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What was the best car you ever drove in competition?

Probably the '74 Charger. We ran it for like four or five years and really got a good handle on it because we had the same car year in and year out. And it was a very effective car on short tracks and big tracks and road courses. It was just a good overall car.

What organizations do you help? How can I get involved?

Well, really the biggest thing we got going right now is the Victory Junction Gang Camp -- VictoryJunction.org on the computer deal. If anybody wants to help us out with that deal or find out what's going on with that deal, you know, just jump on there and help us.

If you were given the opportunity to control NASCAR, what would be the first change you'd make?

So that Petty Enterprises would win all the races! They do a pretty good job overall. We get a little disturbed from time to time. You'd have to look at everything before you made any changes at all because one change may change something else.

Are there any more goals that you would like to achieve in either racing or life in general?

My philosophy on all that is just do better today than I done yesterday.

I am one of the kids from the first week of the Victory Junction Gang camp. I first want to say thank you so much to your whole family for doing the camp. You all are so wonderful, and it is a GREAT way to remember Adam. I had a wonderful time there!! My question is when you're at the camp we see you smiling so big all the time, and I am wondering if being there makes you feel like when you were in your car during a race?

That's a good question. It just makes me proud of what I've done because I was able to help the kids. And racing put me in that position. I'm glad this kid had a good time. I hope all the rest of 'em have a good time, too.

What inspired you to be a racecar driver, and would you have chosen any other career if racing didn't work out for you?

My father was in racing, and I grew up in and around racing and didn't know anything else. So like a farmer's son becoming a farmer, I was a racecar driver's son, and I became a racecar driver. Never looked at anything, any other profession.

When you first retired from driving we watched you at NHIS [New Hampshire International Speedway], standing on a ladder, not letting your team car out of your sight for one second. Is it easier now delegating driver and team responsibilities? And when you do get the urge for speed, do you run any laps at your driving schools or other tracks?

On the last question -- I have not been in a racecar at speed after I retired. So I just, cold turkey, I walked away from it. And, let's see ...Well, I always compare my drivers and my teams to what I would have done and how I would have done it. It gets kinda frustrating from time to time.

What was the scariest moment in racing you've ever experienced?

Probably ... the '88 wreck I had at Daytona ... coming off a corner and hitting the outside wall and rolling around. That was probably the scariest moment.

I've been a NASCAR fan for 20 years and have always rooted for you, Kyle and dear, sweet Adam. Watching Kyle in the interviews he's given, I think he is most happy when he talks about the business side of racing and the causes he is involved in. His eyes just seem to really light up when he talks about those things. Do you think his heart is really more in the business part of Petty Enterprise and the Victory Junction Gang?

Probably, half and half. He knows he's gotta do the Petty Enterprises part in order to carry on what he wants to do with Victory Junction.

Out of all the NASCAR drivers you raced against, who did you like to race against the most?

Probably David Pearson. Me and him probably ran together more races than anybody else I run with, and we never had but a couple run-ins. So he was probably the best on that.

What was your best memory of the Intimidator [Dale Earnhardt] ?

Man, I gotta bunch of them. You know, I had a lot of run-ins with him, but you know they worked out. Probably the biggest thing in him -- I remember him winning Daytona and how excited he was because he tried so many times. I think that was the optimum deal in his career, and I was with him on that.

What was your most terrifying wreck?

Probably ones that people didn't think was as bad as what they really were. It's really hard to say. I've broke my neck a couple times, broke everything else I guess in my body. So I don't know if there is one more terrible than any of the rest of 'em. All of 'em is bad, all of 'em is terrible.

I have heard you say that years ago, you had to pull Dale Earnhart to the side and have a talk with him about his rough driving. I think you said one of those times was because of the time he and yourself were involved in a wreck in turn one at Martinsville, Va. How did that conversation go? What did you say? What did Earnhart say?

Man, that's been a long time ago. You know I just told him he's gonna have to learn to be more patient with his driving deal. At that time, he was just starting. I know he paid attention to me. Maybe it didn't look like it on the race track when he drove, but I think he kinda respected me for what I was saying.

My dad has been a fan of Richard Petty since the very beginning of his career. All through my childhood, I heard all of Richard Petty's accomplishments on the track. My dad can tell me exactly where he was and what activity he was doing at the time of Richard Petty's achievements. What is your most memorable accomplishment on the racetrack? Thank you from the daughter of your biggest fan from Wisconsin.

