Photo Credit: Noel Lanier
Richard Petty, a seven-time NASCAR champion, winner of over 200 career races and a 2010 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, continues to collect numerous accolades for a legendary career behind the wheel of a stock car that began nearly 60 years ago. Petty will be inducted into the City of Hampton, Georgia’s Speedway Lane Hall of Fame in a ceremony at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26 at Downtown Hampton’s Depot Park, as the home city of Atlanta Motor Speedway honors the racing legend to kick off its four-day 2015 NASCAR weekend.
Established in 2013, Hampton’s Speedway Lane Hall of Fame honors influential drivers with strong ties to Georgia and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Its current members include Fayetteville, Georgia’s Rex White and Dawsonville, Georgia’s Bill Elliott, both 2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees.
“It’s always great to be recognized, no matter where you’re at,” said Petty. “Atlanta’s been there since 1960, and we’ve been going there since then. It’s good to see the local (community) get involved in what they’ve had all these years. It’s going to help the whole situation by having the community behind you. They’re going to step forward, and that’s a big plus.”
Petty, whose storied career spanned more than three decades, is statistically the most accomplished driver in the history of NASCAR. His 200 victories and 123 poles in NASCAR’s top division are the most of any driver, and his seven NASCAR championships is matched only by NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt. Petty’s last career start behind the wheel was on Nov. 15, 1992 in the Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in what many consider one of the greatest NASCAR races of all time.
Special guest speakers at the induction ceremony will include Petty, Hampton mayor Steve Hutchison and Atlanta Motor Speedway president Ed Clark. Additionally, a special tribute will honor the late Captain Herb Emory, longtime local Atlanta traffic reporter, impassioned civic activist and icon in the motorsports press community.
Following the ceremony, Petty will serve as the grand marshal of the 3rd Annual Hauler Parade, as NASCAR XFINITY Series transporters cruise through Downtown Hampton prior to entering Atlanta Motor Speedway’s main infield tunnel. The parade will kick off at 6:30 p.m., beginning near Depot Park and proceed down Main Street.
Fans of all ages are invited to attend the parade and experience the charm of Downtown Hampton, as the thrill of NASCAR arrives for its annual stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hampton, approximately 25 miles south of Atlanta, is easily accessible from Interstate-75 via Highway 19/41 by taking Exit 235 or via Highway 20 by taking Exit 218.
For more information about Atlanta Motor Speedway’s NASCAR weekend or to purchase tickets today, call the AMS ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or visit http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com.
