Richard Petty honors late brother on his heavenly birthday as the mastermind behind Petty Enterprises' success

NASCAR legend Richard Petty paid tribute to his younger brother, Maurice Petty, on what would have been his 86th birthday. The younger Petty passed away in 2020, six years after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame as one of the most impactful engine builders in the sport. The King took to his social media to wish his sibling for his birthday, as well as make it a point to mention how Maurice was instrumental to the success of Petty Enterprises.

Petty wrote on his X account:

"Happy Heavenly Birthday, Chief! Today, we remember and celebrate the life of Maurice Petty on what would have been his birthday. Maurice wasn’t just a legendary engine builder—he was the mechanical and business mastermind behind Petty Enterprises’ success."

Maurice Petty's engines was used by Richard Petty to achieve 200 race victories, as well as the record-making seven championships. The Chief, as he was known, also built engines for drivers like Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal, and Pete Hamilton, who gave him a recorded total of 212 wins as an engine builder. The real number might be much more, according to NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelly.

"Although the record shows 212 victories, Petty has well over 250 wins to his credit considering all the engines he built for his competitors." [via Autosport in October 2020]

The younger Petty brother was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 alongside drivers Fireball Roberts, Dale Jarrett, Jack Ingram, and Tim Flock.

Like Richard Petty, Maurice Petty also spent time behind the driver's wheel from 1960 to 1964 for Petty Enterprises, scoring a total of seven top-fives and 16 top-10s out of his 26 race starts in the Cup Series.

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Richard Petty shares countdown to Pettyfest 2025

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion shared a countdown on his Instagram, marking the days till Pettyfest 2025. The event involves fans getting a chance to meet Richard Petty and his family, including his son, former Cup Series driver Kyle Petty, at the Petty Museum in North Carolina.

The museum and Petty's account both shared the countdown to the event, which is three days away and it was shown in the form of the number 3 of the #43 plastered on the side of the car that The King raced with.

The event also involves giving visitors a chance to get a tour of the Petty Museum as well as the garages onsite, and also includes the participation of vendors and food trucks.

This year will mark the 15th Annual Pettyfest, which will take place between 9:00am - 1:00pm on Saturday, March 29th.