I just ran into Richard Petty...again!!!

[nitrometal]

Richard Petty's Driving Experience was in town today to teach the college students at Texas A&M University how to handle a car during an emergency situation such as a skid or loss of control on a wet road.  Well, I got word that The King himself was going to make a media presentation at this event today seeing how he was already in Texas for the Nascar race this weekend.

I called some people I know at the University and found out when he was due to arrive. Went and got the Superbird and drove it out to the mall parking lot where he was supposed to be.

I wish that I had a video shot of him when I pulled up!  I was at least 100 yards across this massive parking lot when I could clearly make out his profile.  The black cowboy hat, dark sunglasses and his thin as a rail body standing over there in a group of people. No problem picking him out in a crowd!  He was actually facing my direction when I pulled into his line of sight and even from that distance I could see him him stoop and point at the car and then a huge grin broke out on his face.    I could tell he was stoked to see that car again.

As I parked the car next to him he actually pushed people out of the way to come over and see his car again.  I swear, he was like a little kid again.  We got to talk for a good 10 minutes before they came over and drug him over to the media presentation that he came out for in the first place.

I took one of the photos from the Goodguys event...

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,20063.0.html

... with me and told him that I actually had something to "give him" for once.  I was going to mail it to him after I figured how I could get it directly to him, so this was fate that I could do it in person.  Man, his face just lit up and he said he was gonna frame it and put it up in his office when he got home.

It was so cool to see him again and I think that it made his day to see that car once more.

I took a photo of him with some of my co-workers that came along with me.

[Ghoste]

Man that is just too cool.  Richard Petty and Ronnie Sox have to be the two finest examples of ambassadors for motorsports and they both drove Mopars.  How awesome is that?

[daytonalo]

To all that think current day NASCAR is awesome , It f>>>ing died when petty and his fellow drivers retired , What a class act ! . Next time you talk to petty ask him if the story of him running for public office and he pulled out or lost because he rearended  some jackass on purpose because the guy was driving to slow  and the bad press that followed . Larry

[nitrometal]

Yeah, that is awesome that they are such "good ol' boys".

I just watched our local newscast about it and the idiots called him Richard "Perry" four times!

[daytonalo]

that is his cousin !!!!!!!!!

[Charger_Fan]

That's pretty darn cool, congrats!!

[4cruzin]

That would be cool!!   

[69_500]

Meeting him once would be incredible, but 2 times in less than a year. That is impressive.

[daytonalo]

Stop stalking him , hes an old man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ghoste]

I'd bet he can still take of himself pretty good.

[69_500]

He has some of the longest fingers I've ever seen on a person. I haven't ever talked to him personally but saw him at a few races up close. When he would point at some one and say something you knew he meant business. Even with the dark glasses covering his eyes, you knew he was staring right at you.

[nitrometal]

Stop stalking him , hes an old man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know!  That guy must've been thinking...Geez where's he gonna show up next!!!   

[69_500]

As long as you don't unexpectidly show up on christmas morning on his front porch I don't think he would mind. Now if you drove the Superbird clone to his house on Christmas morning I don't think he'd mind.

[nitrometal]

Hmmmm!      Don't give me any ideas!   

[Ghoste]

Careful, he may think you're there to give the car to him.  Could be an ugly scene.

[69_500]

That is true, I once read that he said the Superbird and the 72+ Charger's were his two favorite cars to drive. So he might want it back. Not that it was really his in the first place, but you get the drift.

[charger_72_318]

Congrats...that was awesome

[hemi68charger]

Phil,, that's great !!!!!

Very cool.......  You must be on a high right now..... 



Troy