On February 15 , 1981 1981: A pit stop makes the difference when “The King” takes a gamble and it pays off royally at the Daytona 500. Richard Petty, in fourth place, stops only for fuel with 25 laps left and foregoes changing tires. The three leaders get gas and new tires. With his crew taking only seven seconds to fill his tank, Petty takes the lead. Running on the worn tires, he holds off Bobby Allison, who probably has the faster car, by four seconds. In winning an unprecedented seventh Daytona 500, Petty collects $90,575. He credits the victory to Dale Inman, his second cousin and crew chief, and Maurice Petty, his brother and engine builder, for their decision not to change tires. “Dale and Maurice put their heads together and figured that was the way we could win the race, so we took the gamble,” Petty says. “Right off hand, I’d say we had the seventh or eighth fastest car out there. If it came down to three or four running for the lead, we probably wouldn’t have been in the show. If it had been one on one, Bobby would have had the advantage.”
About The Author