Probably the highlight of my whole career was probably winning the 200th race at Daytona on July the 4th [1984] in front of the president of the United States and winning it on the last green flag lap. That was probably it.

NASCAR has changed so much since you've retired. What do you see as the best change and the worst?

Well ... man, that's tough. The best change, probably just looking at it from the overall deal, is probably not racing back to the flag on a caution flag. That's probably good. It's hard to say what the worst is. I'm not a big believer in the lucky dog thing, which gives everybody back, gives first man down a lap back. I'm not big on that.

Where do you see Petty Enterprises five, 10, even 20 years from now, and would you ever expand into other racing areas such as Indy cars?

I don't think we'd ever expand our deal because we started with NASCAR, and I think that's where we want to be at. The next five, 10, 20 years -- it's sorta going to be up to Kyle according to what he wants to do with Petty Enterprises.

I am a Randolph County [North Carolina] native also, so in regards to that and knowing you didn't have any type of alcohol sponsors on your car, how do you feel about the issue of passing the liquor by the drink in our area?

Political question right? Well, if you gonna have liquor all around ya, then I feel that the county and the city should be able to get the tax off it and make it work from there.

What was the inspiration for your signature cowboy hat?

Long answer. The basic deal was that Kyle used to have what he called the Kyle Petty Boot Barn, and they sold hats and cowboy boots. I'd already been into the boot business, and so he convinced me to try a cowboy hat. That worked out real good because I could wear the cowboy hat, and you know everybody's got sponsor hats, and you always wound up having the wrong sponsor hat on when you were talking to somebody. So the cowboy hat solved that problem.

A Sports Illustrated reporter once wrote that, on the super speedways, you would "come down off the rail grinning like the hound of hell, and grown men would suddenly cringe." Did you ever deliberately set up your car just a little loose, on those tracks like Talladega, Daytona, and even Darlington, knowing that you had better reflexes, to make 'em pee in their pants and gain a competitive edge?

I always chose the car where it would handle the best for me. It just seemed like that as I was able to catch people, if I had a groove different than them, then I could pass them a lot easier than I could follow 'em.

I proudly received your autograph many, many years ago. Did you develop your very unique autograph just for signing for race fans, or did you always sign it that way? It surely is one of the most unique autographs in sports today.

When I got out of high school, I took a business course, and the first thing it taught you ... was how to write legible where you could read it and then the autograph just developed from there.

1. 2/18/1979 Daytona 500
The first live flag-to-flag TV coverage of the Daytona 500 culminates in an unforgettable finish. Running 1-2, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison wreck each other on the last lap, handing Richard Petty his 6th Daytona 500 win. As Petty crosses the finish line, CBS cameras catch Yarborough and the Allison brothers fighting in the infield grass between turns three and four.

2. 2/15/1976 Daytona 500
The penultimate moment of NASCAR's greatest rivalry. Richard Petty and David Pearson wreck each other coming off of the final turn of the final lap. Both come to rest in the infield grass only a few yards shy of the finish line. While Petty struggles to re-fire his stalled machine, Pearson rolls by in his mutilated Mercury and crosses the finish line at about 25 mph.

3. 2/15/1998 Daytona 500
After two decades of near-miss frustration, Dale Earnhardt finally wins the Great American Race.

4. 11/15/1992 Hooters 500 -- Atlanta
The final race of the 1992 season -- Richard Petty's final race and Jeff Gordon's first. Davey Allison enters as the points leader, closely followed by Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki. Allison wrecks early, leaving Kulwicki and Elliott to duel. Elliott wins the race, but Kulwicki leads one more lap, giving him five bonus points and the 1992 championship by 10 points -- the closest margin in NASCAR history.

5. 2/22/1959 Daytona 500
The inaugural Daytona 500 ends with Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp crossing the finish line door-to-door. Beauchamp is declared the winner, but both cars roll into Victory Lane. Three days later photos reveal that Petty is the winner.

6. 6/19/1949 Charlotte, N.C.
The first NASCAR "Strictly Stock" race is held on June 19, 1949 at the Charlotte Fairgrounds. The race is initially won by Glenn Dunnaway, but he is disqualified for using illegal springs. Jim Roper is declared the winner. Sara Christian finishes 14th and becomes the first woman to start a NASCAR race.

7. 3/18/2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 -- Darlington
Kurt Busch and Ricky Craven put on the greatest last lap show in NASCAR history, pounding on each other relentlessly for 1.4 miles. The two cross the finish line leaning on each other and spin as they finish. Craven wins by .002 seconds, the closest margin in the history of the sport.

