“It’s like going back home”: Richard Petty hypes up fans ahead of Daytona 500 in new Legacy Club promo

Richard Petty shared his thoughts on the Daytona 500 and revealed what the race meant to him. Petty, a multiple Daytona 500 winner, hyped up the iconic race in a social media promo by Legacy Motor Club recently. At the promo, he said he felt like "going back home" every time he returned to the magnificent track.

Legacy Motor Club, from their official X account, recently posted a video where LMC ambassador Petty touched upon his Daytona 500 experiences. Besides him, LMC full-time drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones also shared their experiences of racing in NASCAR's biggest race.

Speaking about how the iconic race looked during his time and how he and his team won half of the first 20 Daytona 500 races, Petty said in the video:

"Anytime you go to Daytona, the track don't look as big as it used to. The big deal is, when you look back the first 20 years, we won half of the races. Naturally when we go back, it's like going back home."

Sharing his experience, Erik Jones said,

"You walk out on the grid for the 500 and pit road is packed. The stands are packed. It's hard to know until you're there and you see it in person. It's just a different experience when you get to stand out.

"The year I ran my first 500, I don't think I'd raced in front of a crowd bigger than 30 or 40,000 people. There's only a few races that even comes close to compare and that's probably not one that feels the same as the 500."

John Hunter Nemechek also shared his take on the Daytona 500:

"That energy, atmosphere, everything is absolutely amazing. Everyone says that you only get one, first Daytona 500 and that is true. One that you'll remember forever when it comes to the 500. But when you get to run them, year after year, it doesn't change at all."

The upcoming Daytona 500 this weekend is going to be the 67th edition of the iconic race. It will take place on February 16 at 2:30 PM ET onwards.

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Richard Petty's records at Daytona 500

The Daytona International Speedway is a happy hunting ground for Richard Petty. The former NASCAR driver is generally known as "The King," and his track record at the Daytona 500 solidifies the title. The 87-year-old has seven Daytona 500 wins, which is the most by a single driver.

Former NASCAR drivers Richard Petty shows off custom vest with his son Kyle Petty - Source: Imagn

Petty won the 1964, 1966, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1979, and 1981 Daytona 500 races. No other driver could match his feat. Hence, Petty calling the Daytona International Speedway "like going back home" makes sense.

The North Carolina native is the most successful NASCAR Cup Series driver, with 200 race wins, and seven Cup Series titles to his name. He raced in the series for 35 years, where he racked up 1184 races. A NASCAR Hall of Famer, Richard Petty retired from the sport at the end of 1992.