It's Great To Be the Best

The Daytona 500 is truly a Classic American sporting event.  I got a chance to be in the pit area for a few renewals of the great stock car event.  I got to meet "The King" Richard Petty, the 7 time winner of the Daytona 500, the 7 time Winston Cup Champion and the winner of 200 Winston Cup races, almost double any other driver. In 1967 Richard won 27 races.  In 1992, Richard even received the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award. Richard really earned his title as The King.

I had fun during the few years that I experienced the world of stock car racing.  I even got into victory lane when the late Davey Allison won the Talladega 500. I later went to the Buck Baker driving school in Rockingham, North Carolina to learn to drive stock cars. I was 40 years old at the time. It was truly a most frightening experience.  If you wonder if race car drivers are really athletes, just get into one of those stock cars and give it a high speed try.

Richard Petty is Known as "The King."  He is considered the greatest stock car driver ever. I took this picture with him at The Daytona 500.  I was given the nicknamed "The Douyen" by Chris Lincoln who joined me in co-hosting the first four Racing Across America shows on ESPN. The King autographed this picture to me as The Douyen and put the number of his car after his name, his customary way of signing things.  Meeting people in life is one of the joys of living.

Richard Nixon said, " Americans are always at their best when the challenge is greatest."

" I Whistle a Happy Tune."