Lee Arnold Petty (1914 - 2000)

Born 14 Mar 1914 in Randleman, North Carolina, USA

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 2000 at age 86 in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA

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Biography

Lee Petty is Notable.

Lee Petty (1914 – 2000), of Level Cross, North Carolina, south of Greensboro, was raised on a farm during the Great Depression. As a young adult, he made his living as a mechanic, and at age 35 he became involved in auto racing. For his first race, he borrowed a 1946 Buick Roadmaster, but it was not an auspicious beginning; he lost control of the car during the race and rolled it over several times. Lee would go on to be one of the most successful of the first generation of NASCAR drivers, winning 54 major races, three national championships, and the very first Daytona 500. ^[1]

He raced from 1949 until 1964 winning the points championship three times. He raced in 427 races scoring 54 wins, 332 top 10 finishes and 18 poll positions. His best year was 1959 scoring 11 wins, 35 top tens and won the points title. His greatest victory was in the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. He won by less than a car length.

He was the patriarch of the Petty family which includes drivers Richard, Kyle, and Adam. (bio by: Reddfamilyhistory)

Burial - Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery, Randleman, NC

WIKIPEDIA BIOGRAPHY

Lee Arnold Petty (March 14, 1914 – April 5, 2000) was an American stock car racing driver who competed during the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR and one of its first superstars.

Petty was born near Randleman, North Carolina, the son of Jessie Maude (née Bell) and Judson Ellsworth Petty.[1] He was thirty-five years old before he began racing. He began his NASCAR career at NASCAR's first race at the three-quarter mile long dirt track, Charlotte Speedway. He finished in the top five in season points for NASCAR's first eleven seasons, and won the NASCAR Grand National Series driver's championship three times. Petty was also the winner of the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959.

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Career

427 races run over 16 years

Best finish 1st (1954, 1958, 1959)

First race 1949 Race No. 1 (Charlotte)

Last race 1964 The Glen 151.8 (Watkins Glen)

First win 1949 untitled race (Pittsburgh)

Last win 1961 untitled race (Jacksonville)

Wins-54; Top tens-332; Poles-18

(Statistics current as of December 21, 2012.)

Achievements

1954, 1958, 1959 Grand National Champion 1959 Daytona 500 Winner (inaugural race)

Awards

• Inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1990)
• Inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1996)
• North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
• Inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2011)

Family

Family links: Parents: Judson Ellsworth Petty (1865 - 1948) Jessie Maude Bell Petty (1876 - 1956)

Spouse: Elizabeth Toomes Petty (1917 - 2006)

Siblings: #Hal William Petty (1900 - 1943) #Violet Mae Petty Grubb (1903 - 1984) #Roy Houston Petty (1907 - 1933) #George Sterling Petty (1908 - 1979) #Guy Douglas Petty (1911 - 1970) #Lee Arnold Petty (1914 - 2000) #Julius Hilton Petty (1916 - 2003) #Dorothy F. Petty (1917 - 1996) #Infant Petty (1919 - 1919) #Rachel Petty Thompson (1921 - 1979)

Death

Cause of death: Complications from an abdominal aneurysm

Burial: Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery Randleman Randolph County North Carolina, USA Maintained by: Find A Grave Record added: Jan 07, 2001 Find A Grave Memorial# 19444

Lee was born in 1914. He passed away in 2000.

Sources

1. ↑ Petty Blue

• See his bio at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Petty

• Wikidata: Item Q719215

• [1] FIND A GRAVE

• [2] GENI

• https://alchetron.com/Lee-Petty

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Jim Vondrak for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Jim and others.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Petty
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19444/lee-arnold-petty: accessed 05 December 2022), memorial page for Lee Arnold Petty (14 Mar 1914–5 Apr 2000), Find a Grave Memorial ID 19444, citing Level Cross United Methodist Church Cemetery, Randleman, Randolph County, North Carolina, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave .