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Communication Technology and Protective Family Stories

6:49
50:38
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At 6:49 in

Richard Petty Museum Full Tour: Epic Racing Stories From Dale Inman! (Former Petty Race Shop)

What happens here

Dale Inman recalls a humorous anecdote from a race at Wilkesboro where Richard Petty had a close call with Bobby Allison. In the heat of the moment, Maurice Petty (Richard's brother) mistook Bobby's attempt to congratulate Richard for an attack and hit him in the face with a helmet. Dale clarifies that Maurice was very protective of Richard. He also talks about the evolution of communication systems, noting that Richard Petty was among the first drivers to use two-way radios with his crew during races, and his helmet is displayed with an early version of a communication mask, allowing for clear instructions even over the roaring engine noise.

Goal: Illustrate the early adoption of communication in racing and the Petty family's close bonds

Tools and materials

  • Richard Petty's Helmet — Displaying early racing communication technology

What they say

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well was it Wilkesboro one Sunday and we'd huh had a pretty close race with Bobby Allison so after the race they didn't have a winner circle so Richard stopped on the racetrack and we just had got radios I had one in the pits and Richard had one that we could talk to each other with the crews didn't have them you know just somebody to come up with a pretty good set and speakers were in the helmets Richard got out of the car a few people gathered around Maurice got there before I did and handed Maurice the helmet and uh somebody took a hold of Richard or something Mars hit him right in the face with a help he thought he was gonna hurt but Richard I kind of caught the guy before we went down he said I was going to congratulate him I said well I don't know why he hit you I was worried about tearing the helmet up with the ready but just some of the funny stories it's told you know and so Maurice was ready to go all the time I was ready to go all the time he was looking for it yeah he was certainly the protector of Richard why did they call him squirrel I've never seen that before well when you'd make a mistake we'd call somebody a squirrel so we got to call in him squirrel senior and Richard Squirtle Jr that didn't last long it just it just

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