The Petty family is one of the most iconic and influential dynasties in NASCAR history. To celebrate their 75th year in racing, a special project has been launched to honor their legacy with a series of unique statues featuring Richard Petty’s famous cowboy hat.
The First Hat Unveiled at Daytona
The first of 28 life-size art installations, dubbed “The King’s Hat”, was unveiled on February 14, 2024 at Daytona International Speedway, the track where the Petty family legacy began. The six-foot tall, 1,000-pound, fiberglass and concrete statue features the likeness of Richard Petty’s feathered cowboy hat, which has been his signature look for decades.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Richard and Kyle Petty, along with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and Daytona track president Frank Kelleher. The King’s Hat is a project presented by LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a membership-based club that offers exclusive access to motorsports events, experiences, and content.
“It’s always special to be recognized and this does take it to the very top,” said “The King” Richard Petty. “This is really for the fans to enjoy something unique to our family, our history, and our contributions to the tracks and NASCAR. It took a lot of people, time, and effort to make this happen and our family is honored by that.”
A One-of-a-Kind Tribute to the Petty Family
The King’s Hat project is a collaboration between LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and TivoliToo, Inc., the same company that designed and built the Charles Schulz Peanuts® character tribute in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. Brother and sister duo, Randi and Hart Johnson, have personally worked with each track to bring the creative vision to life.
Each of the 28 statues will have a uniquely personalized tribute to the Petty family, reflecting their achievements, milestones, and impact on the sport. The statues will become permanent displays this season at all NASCAR and Speedway Motorsports-owned tracks, as well as Indianapolis Motor Speedway, World Wide Technology Raceway, Pocono Raceway, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB and the Petty Museum.
The hope is that these special statues will become landmarks for fans to visit and pay tribute to the Petty’s for many years to come. Fans are encouraged to use #PETTY75 when they find this one-of-a-kind piece of history and post photos socially, as The King’s Hat is set to become a permanent fixture of each city the NASCAR Cup Series visits in 2024.
A Legacy of Racing Excellence
The Petty family’s 75th year in racing marks a remarkable achievement that spans four generations of drivers, owners, and crew members. The family has won a total of 268 races, 10 championships, and 9 Daytona 500s in NASCAR’s premier series.
Richard Petty, known as “The King”, is widely regarded as the greatest driver of all time, with a record 200 wins, 7 championships, and 7 Daytona 500s. His son, Kyle Petty, followed in his footsteps and became a successful driver, owner, and broadcaster, with 8 wins and 173 top-ten finishes. Kyle’s son, Adam Petty, was a promising young talent who tragically lost his life in a practice crash in 2000. The family continues to be involved in the sport through the Richard Petty Motorsports team, the Victory Junction camp for children with serious illnesses, and the Petty Museum.
