Richard Petty to be inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame

The first thing Richard Petty sees when he gets off the elevator at NASCAR headquarters on the 36th floor of a skyscraper in midtown Manhattan is a photo of himself hanging from the wall from his racing days.

Though it's hard to say when that photo was taken, Petty's style and demeanor at age 72 isn't too different from what it was during his remarkable 34-year racing career. He still wears dark glasses and a cowboy hat. And, unlike some former athletes who love to dwell on the good olé days, Petty still loves racing as much as he did before he retired in 1992.

"I don't look at history that much," said Petty, one of five inaugural inductees that will be entering the NASCAR Hall of fame in Charlotte, N.C., on May 23. "But when I walked through that museum, I felt history. Because I was there at the very first cup they had in 1949.''

The driver they called The King was there with his father, Lee, in 1949. His own career went from 1958-92 and included 200 wins and seven championships, a record he shares with Dale Earnhardt.

Petty was in town to help publicize the $195 million NASCAR Hall of Fame, which opened Tuesday. The week also brings back some painful memories as it marks the 10-year anniversary of his grandson Adam's death. Adam, NASCAR's first fourth-generation driver, was killed in a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, on May 12, 2000.

"When we lost him, well that kind of ended the dynasty," Petty said. "That changed any outlook I had of looking way ahead. Instead you get back to looking at things day to day."

Petty also has been through some recent tough times as Lynda, his wife of 50 years, was diagnosed in December with lymphoma, a form of brain cancer. After a series of treatments, she now seems to be doing well. But until recently, Petty had backed off some of his public appearances in order to be with her.

"I figure she looked after me for 50 years,'' he said, "the least I could do is hang around her a little while.''

Though attendance and sponsorship dollars have been down for NASCAR with the faltering economy, Petty sees a solid future for the sport.

"There's been a lot of changes in the 60 years since it started,'' he said. "We couldn't run the cars we were running 20 years ago, or we wouldn't have any fans. I think society will dictate to us what we need to do, and where we need to go . . . But I feel good about it.''