8. 7/4/1984 Firecracker 400 -- Daytona
Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough cross the finish line door-to-door in the front of Ronald Reagan, the first sitting U.S. President to attend a NASCAR event. Petty wins by inches, earning his 200th and final victory.

9. 9/4/1950 Southern 500 - Darlington
The first race held on the Darlington Raceway and the first NASCAR event held on a paved track of one mile or more. 75 cars started the Labor Day event, won by Indy Car driver Johnny Mantz by running on the apron of the track with truck tires. Other drivers chose to run up on the banking and used up so many tires at high speeds that they had to go into the infield and buy tires from spectators.

10. 5/17/1987 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
The race often looked at as the birth of The Intimidator. Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott battle lap after lap, including Earnhardt's legendary "Pass in the Grass". Earnhardt wins, but the normally cool Elliott expresses his displeasure by nailing the number 3 car during the cool down laps.

11. 9/1/1985 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Soft-spoken Bill Elliott comes to The Track To Tough To Tame looking for a win and a record $1 million bonus from Winston for winning three of NASCAR's four "crown jewel" races. He survives a couple of near misses as well as a late charge from Cale Yarborough to become forever known as "Million Dollar Bill".

12. 5/6/1984 Winston 500 -- Talladega
The most competitive race in NASCAR history. Cale Yarborough wins by two car lengths over Harry Gant after a record 75 lead changes among 13 drivers, including fellow legends Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, David Pearson, and Benny Parsons.

13. 7/7/2001 Pepsi 400 -- Daytona
Dale Earnhardt Junior wins at Daytona in the first race back since the death of his father on that same track five months earlier. The post-race celebration is one of the most memorable in the history of the sport as he stops his car on the infield grass and climbs out onto the roof to celebrate with the grandstand crowd.

14. 3/11/2001 Cracker Barrel 500 -- Atlanta
Kevin Harvick beats Jeff Gordon by .006 seconds, ending a race that featured 25 lead changes among 11 drivers. It is Harvick's first win in just his 3rd career start and the first win for the GM Goodwrench car since Dale Earnhardt's death at Daytona three weeks earlier.

15. 2/16/2001 Dura Lube 400 -- Rockingham
Steve Park wins by inches over Bobby Labonte. Park's win comes in a Dale Earnhardt Incorporated car just one week after Earnhardt's death at Daytona.

16. 2/23/1986 Miller 400 -- Richmond
With three laps to go on the bullring short track, Darrell Waltrip makes his move to pass Dale Earnhardt for the lead. The two tangle and hit hard into the turn three guardrail. The wreck also collects Geoff Bodine and Joe Ruttman, who were running 3rd and 4th. 5th place Kyle Petty emerges from the smoke to earn his first career win.

17. 7/4/1974 Firecracker 400 -- Daytona
Coming to take the white flag, leader David Pearson realizes he is a sitting duck with Richard Petty riding second and ready to slingshot into the lead. As he crosses the start-finish line, Pearson suddenly pulls onto the apron as if he has a blown engine. Petty sweeps into the lead, but suddenly realizes that Pearson is back up to speed and running on his back bumper. Off of turn four, Pearson sweeps into the lead for the win.

18. 8/6/1994 Brickyard 400
After decades of exclusion from the most hallowed ground in racing, NASCAR finally takes the green flag at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hometown hero Jeff Gordon inherits the lead during the closing laps when Ernie Irvan cuts a tire going down the backstretch.

19. 12/1/1963 Jacksonville, Florida
Wendell Scott wins 200-lap dirt race over Buck Baker, becoming the first (and so far only) African-American driver to win a NASCAR Nextel Cup event. Baker is initially awarded the win, but a scoring study reveals that Scott actually won by two laps.

20. 5/5/1985 Winston 500 -- Talladega
Bill Elliott, with one brother serving as crew chief and another as engine builder, makes up two laps under the green to win and set up a shot at the Winston Million bonus payout.

21. 10/15/2000 Winston 500 -- Talladega
Dale Earnhardt comes from 18th to 1st in three laps to earn his final Nextel Cup victory and a million dollar bonus from Winston.

22. 8/28/1999 Goody's 500 -- Bristol
Dale Earnhardt spins Labonte again, but this time it is one lap earlier and Labonte doesn't recover for the win. Earnhardt wins and celebrated amid both cheers and boos. The Intimidator had returned.

