Richard Petty article from 1969 about switch to Ford

Saw this article in a program from Rockingham in 1969. Good information about his switch to Ford

updated by @don-smyle: 12/05/16 04:00:58PM

Things in 1969 were so much different,but I remember that switch to Ford, announced in November, 1968, was devastating to me and all my Mopar friends. We could not believe Richard would do that to us and two of us had purchased new 1969 Plymouth Road Runners, mine a 426 Hemi, prior to his announcement. Back in that day, I absolutely hated, and I mean HATED Fords. These days it doesn't matter much because all the cars look exactly the same and Richard is back with Ford. My entire outlook on the NASCAR scene is totally different than it was in those days. Richard seems to have a good memory of those old days so I should ask him, sometime, about the event AFTER the Columbia Speedway race in August, when he and I had our little "race" down I-26 and I-20 with me in my Road Runner and him in Torino. lol, that was fun but I finally had to back off and let him win because I was concerned about interference from The South Carolina Highway Patrol Racing Team.


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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

I remember THAT day! Been a Plymouth by Petty fan my whole life. When my mom told me of the big Plymouth to Ford switch, when I got home from school, it was like somebody had died. "How much did they pay him...........?!!" I demanded. Didn't like NASCAR too much in 1969, and it was even worse when Richard won the first time out at Riverside.

My dad never forgave Richard for the switch to Ford, even when he came back to Plymouth in 1970.

I am not sure tht Richard was forthcoming in that article considering he has also stated that Chrylser balked at building a Plymouth version of the Dodge Daytona for 1969.

I would agree that the Torino Talladega was the deal at that time on the big tracks. Ironically Richard never really got the "BIG" pay off driving the FORD but did well regardless. His two Super Speedway wins that year being at Riverside and the first Grand National event held at Dover.

I was not necessarily bound to the car make because when I saw Richard's first race he was driving an Oldsmobile. But after he was in Plymouths from 1959 on, he had us convinced that nothing was better than a Plymouth. He is the one who established that in me and many others. And, as I said, I absolutely hated a Ford for reasons I'll go into in a blog post someday.

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What a change! It's been awhile since I've checked in and I'm quite surprised. It may take me awhile to figure it our but first look it's really great.

Gee Tim, as to your impromptu race, this really surprises me! Did you ever have the gas pedal anywhere more than halfway to the floor? I can't believe that, especially in a lightweight Roadrunner with a Hemi or even a 383 probably, you would have made anything Ford made in 68 or 69 get awfully small and disappear in your rearview mirror in a very short period of time. I mean, if you were duking it out on an oval with Richard or going around a bunch of twisties, I can see him keeping up with or possibly beating you if both your cars were stock. But if you were on the big broad interstate, you must have " let him win." LOL Or, maybe it would be more accurately described that after you clearly had beaten him you just backed off to save getting a ticket. An educated guess by me, one who still does care about make, always have and always will be a Chrysler man (but to each his own, I still loved Larry Detjens after he sold the Hemi Challenger and went with a Camaro and Richard Petty is still one of my heros to this day), I would estimate your 69 Roadrunner, dead stock, would have topped out in the area of 165 to 170 miles per hour conservatively. No Cobra Jet Torino would approach that, with all due respect. Richard was the King and the greatest ever, but he wouldn't have been able to push the gas pedal any harder than you in this type of race.

Your pal, Dave Bayer