Details about the life and racing career of Lee's brother - Julian Petty - are tough to come by. Last weekend, I posted about Jim Paschal's win at Spartanburg while driving for Julian Petty.

http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/24202/racing-history-minute-june-2-1961

Andy DeNardi asked whatever happened to Julian - and I really didn't have much of an answer. But here a couple of pieces of info I've managed to cobble together.

• Julian was still alive in 2000 when Lee died according to Lee's obituary .
• Julian was born April 1, 1916 and passed away on February 4, 2003 . Lee was born March 14, 1914 - almost 2 years earlier than his younger brother.
• I've always heard Julian's name shortened to Julie or initials J.H. But it looks like he legal name was Julius H. Petty.
• He was from Greensboro area - but looks like he ended up in Black Mountain, a western NC town between Asheville and Hickory.
• If this  genealogy page is accurate, Lee and Julian weren't the only children of their parents. They had 8 other siblings.

That is some good stuf love to here about history

One of my all-time favorite character actors was the late Noah Beery, Jr.

In The Story of Will Rogers he plays aviator Wiley Post, pilot on the doomed airplane that crashed claiming both his life and that of Will Rogers.

As a Baby Boomer, I watched Beery every Saturday morning between 1956-1958 as Joey the Clown - confidante, teacher and friend to young Corky in the hit children's television series Circus Boy . Corky was played by Mickey Dolenz who grew up to be one of the musical Monkees .

And if you've ever watched the movie 43: The Petty Story , that's Beery who comes on screen around 3 minutes and 45 seconds into the movie as Julie immediately following Richard's horrendous Darlington crash.

Found a bit more. Somewhere along the way, Julian relocated from Greensboro to Black Mountain. He passed away in nearby Asheville [ according to this site ] and was buried back in Greensboro in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Being the loyal Petty fan that I am, I've already pinged the webmaster of that site to update them a bit more on the lineage of the racing Pettys.

Chase, I think it was either Billy Biscoe or Mike Sykes who knows alot about Julie. Also, if I remember correctly, Bill Blair knows a lot about him. I think I met him once or twice but I have no real recollection.

Where is J.H. Petty's car owner "VICTORY LANE" photos??

Does anybody have any race photos of J.H. Petty as a race driver or race car owner??

Thank you very much for any information or photos given.

Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

Only photo I think I've seen of Julian is this one from a Richard Petty - STP 25th Anniversary book. I remember my eyes widened when I realized (1) the photo included Julian and (2) he and Lee had another sibling.

Two more I found this afternoon:

Sometime in mid 1960s

1958 with his crew and his convertible raced by Bob Welborn. (Julian is 2nd from the right)

This is the kind of stuff they should be showing in the pre-race shows, not those phony interviews and gags.

Guarantee I'd answer the phone if FOX called. I work cheaper, am more knowledgeable, and am better looking than DW.

That's all well and good, but if you can't say "bibbidi bobbidi boo" at the start of each race than I'm afraid we'll have to look elsewhere.

Photo of #43 race car driver Jimmie Lewallen & #43 race car owner J.H. Petty.
From the Racing Legend Jimmie Lewallen's Photos facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150617474233177&set=pb.360059993176.-2207520000.1370856330.&type=3&theater

#43 driver Jimmy Lewallen #43 car owner J.H. Petty

#43 car owner J.H. Petty

Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA

Seems to me that Julian Petty's daughter was married to Roy Tyner. I can't remember her name now, could be wrong but I helped Roy some in his pits in the mid sixrties and I rememberthere was a connection between Roy and Julian.

Believe I am correct that this is Julian with wallet in hand with Bob Welborn in background probably in 1957.Photographer unknown.

Chase, you are right on all three points. But Andy has a valid concern with your start of race intonements.

I was speaking with Ray Fox recently and we were discussing the World 600 race in 1961 which was won by David Pearson/Ray Fox and happenedto be the first race for Ray and David as ateam. Also happenedon Rays 44th birthday, May 28th. Ray mentioned to me that Julian Petty owned the 5th place car driven by Jim Paschal. I'll do some digging and see if I can find a picture of that day. Should be one out there somewhere for a top 5 car.

Interesting. A family connection might make sense considering Julian apparently sold his convertible racing equipment to Tyner in 1958. So far, I haven't been able to identify the name of Julian's wife or children. But maybe if I start looking at Roy Tyner's ancestry, I'll ID his wife's maiden name.

Rex White can help on Julian Petty

Thanks

Harlow Reynolds

It all seems so much more real and not just something from the past when you see a photo like the one you've posted here, LaVerne.

Wonder if this obituary for  Grace D. Petty is what you were thinking about. Looks like she was married to a W.N. Tyner (who died in 1958 ) and was Roy Tyner's mother. She later married Julian Petty. (Assuming its the same Tyner and J.H. Petty.)

Ms. Grace Dorman Petty, 93, of Red Springs, formerly of 132 N. Hill St., died Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006, at Wesley Pines in Lumberton.

A graveside service was conducted on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2006, in Alloway Cemetery in Red Springs. The Rev. David McGugan officiated.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, W.N. Tyner; her son, Roy Tyner; her second husband, J.H. Petty; and her parents, Willie O. Dorman and China Stewart.

