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Richard Petty names the 'most natural car ever' in NASCAR

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Justin P Joy | Last updated 5/2/24

Richard Petty is one of the most accomplished race car drivers in the history of motorsports. With 200 Cup race wins an seven championship’s his dominance in the sport might never get replicated. He has raced different generation of NASCAR race cars in his career that lasted over three decades. Petty has recently revealed the cars he enjoyed the most during the time.

Richard Petty pointed out that the Dodge Charger he drove from 1973 to 1978 was the most naturally cars he has ever had. He highlighted the fact that the car was build even before the wind-tunnel testing was a thing in the sport.

We won a bunch of races with the Charger. We had a lot of experience with it and we got to run it like four or five years. Of all the race cars I’ve ever had, it was the most natural race car that was before all the wind tunnel testing and all this kind of stuff. Richard Petty said via Dale Jr. Download.

The Hall of Famer won two championships in the Charger era and had also finished P2 twice in those years. He won 36 races in this period and was consistently running among the top-5 racers every week. But his stint with the team came to an end in 1978 over poor performance of the car as he shifted to Chevy mid-week, ending an iconic run together.

Richard Petty describes the Dodge Charges’ features

The LMC co-owner went on to point out that the Dodge Charger was a very sensitive vehicle that goes from dead push to dead lose easily. It being a car that worked well in all types of tracks made it a pleasure to drive for everyone involved.

That car was so sensitive, you could change a spoiler a quarter-inch and go from dead push to dead loose. But we had worked with it so much, we learned that. It was just a pleasure to drive it. It worked on short tracks, road courses, superspeedways, it was just a good all-around best race car I ever had. Richard Petty said.

It no doubt that Petty loves the car as it yielded him some of his best years in the championship. The Dodges were really productive for him and it suited his style more. Petty could’ve been the ultimate GOAT of NASCAR if he landed the championship in 76 and 77, where he finished P2.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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