Richard Petty Details NASCAR’s First Ever Southern 500 That Left Cup Teams Scrambling for Tires

Known as the “Track too tough to tame”, Darlington Raceway has been a staple in the NASCAR calendar ever since its opening race conducted in 1950. The oldest superspeedway on the circuit was built on farmland. The objective of the racetrack revolved around cementing its status as a rival to the Indy 500 in the south. Over the years, Darlington has developed a reputation for being unforgiving. Nevertheless, the track plays host to the crown jewel race: the Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend.

Apart from the venue, a lot has changed over how the Southern 500 operates since the first-ever race in 1950. Reminiscing about the race, Richard Petty revealed details about the iconic event that took place almost three-quarters of a century ago.

The King takes a trip down memory lane

It was a sight to behold. September 4th, 1950 marked the inaugural edition of the Southern 500 as part of the NASCAR Grand National, co-sanctioned by the organization and its rival Central States Racing Association. At that time, the track comprised a four-turn 1.25-mile oval. Moreover, a staggering 82 entrants showed up to participate.

Given the number of cars, a two-week qualifying scheme was devised with 75 cars arranged in three rows of 25, taking inspiration from the Indianapolis 500. Unlike modern-day racing, locals also showed up to qualify for the historic event. They used their cars to go wheel-to-wheel against other racers.

Recalling that drivers experienced a shortage of tires at the event, Richard Petty said, “Some of the cars in the infield didn’t have wheels and tires because people would run out on the racetrack and they’d run out of tires. They’d go in the infield and they would just stock wheels and stuff so they’d take them off a Cadillac or a Ford or whatever and put them on. I don’t know if they stole them or if the car was just sitting there, they just took the tires. The reason the guy won the race was he had better tires than anybody else so they outrun, nobody outlasted.”

The newly paved circuit did result in tire issues, as drivers used Firestorm or random dirt rubber. With the competitive spirit running high, reports suggest that drivers resorted to stealing tires from the parking lot. This resulted in the first ‘tire disaster’ in NASCAR history. The second such incident took place in the 1969 Talladega 500. However, even before the start of the event, it recorded a major obstacle. The Professional Driver Association (PDA) led by Richard Petty boycotted the race after the tires failed during testing.

Richard Petty was almost 13 years old when the first Southern 500 took place. ‘The King’ might remember Herb Thomas, NASCAR’s first multi-time Cup champion withdrawing from the event despite qualifying, as his car was repossessed ahead of the race. Ultimately, it was ’50 Plymouth driver Johnny Mantz who secured a victory on the track. He took home the prize money of $10,510 for the historic achievement. Despite the race being unregulated, 50 out of 75 cars still kept up at Darlington Raceway after the end of 300 laps. This resulted in an impressive achievement in that era, especially considering the circumstances of the tires.

Richard Petty forced NASCAR to black-flag him at Darlington

Few drivers in the sport are as iconic as Richard Petty. The seven-time Cup Series champion drove the No. 43 Petty Enterprises Plymouth/Pontiac for the majority of his career. The 87-year-old secured 192 out of his 200 victories in the blue car. Even though he retired at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992, the veteran returned to Darlington Raceway ahead of the 2017 playoff race to take the wheel once again. Driving his legendary car, fans expected ‘The King’ to get back into the pit road before the field went green. However, Petty enjoyed the experience so much that he refused to leave the track. Ultimately, NASCAR had to black-flag Petty so that the race would begin, prompting hilarious reactions from drivers.

Kevin Harvick was heard saying on the team radio, “I don’t blame him. I’d drive that thing around all day!” while NASCAR commentator Jeff Burton said, “Oh! You can’t flag the #43. That’s funny!”. Spotter Clayton Hughes couldn’t help but chime in as well as he said, “Richard said to heck with it, he’s gonna race.”

Richard Petty has tasted success at Darlington Raceway’s 1.3-mile oval in the past. Driving his No. 43 car, he won the Goodyear 400 as well as the Southern 500 during the 1967 season. Moreover, he also secured his second Cup Series championship that year. Throughout his illustrious career, ‘The King’ has cemented his legacy as one of the sport’s all-time greats. So it’s no surprise that he misses his life behind the racing wheel. Will we ever see him in a pace car once again? Time will tell. However, NASCAR might have to prepare to bring out the black flag once again if Petty gets back on track.