Lynda Petty, wife of NASCAR legend Richard Petty passed away at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina Tuesday morning after a long battle with cancer. She was 72.
Known as “Mrs. Lynda” to many in the NASCAR community, Mrs. Petty set the benchmark for being a leader in her local community while raising a family in the then fast-growing sport of stock car racing. She was one of the first NASCAR wives to come to prominence in a sport dominated by males in the early years. She was known as the “First Lady” of NASCAR by many fans.
Mrs. Petty was a Red Cross volunteer, a school volunteer, the president of the athletic booster club and a Girl and Boy Scout leader in her lifetime. She also served on the Randolph County School Board for 16 years and was on the board of the Randolph County Hospice. She also helped start the Racing Wives Auxiliary and supported husband Richard in a marriage that lasted over 50 years. MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
