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Richard Petty and family to serve as Grand Marshals for Martinsville Cup Series race

Nick Profile Picby: Nick Geddes10/29/24NickGeddesNews
Richard Petty
Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Richard Petty, more than 40 members of his family and select Xfinity Rewards members will serve as the Grand Marshals for this Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Together, they will deliver the most famous words in motorsports ahead of the green flag. Petty, the NASCAR Hall of Famer, learned of the honor courtesy of his family, who surprised him with a special video.

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“So much fun surprising my Dad!” Kyle Petty wrote on X. “It’s going to be so special to have our entire family together acting as Grand Marshals for the race at @MartinsvilleSwy this weekend! #Petty75.”

NASCAR’s Richard Petty 75th anniversary celebration continuing at Martinsville

2024 is the 75th anniversary of the Petty family in NASCAR. It began with Richard Petty’s father, Lee Petty, the winner of the inaugural Daytona 500 back in 1959. Richard Petty carried on that legacy and became the most accomplished driver in the history of the sport with 200 Cup Series victories and seven championships.

Earlier this year, Martinsville, along with the other tracks on NASCAR’s schedule, unveiled a King’s Hat exhibit, a statue shaped like Richard Petty’s famous cowboy hat. 15 of his 200 wins came at Martinsville, the record for most checkered flags at the racetrack. Lee Petty’s first Cup Series win came at Martinsville (1949), making it the perfect place to honor “The King” and his family.

“Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR have a long history together that’s lasted since the early days of the sport, and the Petty family is a large part of that history,” Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said in a statement. “Between the remarkable wins the family has captured here and their ties to the community, having grown up just an hour away from the track, the Petty family legacy is strong at Martinsville Speedway. Honored to have so many of them join us for Sunday’s race.”