NASCAR great Richard Petty’s collection to be auctioned

NASCAR fans, listen up. An auction of items from the collection of the greatest stock-car driver of all time, Richard Petty, has been scheduled for May 12 by Julien’s Auctions at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The King’s collection includes race-winning cars, such as the Dayglo Red-and-Petty Blue 1974 Dodge Charger in which he won 31 races; trophies; clothing, including a signed STP leather jacket; racing suits that he and other star drivers wore; and many pieces of personal memorabilia.

In celebration of the special auction event, Petty will make an appearance this Friday at Planet Hollywood along with the 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix that he drove during his 1992 Fan Appreciation Tour before he retired from racing at the end of that year.

The Grand Prix will be one of the vehicles offered at the May 12 auction, which Petty is expected to attend.

Petty was the winningest driver in NASCAR history, taking the checkered flag more than 200 times in his 35-year career, including seven Daytona 500 wins, and achieving seven NASCAR Championships. In 1967, Petty collected 27 victories, including 10 in a row, both still NASCAR records.

Among his honors were being named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver eight times; inductions in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame; and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the first ever given to a motorsports athlete, bestowed by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.

Nowadays, Petty oversees his Richard Petty Motorsports race team, Petty’s Garage high-performance speed shop and the Petty Museum. His charity work includes his donation of land to build Victory Junction, a summer camp in North Carolina for children with various medical conditions, and co-founding the Petty Family Foundation.

“As Babe Ruth and Muhammad Ali were giants in their arenas, Richard Petty is one of the most significant sports figures of our time who elevated the world of motorsports to greatness,” Darren Julien, president and chief executive of Julien’s Auctions, said in a news release. “He is a national treasure and Julien’s Auctions is honored to offer this winners circle of iconic items that represents The King’s legendary career, life and love of racing.”

Other highlights of the auction include a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven in 1979 when Petty won his seventh title (estimate: $200,000 – $300,000; his 1981 Daytona Win Trophy (estimate: $200,000 – $300,000) from the last of his seven Daytona 500 wins; a 2017 Ford Tribute Mustang (estimate: $120,000 – $140,000) No. 43 (total production of 43) and titled to Richard Petty; and a 1967 Darlington Win Trophy (estimate: $100,000 – $200,000) for winning his first Southern 500, a victory that was part of Petty’s 10 in a row winning streak that year (photo right).

Other vehicles include a 2018 Ford F150 (estimate: $80,000 – $100,000) and a 2018 Ford Mustang (estimate: $80,000 – $100,000), both built professionally in Petty’s Garage; a 2009 Budweiser Dodge driven by Kasey Khane who won at Sonoma in 2009 (estimate: $20,000 – $40,000); a 2008 Victory motorcycle (estimate: $6,000 – $8,000) made by Polaris, driven during the Kyle Petty Charity Ride (photo top left).

Also, the Petty-worn STP signed leather racing jacket (estimate: $1,000-$2,000); a Bobby Labonte-signed Cheerios racing suit (estimate: $800-$1,000); a Marathon racing suit bearing Terry Labonte’s name (estimate: $800-$1,000); a vintage Lee and Richard Petty oil tank and pump used during the late ’60s (estimate: $1,000-$2,000). The auction also will offer such memorabilia and personal items as race programs, license plates, posters, trading cards, plaques and clothing.

For more information about Julien’s Auctions sale on May 12, visit the auction website.