Richard Petty part 2
Of all the years you ran this race, I have to ask you about the 1970 Plymouth Superbird (above, as driven by Pete Hamilton that year). In my humble opinion, that was the coolest racecar of all-time. Even in 2017, it just strikes me as an unreal car.
"Yeah, it was. You know at that particular time, Ford and Chrysler and the factories was really into racing, so they went about as far as they could go with the engines at that time. Then they started going with the body and that started the aero wars. Then when they come with the Superbird and the Daytona 500 Dodge, it was all so far out there that NASCAR said, 'Whoa, we're going to have spaceships out here in two or three years!' You know it all started out as stock cars, but it got too far out there, so NASCAR just sent everybody home with those deals and everybody went back to more of a stock body. I'm glad they done that because it could have been weird by now."
You won seven NASCAR championships and seven Daytona 500s. To that end, I've heard drivers who have also won a title and a Daytona 500 say that winning the 500 was as big, if not bigger, than winning a title. What's your take on that?
"When I was winning championships, Daytona was more important than a championship. Now, the way they got things done, this is the first race of the year and they're already talking about points, you know what I mean? We got 36 races to go and they're already looking at winning a championship more than winning a race."
So back in the day, were you more of a guy that just wanted to win races as opposed to being some sort of "points racer"?
"I just wanted to win races and at the end of the year, if they added it up and you won a championship, fine. If you didn't, OK, we'll get it next year."
You won seven Daytona 500s. Is there one that just sticks out from all the others?
"Not really. You know, there were a couple that I lucked in and won, like 1979. And '76, I lucked out on winning that one. After winning all the races and not winning some races, it kind of balances itself up. Some of them we should have won and we had a better car, but others we lucked into. Some that you lost, you should have won. It all evened itself out.
As I watched the qualifying Duels, that sensation of speed and sound of the cars going around in a pack like they do on this 2.5-mile track is just mind boggling. It's so larger than life that it doesn't even look real...
"Oh yeah. It's still Daytona. We come back here in July and the thing looks like it shrunk up. It's still a big race and all that kind of stuff, but it's just not.... The Daytona 500 is like the Superbowl, the World Series, the Kentucky Derby. It is our showcase deal. No matter what, this is the showcase place.
If Big Bill France was able to show up here on Sunday and watch the race, do you think all this would astonish him?
"Yeah, I think it would blow his mind, too. He was very much of a visionary, but I don't know if there was anybody could look 59 years ahead and see what this thing. Think of all the things that started in 1959 that are not here anymore. And they were big things at that particular time, but they kind of faded away. Daytona has not faded away. It's a sensation, that's what it is. You watch it on TV and it's great and you can see all the moves and stuff, but it's nothing like being on the property where you hear it and smell it and being a part of it all."
And guessing what's going to happen on Sunday?
"Nobody knows. That's what keeps us all coming back. I mean, you can have the best car here and there is no sign you're going to win the race. You might have the worst car here and you still have a chance. This is a crapshoot. I've seen on the side of a car here that says Florida Lottery. That's what this is. This is the Daytona Lottery, OK?!