← Richard Petty
Richard Petty — Career Arc
Performance trajectory across 35 Cup Series seasons.
35
Total Seasons
1970-1972
Prime Years
95
Peak Score
7
Championships
Career Phases
Rookie (1958)
Rising (1959)
Prime (1960-1979)
Veteran (1980-1981)
Twilight (1982)
Veteran (1983-1984)
Twilight (1985-1992)
Season-by-Season
| Year | Races | Wins | Avg Finish | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 9 | 0 | 20.4 | 4 |
| 1959 | 21 | 0 | 15.4 | 35 |
| 1960 | 40 | 3 | 8.2 | 84 |
| 1961 | 42 | 2 | 11.1 | 71 |
| 1962 | 52 | 8 | 6.9 | 91 |
| 1963 | 54 | 14 | 7.5 | 90 |
| 1964 (C) | 61 | 9 | 7.3 | 91 |
| 1965 | 15 | 4 | 9.5 | 87 |
| 1966 | 39 | 8 | 11.0 | 85 |
| 1967 (C) | 48 | 27 | 5.0 | 94 |
| 1968 | 49 | 16 | 8.4 | 89 |
| 1969 | 50 | 10 | 7.9 | 90 |
| 1970 | 40 | 18 | 6.8 | 91 |
| 1971 (C) | 46 | 21 | 4.2 | 95 |
| 1972 (C) | 31 | 8 | 4.7 | 94 |
| 1973 | 28 | 6 | 10.9 | 85 |
| 1974 (C) | 30 | 10 | 6.8 | 91 |
| 1975 (C) | 30 | 13 | 6.6 | 92 |
| 1976 | 30 | 3 | 9.0 | 88 |
| 1977 | 30 | 5 | 7.5 | 90 |
| 1978 | 30 | 0 | 12.8 | 46 |
| 1979 (C) | 31 | 5 | 6.4 | 92 |
| 1980 | 31 | 2 | 11.7 | 73 |
| 1981 | 31 | 3 | 15.3 | 73 |
| 1982 | 30 | 0 | 14.4 | 40 |
| 1983 | 30 | 3 | 10.7 | 76 |
| 1984 | 30 | 2 | 15.2 | 49 |
| 1985 | 28 | 0 | 17.9 | 20 |
| 1986 | 29 | 0 | 17.4 | 22 |
| 1987 | 29 | 0 | 13.3 | 41 |
| 1988 | 29 | 0 | 24.4 | 9 |
| 1989 | 25 | 0 | 25.8 | 0 |
| 1990 | 29 | 0 | 25.0 | 1 |
| 1991 | 29 | 0 | 22.0 | 1 |
| 1992 | 29 | 0 | 23.0 | 0 |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Richard Petty's prime?
Their statistical prime was 1970-1972 with an average performance score of 94/100.
How many seasons did Richard Petty race in Cup?
Richard Petty competed in 35 Cup Series seasons from 1958 to 1992.
What is a Prime Score?
A 0-100 composite metric combining wins, top-5 rate, top-10 rate, and average finish position. It measures a driver's overall performance in a given season relative to the field.