She is survived by two daughters, Elizabeth Ann Garner and Peggy Dorman Townsend, both of Red Springs; seven grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

I noticed this trivia nugget when reviewing the write-up for Julian at findagrave.com . Chassis builder at H&M? Can anyone shed any light as to accuracy of that statement?

Julius "Julie" Petty was a NASCAR pioneer, engine builder and chassis specialist, and a championship car owner in NASCAR's now defunct convertible series in the 1950's with drivers such as Jimmy Lewallen, Herb Thomas, Bob Welborn, Jim Paschal and many others. Julie Petty's cars won the first sanctioned race at the Daytona Int'l Speedway in NASCAR Grand National Series in 1959. He built and owned the first "Petty Special" Plymouth, driven by his brother, Lee, father of "The King" Richard Petty, Julie's nephew. Later in his career became the leading chassis builder for the famous Holman - Moody racing organization . Julie Petty's cars won championships in '57,'58 and '59.

I've got my doubts since there seems to be other inaccuracies here:

• His cars won championships in 57, 58, 59?? Bob Welborn won 3 consecutive convertible championships from 56-58. But records show Julian as the car owner only for the 58 season. And in 59, Joe Lee Johnson won the CV championship.
• Julian won the first sanctioned race at Daytona? At first, I laughed at that one. But then I remembered the qualifying twins counted as regular races back then. They would have been the first races vs. the 500. Sure enough, Bob Welborn won the first qualifying twin - but someone named W.J. Ridgeway is noted as the owner. Did Julian build the car? Perhaps. So maybe there could be SOME truth.
• I know Red Myler (Maurice Petty's father-in-law) left Petty Engineering in the early 1960s and later went to work for H&M. But this is first time I've heard of Julian going to work for H&M also.

Answered part of my own question. Julian Petty's name wasn't mentioned in association with Welborn's in in the qualifying race. And I have zero confidence that he was involved with building Lee Petty's Olds for the 500. But with this sketchy history, I could be proven wrong.

Julie's son Gene ran some Late Model Sportsman or Busch series and owned a car also. He still lives in Greensboro NC. Julie was married to Grace and when he contracted Dementia she moved him to a rest home in Mt.Airy then to Asheville.

The only fatality in the history of the Richmond track occurred in the March 23, 1958 NASCAR convertible race on the first turn of the first lap when Gwyn Staley rolled his J.H. Petty owned #38 Chevy convertible several times and was hit by oncoming traffic. A clip is from the Lexington, NC Dispatch and the race recap from Racing Reference. Billy Myers would finish 14th in the #42 Petty Engineering 1957 Olds in the Richmond Fairgrounds convertible event won by Joe Weatherly. Note the Associated Press account says the Julian Petty owned Chevy was a 1956 model, whereas racing Reference says a 1957 model. I don't which account is correct.

Fin St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Car Laps Money Status Led 1 14 26 Joe Weatherly Bob Walden '56 Ford 200 800 running 26 2 9 62 Frankie Schneider Frankie Schneider '57 Chevrolet 199 525 running 30 3 4 17 Fred Harb Fred Harb '57 Mercury 193 350 running 0 4 13 999 Wilbur Rakestraw Joe Jones '57 Ford 193 250 running 0 5 16 66 Roy Tyner Spook Crawford '58 Plymouth 191 225 running 0 6 15 86 Neil Castles Neil Castles '56 Ford 187 200 running 0 7 8 21 Glen Wood Wood Brothers '56 Ford 181 165 running 0 8 20 8 Bill Winthrop Elmo Langley '57 Chevrolet 180 150 running 0 9 3 37 Tiny Lund Don Angel '56 Ford 178 140 engine 0 10 21 78 Shep Langdon Shep Langdon '56 Ford 176 130 running 0 11 18 99 Barney Shore Barney Shore '57 Chevrolet 169 125 running 0 12 17 53 Doug Yates Doug Yates '57 Chevrolet 159 110 crash 0 13 19 9 Dave Terrell Dave Terrell '57 Chevrolet 152 100 fuel pump 0 14 5 42 Billy Myers Petty Engineering '57 Oldsmobile 144 85 rear end 85 15 12 76 Larry Frank Lonnie Fish '57 Chevrolet 112 70 running 0 16 11 56 Bill Morton James Lowery '57 Ford 111 60 driveshaft 0 17 6 90 Emanuel Zervakis Junie Donlavey '57 Chevrolet 86 50 piston 0 18 2 2 Possum Jones Possum Jones '57 Chevrolet 59 50 piston 59 19 10 25 Roz Howard Roz Howard '57 Chevrolet 49 50 axle 0 20 22 68 Doyle George Doyle George '56 Chevrolet 37 50 engine 0 21 23 35 Bill Champion Bill Champion '57 Ford 23 50 valve 0 22 1 49 Bob Welborn Bob Welborn '57 Chevrolet 15 50 fuel pump 0 23 7 38 Gwyn Staley J.H. Petty '57 Chevrolet 0 50 crash 0