Noooo, King Richard You Didn’t Say That!
It may only by a small fraction, but I have lost a bit of respect for King Richard Petty.
Richard Petty didn’t think women belonged on the race track when Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 in 1976.Thirty years later, his opinion hasn’t changed.
“I just don’t think it’s a sport for women,” Petty said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And so far, it’s proved out. It’s really not. It’s good for them to come in. It gives us a lot of publicity, it gives them publicity.
“But as far as being a real true racer, making a living out of it, it’s kind of tough.”
Petty, a seven-time champion and NASCAR’s all-time winningest driver, was one of the many people who gave Guthrie a cool reception when she came to Lowe’s Motor Speedway for her first NASCAR event.
As son Kyle notes old habits die hard: “His position is not going to change because that is who he is, that is part of who he is,” Kyle Petty said. “That’s just a fact of life. That’s how he was raised, when he was raised, the era he was raised in. And that’s just the way it is.”
Well OK I fully understand that’s “the way it is.” Everyone from the King to any man or woman selected at random off the street has certain attitudes that are set in stone from events and circumstances early in life. That truly is “the way it is” and part of the human condition.
However NASCAR (and many of its larger race teams) have gone to great effort and expense to not only bring a competent women both onto the race track but behind the scenes as race officials and administrators of the sanctioning body.
A great part of that effort is aimed at rapairing NASCAR’s past history of racial and a gender bias. The Kings long held beliefs, while valid to him, doesn’t do anything but undermine those efforts when splashed across a newswire report that will used by the anti-NASCAR crowd to once again point fingers at NASCAR and its fans and label them as racially bigoted, knuckle dragging misogynistic idiots.
King Richard, you’ve had thousands of shining moments as NASCAR’s most visable ambassador, this isn’t one of them.
NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Richard Petty, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle
Oh Marc, let Richard drag his knuckles a bit. Can’t blame an old dog for not learning the new politicaly correct tricks. Give him credit for speaking his mind on a topic that he knows is at the least sensitive. With or without Richard’s opinions NASCAR will do just fine, thank you very much.
“Give him credit for speaking his mind on a topic that he knows is at the least sensitive.”
If he knew it was a sensitive topic he should have realized it and been more circumspect. And I don’t disagree NASCAR will be OK.
However when his quotes are splashed across every sports page in the country it just fuels the “opposition.”
Not that it matters, but I bet those on Staten Island are all pointing at themselves over their Lattes and laughing.
If that’s Richard’s TRUE opinion (on women in NASCAR) would you have preferred if he lied, and kowtowed to the masses who think women should be actively promoted as race drivers? It takes more courage to voice an unpopular opinion than it does to fold up like a two dollar suitcase and spout the party line.
Besides, Richard, Kyle, and Petty Enterprises are beyond carrying any credible opinions on much of anything race related any more.