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Kyle Busch closing in on Gordon, Petty
by Jeff Owens, NASCAR Scene, Special to FOXSports.com
There has never been a bigger NASCAR star than Richard Petty. Fifty years after he made his racing debut, he is still The King.
Ordinal out of range
Petty holds numerous records that likely will never be broken — 200 career wins, 27 wins in a season, 10 wins in a row. Dale Earnhardt matched his record of seven NASCAR Cup titles, a mark they likely will share forever.
Many believe Petty's 27 victories in 1967, including 10 straight, was the greatest NASCAR season ever.
Not so.
It wasn't even Petty's greatest season.
Petty won 27 races in 48 starts that year, many of them in events with 25 cars or less. He ran more races than any other driver — James Hylton finished second in points without winning a race — and sometimes raced two or three times a week at short tracks throughout the South, often winning against small fields and inferior competition.
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Petty's greatest season was in 1975, when he won 13 of 30 races and his sixth championship. NASCAR and series sponsor Winston had revamped the Cup series by then, reducing the number of races and implementing a new points system.
By then, the competition was fierce among Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and others, though many of them still didn't run the entire schedule.
Still, winning 13 races in NASCAR's modern era is something only one other driver has accomplished. Jeff Gordon matched Petty's mark in 1998 on the way to his third Cup championship.
Gordon dominated the 1998 season the way no one else has since Petty's stellar '75 campaign. Darrell Waltrip won 12 races in 1981 and '82, and Earnhardt won 11 in '87, but neither conquered the series the way Gordon did in '98.
One of the greatest ironies in NASCAR history is that on the day Petty officially retired in 1992, Gordon made his NASCAR Cup debut, ushering in a new era.
Most wins in one season
Modern Era: 1972-present
Modern Era: 1972-present
| * -- Only ran in 18 of 28 races | ||||
Who knew then that Gordon would one day join Petty as one of NASCAR's five greatest drivers?
Gordon's 13 wins in '98, coupled with his 81 career victories, puts him in the same conversation with Petty, Pearson and Earnhardt as the greatest NASCAR driver ever.
When Petty won 13 races in 1975, most people thought no one would accomplish the feat again.
Then along came Gordon.
When Gordon did it in 1998, fans and competitors marveled at the accomplishment. And once again, most thought it would never happen again.
Now, here comes Kyle Busch.
With seven victories in 19 races this season, Busch is on pace to challenge the mark.
But with the momentum he has on his side and the dominance he has shown this season, 13 wins are well within his reach.
If he does it, he'll surpass both Petty and Gordon by producing the greatest season yet in NASCAR history.
Gordon's 13 wins in '98 were more significant than Petty's 13 wins in '75 simply because of Gordon's competition.
Only eight drivers won races in 1975, with Pearson, Yarborough, Allison and Buddy Baker posing the biggest challenges to Petty.
In 1998, 11 different drivers won, with Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Burton, Bobby Labonte and Earnhardt all posing significant challenges.
And, unlike the mid-1970s, the fields in the late '90s featured a dozen other drivers and teams capable of winning, making the series the most competitive it had ever been.
If Busch can match Gordon's 13 wins, it will be even more significant for the same reasons.
Ten drivers have already won races this season, and before the season began there were at least 16 expected to go to Victory Lane based on their past successes. Nine others have won in recent years, and it would be no great surprise if some of them won again.
Petty's spectacular 1975 was the greatest season by one driver until Gordon came along. Now, Gordon's 1998 campaign is the mark every driver aspires to.
Could Kyle Busch put himself in such elite company, surpassing even Petty and Gordon?
It would be almost fitting if it occurred in the 50th year of The King's reign in the sport.
Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 50 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information. © 2007 Street & Smith Sports Group
Member Comments
run..no just slow nascar week, and no one was on last night,, boring boring boring night, had to have a lil fun , and then there u were..lol
ZACHdaMAN7/18/2008 11:22:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
zacker, man ya need to get back on the Meds, looks like your going postal.. dont tazzze me bro
runwhatyabrung7/18/2008 4:47:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
Firefly, he has to believe that Jr fans will go postal, he has to, because if they do not, and we both know they do not, then his fantasy world crashes in, as he has so much hate, when he throws those cans, that he has to blame Jr Nation.. pity him.. he know not what he does.. <br /><br />He needs help, serious help<br /><br />He could head his own chapter of HA not AA..lmao
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:39:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
man that is some funny stuff right there now!! I don't care who u are thats funny..forgive me lord and bless all the pygmies down there.....
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:34:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
ruwhatis, If all else fails, then and only then try the 900 numbers, this should be your last resort at 99 cents a min, u could become addicted to someone telling u how great u are, and that u are always right, that u are the man.. Kind a like the fantasy world u live in now..but it costs money.. But whatever it takes to get rid of all that hate for a man and fans that have everything u don't have, it has to be really hard to hear that, sorry.. haters hate to hear the truth, they tell us that, see I answer those hotline calls sometimes, to talk them down as it were.. u I think would be a tough case, to talk down..I would try though<br /><br />You have a nice night, and say 10 times I will try to not hate, I will try to not hate,...<br /><br />It might help..
