THE KING'S FINAL RACE CAME AT ATLANTA IN 1992

Just the mention of Richard Petty brings a smile to the faces of NASCAR fans and produces a high

level of respect and recognition even among those who never saw him drive a race car.

After 1,185 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts over a 35-year period, Petty had decided it was time to

end his driving career to concentrate on team ownership and work as an ambassador of the sport.

At age 55, the Randleman, N.C., native had amassed 200 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories -

including seven Daytona 500 wins - and seven series championships. Petty's career was the most

illustrious in stock car racing history and it was time for it to come to a close.

Petty officially retired from driving on Nov. 15,1992, following the season-ending Hooters 500 at

Atlanta Motor Speedway. Petty's retirement was the biggest storyline leading up to the race, but a

very close championship battle and the first start for racing phenomenon Jeff Gordon added to the

excitement.

After a very tense afternoon of racing, Bill Elliott enjoyed his fifth victory of the 1992 season.

However, second-place finisher Alan Kulwicki led the most laps and claimed the 1992 NASCAR

Sprint Cup Series championship by a mere 10 points, the closest margin in NASCAR history at the

time. Kulwicki was the most recent owner/ driver to win the title until Tony Stewart in 2011.

A record 160,000 fans arrived at Atlanta Motor Speedway that Sunday morning to witness Petty's

Last Ride, and to watch the exciting championship battle. Today, it is still one of the greatest races in

NASCAR history as Kulwicki, Elliott, Davey Allison, Mark Martin, Harry Gant and Kyle Petty were in

contention to win the championship. Problems and crashes befell many, leaving only Elliott and

Kulwicki to stage a nerve-wracking, lap-by-Iap battle with Kulwicki eventually claiming the

championship trophy.

Petty's Last Ride in the famed blue and red No. 43 was one of the most memorable events in

NASCAR history. He started 39th and was moving through the field before his race took an

unexpected turn. Just before the 100-lap mark, Petty was involved in a multi-car crash going into

Turn One. His Petty Enterprises Pontiac caught fire, but was quickly extinguished. It was towed back

to the garage area and the crew began assessing the damage.

Under the direction of crew chief Robbie Loomis, the crew worked for a majority of the race to get

the No. 43 car running again. With only a few laps remaining, Petty pulled out of the garage area

with no sheet metal on the front end and no hood, but the car was back on the track. The No. 43

was badly damaged, but Petty was able to maintain the minimum speed set by NASCAR. Petty

finished 35th in the 43-car field and was given credit for running at the finish of his final race. When

asked in post-race interviews about the fire during the crash, Petty said, "I wanted to go out in a

blaze of glory; I just forgot about the glory part."

After the Victory Lane celebration for race winner Elliott and champion Kulwicki, Petty climbed into

the car for a final ceremonial lap to salute the fans. Thousands remained to see the final tribute and

to pay their respects to the sport's biggest hero. Petty dropped the window net and waved to the

fans while the song "Richard Petty Fans" by Alabama was played on the public address system.

Throughout his career, Petty remained at race tracks for many hours after winning races to sign

autographs for the fans. Even though he's affectionately called "The King," Petty was, and still is,

NASCAR's most humble driver.

"There was nobody that had a better situation ," Petty said during his induction into the NASCAR

Hall of Fame in 2010. "I was born to be a racer, grew up around racing and had a brother [Maurice]

and cousin Dale [Inman] to make the nucleus of one of the best race teams on the planet. To have

all the people who surrounded those people ... I've never done anything, but we as a group did a

lot.