23. 8/26/1995 Goody's 500 -- Bristol
Dale Earnhardt spins rival Rusty Wallace early on and is penalized by going to tail end of the lead lap. He works his way back to the front and punts leader Terry Labonte across the finish line, boosting Labonte to the win. Labonte drives his wrecked Chevy to Victory Lane while Earnhardt and Wallace end up in a shouting match in the garage and have to be separated.

24. 9/6/1965 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Ned Jarrett earns the biggest win of his amazing career by 14 laps. The win essentially clinches his 2nd Cup title, after which he shockingly retires at the top of his game.

25. 2/14/1993 Daytona 500
Dale Jarrett wins his first Daytona 500 by holding off Dale Earnhardt. Choking back tears, father Ned Jarrett calls the win for CBS Sports.

26. 2/14/1988 Daytona 500
Bobby Allison wins his 84th and final Nextel Cup race by taking his 3rd Daytona 500 win. Son Davey finishes 2nd, and the two share an amazing moment live on CBS as they wave to each other from their cars moments after taking the checkered flag.

27. 5/16/1992 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
"One Hot Night" is the first All-Star event held under the lights. Kyle Petty roughhouses his way to the front, racing to the back bumper of Davey Allison on the final lap and spinning Allison across the finish line. Allison wins, but has to be cut from the car and airlifted to the hospital.

28. 5/21/1989 Winston All-Star Race -- Charlotte
Rusty Wallace spins Darrell Waltrip live on ABC and in front of thousands at the Charlotte Motor Speedway to win The Winston. As Wallace drives to Victory Lane, Waltrip's Tide pit crew is waiting and a huge fight breaks out between the two race teams.

29. 2/19/1989 Daytona 500
Darrell Waltrip ends decades of futility by finally winning the Daytona 500. His Victory Lane celebration is still among the greatest ever, including "The Ickey Shuffle" and his cry of "I won the Daytona 500! I won the Daytona 500! Thank God!"

30. 2/15/1981 Daytona 500
Richard Petty and cousin/crew chief gamble on a late gas-only pit stop to take over the lead and win a record 7th Daytona 500.

31. 10/1/1967 Wilkes 400 -- North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Richard Petty wins his 10th consecutive race and his 27th race of the 49-race 1967 season.

32. 9/22/1991 Goody's 500 -- Martinsville, Va.
51-year old Harry Gant becomes known as "Mr. September" by winning four consecutive Nextel Cup races -- Darlington, Richmond, Dover, and Martinsville. He also wins three Busch Series races during that time, giving him seven wins in a row.

33. 2/20/1977 Daytona 500
Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman to drive in the Great American Race, starting 39th and finishing 12th. It is her 6th Cup start after making her debut at Charlotte the following May in the World 600.

34. 11/8/1998 NAPA 500 -- Atlanta
Jeff Gordon wins his 13th race of the season, closing out the most dominant season of NASCAR's modern era -- 13 wins, 7 poles, 28 top 10's in 33 races -- and clinching his 3rd Cup title in four seasons.

35. 2/23/1958 Daytona Beach
Paul Goldsmith wins the final race held on the Daytona Beach and Road course, marking the end of an era for NASCAR's birthplace. Stock car races were first held on the beach in 1936, inspiring then-driver Bill France Senior to create the sanctioning body.

36. 4/23/2000 DirecTV 500 -- Texas
Adam Petty becomes the first 4th generation athlete in American professional sports history, starting 33rd and finishing 40th with a blown engine.

37. 10/23/1994 AC Delco 500 -- Rockingham
Dale Earnhardt equals a record that no one thought would ever be touched -- Richard Petty's mark of seven Nextel Cup titles. He does so in style, winning the race and clinching with two races remaining in the season.

38. 10/211973 American 500 -- Rockingham
After a devastating crash early in the season's final race, points leader and hometown hero Benny Parsons and his team frantically worked to get his car back into running shape. With Cale Yarborough closing in, Parsons and his team completely rebuilt the entire left side of the car and finished 28th, running just enough laps to win BP's only Cup title.

39. 8/311997 Southern 500 -- Darlington
Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton bang their way around the track for two laps until Gordon wins by inches to clinch the second-ever Winston Million dollar bonus.

40. 4/8/1979 Rebel 500 -- Darlington
Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty trade the lead four times during the race's final lap. DW decides to play chicken with The King heading into the 3rd turn, pulling an outside-inside move to sweep to the bottom of the track and take the win. It is also David Pearson's final race with the Wood Brothers after an embarrassing pit road mishap.