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:31:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
runnethover.. as a Gordon fan, u must hate that he and Jr are now teammates, and u jumped on the Gollum bandwagon, sad for u.<br /><br />You were a fan of a really racer 24 and now u are what? A scrub fan, cause u wanna hate, I pity u.. It takes way to much energy to hate, and u blame Jr Fans more than u blame anyone else, must be sad to be alone in your hate, no where to go with it.. pity, I think so..<br /><br />You know they have a pill to help, happy pills, that would help, pity, Yes I think so..<br /><br />As a hater, do u wake up, and say man, those Jr fans are evil, man, they seem happy, those ba/s/t/ar/ds are happy, I hate that, it has to be tough hating,, pity, oh yea..<br /><br />So after your morning hate, what then, u ride around in your 82 toyo, and think, man did u see how happy Jr fans are??? I hate that I really do, maybe I will wear a Jr shirt go to race and see if they will make me happy too, there u go, try that.. see if it helps rid u of all that hate and lonliness u deal with day in and day out, maybe just maybe if u smile and laugh and have a good time they won't see thru you, that your just a hater, a hater of Jr and Jr fans, and well, do u hate your pityfull life as well, they have a hotkline for that too.. call, someone will help u, see two ways for you to make a friend,<br /><br />1. Put on Jr shirt, go to race, smile act human, and make a friend.<br /><br />2. Call hotline, and let it all out, make new friend<br /><br />See your life of hate could be over right now, give it a shot.. No, don't pull the trigger,, manclose one<br /><br />Give it a try..there u go, u can do it, and all the hate washes away.. easy
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:21:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Not a drinker anymore, drunks like u killed someone very dear to me, I do not recall any beer drinker willing to part with a full one, let alone a Kane fan..
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:07:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
runnethofthemouth..no just real sick of people like u lumping all fans of Jr in the mold of some toothless drunk tossing full beers at Scrubbie..<br /><br />So that said, we now know, you are a hater and that is all your are just a hater.<br /><br />So put that finger where your head is 99% of the time.. and have a pleasant evening..
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 20:05:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Firefly i like jr myself, he gives his fans..as rude as they are.. and sponcers 100%..big fan of the fans..dont think so
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 19:08:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
lol thats a good one 7 wins and the pressures getting to shrub
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 19:04:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
been drinking tonight zacker,or is it that time of the month
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 18:58:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
ZACHER..if we were looking at each other and i had my hand out and 1 finger up...welll
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 18:56:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
WHAT DO IDJRFAN AND RUNWHATYABRUNG, have in common? They are both living a fantasy, a friendless fantasy, pitty the fools, do not hate them just show them the pity of a FOOL.. a fool that lives to spread hate and live in a nerdy fantasy world where they think there lil snide comments are taken to heart by JRNation, a Nation of Jr fans that have friends, lmao... Jr fans have friends that is what gets them the most, they have no fiends, no life, and they want attention..That is the long and short of it, they feel that they are friend lessssssss... I feel sorry for them, don't all of YOU???? LMFAO
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 15:09:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Jeff Owens alias on Fox sports pages is runwhatubrung... man what a good looking dude..ROTFLMFAO WOO HOOO
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 15:00:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
Note to dumb@$$, the fans throwing at Gollum are any of the other 41 drivers he happend to anger this month, Jr Nation doesn't hate like u m/o/r/o/n/s..
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 14:58:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
If it was a Bud can then that had to be a Kasey Kane fan u dumb @$$!!! woo hoo u good...NOT
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 14:56:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
runwhatubrung..u uneducated fans scare me,u only talk about actions of a few drunken morons, and call them Jr Nation, u are the same kinda m/o/r/o/n as the one in the White House thinking Iran is going to nuke us, blithering I/DI/O/TS, nothing more nothing less, take your hate and stick it where the sun don't shine.. And for your information, JR Nation at last report doubled in size since the start of the year, so runwhaturmomabrung, figure that out..<br /><br />You and your hate can sit and spin, and talk about days gone by, but your still dumber than a box a rocks.. lmfao loser
ZACHdaMAN7/17/2008 14:54:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
runwhatyabrung, I have to let you in on a little secret, I am a huge JR., fan and Kyle winning everything in sight is no skin off my azzzzz. So as for JR fans going postal, ahhhh don't think so. LOL
Firefly17/17/2008 13:55:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
And looking back there fewer and feeeewer jr fans in
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 12:18:00 PM(Report inappropriate content)
FTG..guess those BUD cans flying aint gonna hurt anyone..
runwhatyabrung7/17/2008 10:52:00 AM(Report inappropriate content)
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