!
if you ain't cheating you ain't trying ! when it comes to racing !
Pre race inspection, if you pass, you can keep the win. Then add a points penalty to the winner.
Continued infractions, increased season penalty.
I can’t believe they got a hissy fit about tires
And NASCAR's inconsistency to be consistent still shows today. All this shows in their attendance and Fan Base. I lost interest in the sport because of this as have many fans. Yes the fans, sponsors, and viewers win when it all is correctly called under the rules in place. That includes NASCAR for doing what you wrote the rules for to start with!
How about this, no limits, no regulations, fastest car wins. Now that would be fun to watch... haha
The Chevys would be on the way to the next race before the Fords got done, and if MOPAR was allowed in they would be there qualifying.
If you ain't cheating you ain't trying!
Innovation was epic in the old days, not like the cookie cutter racing now
I normally do not like cheating, but I do admire the ingenuity that goes into finding all these ways to cheat and get away with it.
It’s what keeps racing racing. Always finding the grey area and pushing the limits
You never hear an announcer say anymore ......
"That car, he's found something:
Seems like only solution is to make sure each car is legal before the races😮
Some say he only has 199 wins!? Ha! Not the first time the King won with an illegal car. I've heard stories about how he got good fuel milage back in the day, and it didn't involve "lifting early" for the turns!
This narrator's voice is like licking a razor blade.
Sounds like Smokey Yunick.
OK, So First place and second place battling it out for second place...Got it, the good old days of NASCAR.
This cars were cool at the time
This aint no different then and now is't all money and power. You're Welcome!!!
I like how everyone literally ignores how Petty just literally rode around for the last 8 years of his career. After the win in 1984, he never won another race. Anyone else would have been heavily encouraged to retire but the sponsors loved Petty so much I guess they let him be basically Danica Patrick from 1985-1992.
Unlike Danica Patrick he had a great racing legacy. Like Patrick, he was extremely marketable.
Richard Petty was one of the most popular drivers of his time and even if he never won another race in those eight years you mentioned. How many paying people came to those races specifically to support Richard. I know the 20 or so races I attended I was there to see Richard. My last NASCAR race I attended was the Coke 600 during his final season. What made it really special to me was it was also the only race I ever saw Dale win. A passing of the torch for me. Having seen 2 of the greatest drivers actually win a race I was at is a memory I’ll treasure always.
@@topcat43truffles15 Guys back then tended to race longer too. Petty obviously won a lot of races but the money wasn’t nearly what it is now. Most good drivers will retire in their early 40s now because they don’t need to keep racing for the money. Petty was 55 when he retired. Mark Martin kept hanging on at the end of his career too. He kept chasing that elusive title that was never to be. Even joining the evil empire at Hendrick for a few seasons. And gave a good showing despite being in his 50s at the time. But he was never going to win a title there, Jimmie was their pick and no way they would let an outsider outperform him.
@@gregrowe1168
Can’t argue with any of your points. I’d say some of todays drivers make more in one year than drivers like Richard made in their lifetimes.
I might not follow NASCAR as religiously as I did back in the day but still occasionally watch a couple of races.
It was nice to see the Woods Brothers team get their 100th win as well as Harrison’s first. Every once in a while the fates seem to lend a hand to make something special happen. Mark Martin is probably the greatest driver to never win that elusive Championship.
These days I’m usually rooting for Chase to win, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Kyle win a couple more for Childress.
It’s been a long ride for me starting with Pete Hamilton’s Superbird win in Daytona all those decades ago. Now we’re seeing another generation of young pups starting to make their mark. Been a pleasure conversing with you Greg. All the best, Tom 👍🏻🍻😎
@@topcat43truffles15 I'm just not sure Kyle made the right choice to go with Childress but he clearly got pushed out the door at Gibbs so Ty could have a ride. At least he looks more competitive recently. The team just isn't that strong anymore. In a few years, all these great drivers will be gone, and the young guys will be all that's left. Carl Edwards is the one that still puzzles me. Left in his prime and didn't make it all the way to the top. If he never comes back, his career will forever be a what if.
Petty’s was famous for if they seen or heard anything was going on even board line illegal on other peoples cars. Within 45 mins 1 of them would be spotted sneaking towards NASCAR trailer to rat you out. I always thought that was very funny. That has been reported countless times before by numerous other teams. That’s how Petty’s got by with a lot of stuff.
The part of racing was being able to make your car and motor better than the rest.
@@todd1524
Ya can't improve the Driber!!😸😉
KING 43
Puts his 200 wins under scrutiny if you ask me.
Back when nascar was real. Now the cars all look the same and are nothing stock. Nascar died with Dale
They weren’t stock back then either
I don't think old D.W would do it😅😅😅 ,,,,and Petty ,,,,U just don't mess with the Petty,,,
I don't believe the wax theory it would either be inconsistent or low. Which would also raise eyebrows. I believe they just had one small cylinder. And made it the easiest one to get to to test. You could easily balance that out.
At first they did as state..... and it worked till 1973 Charlotte race. The wax idea is better because when NASCAR started checking random cylinders it would make ALL of them seem identical. The was would prolly evaporate as soon as the engine was cranked. Pretty slick!
“if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying”- someone probably
“If you ain’t cheatin, you ain’t racin!”
Most teams cheated in one way or the other, especially during qualifying.
David Pearson had half as many but never cheated. 😊
David Pearson only ran the full schedule 4 times his entire career and he won the championship 3 times out of those four years. If Pearson had run the full schedule every year he would have likely had over 160 wins and Petty would have likely would have only had around 145 wins. Pearson was that good.
They say Rixhard only has 199 wiins ..
But King Richard will tell you ..
I got 200 Trophies!
You gotta admit, that putting wax in the valves to artificially lower the cubic inches test is pretty dang smart.. haha
Cheating is a mainstay in Nascar.
They all have talked about how they cheated in different ways.
All major teams are trying to cheat and not get caught. Waltrip admitted to using lead shot to increase pre race weight checks. Earnhardt and Jr. also cheated. Its no surprise, it is part of the game. "Legal" is probably rare, and odds are the winners are almost never innocent.
To some degree cheating has always been part of the sport. Perhaps they need to formalize cheating since it is part of the fun. Engines that pass pre race inspection are good to run. Unless flagged during the race the car that crosses the line first wins.
It is that or move closer and closer to IROC.
Racing was racing back then before all the BS restricter plates and making all the cars initially the same.
Smokey Yunick intensifies.
These videos always beg the question,how many tricks,scams,devices,cheats etc. went unnoticed over the years?