 Ladies and gentlemen, 34 drivers will be at the starting line of the Fade the World 600 here at Charlotte tomorrow. Those drivers who do not qualify today will go back home, never have a seat in the green starter's flatline. Those drivers bring their cars, their crews, and their hopes to Charlotte each year. Charlotte Speedway, nicknamed the granddaddy of NASCAR, its spirit and its history is reflected in the kind of men whose journey here. They take pride in coming at Charlotte and NASCAR, they pride in welcoming them. These men know the odds they face in this competition, and these sportsmen have learned through hard-won experience to accept the risks lived with disappointments in their constant quest for that often elusive victory. Tomorrow, with this great race again, you will be witness to the competitive best in the field of stock car auto racing. The finest mechanics, engineers, crew teams without whose support no driver can exist. It is this combined effort that builds women's competitive presence that leads in the voice-manage to receive the chance for a 40,000-pounder. The Winston Cup competition has sent you another incentive for American stock car racing, and it's a list of winners, who seems like a hoot-hoot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. On a personal note, Charlotte Motor Speedway has extended a special invitation to a man too long absent from the racing scene. Lee Petty, whose driving record was surpassed only by his sons, won his first NASCAR Grand National competition here in Charlotte some years ago. We're hoping that he will join us today to watch his son attempt to win this crazy classic, and by so doing, be the first driver in NASCAR history to win every major Speedway competition. Gentlemen, start your... Yeah, I know. Not for six years. Why? Don't matter why, I just don't. Well, I had never won it, Charlotte. Nobody wins them all. Well, I'd be the first. Well, if you want it, then you go on out and take it. After you come, I might can win. I told you I don't race, and I don't watch racing. How many times have I said that? I don't watch races. After you come, I might can win. I don't race. I don't watch races. I don't race. Here at Darlington today, Hetty is presently running in first position, and Hamilton is moving in fifth position. Hamilton is driving car 42, a number that has carried several drivers these past few years. His lead Petty retired from racing. Julie, you'll stay for kids. Hey, is that conscious? Hey, you going? It feels clear. Clearly it feels clean. Moving out onto the track, and the cars and the lights slow down the field. Everybody, please remain calm. They're pulling Petty with a totally demolished gear. You two, stay here. We've got a Petty car in the race, we still need a good crew. I said you got push on the rough spots. George Fellows? I'm only trying a little later than in front of Greensboro. My bad side. I said my name was Fellows. Yeah, I'm a writer. I know I heard you. I heard you. I'm curious. Is that a driver like you? Three times Grand National Champion. You think of this old dog your boy says for driving like it did yours when you took one to the fence? If I understand that question correctly, you'd better ask that of Richie. But after you went through the wall of Daytona, you walked away from racing. It's my choice. The thing is though, you haven't been to race since. I don't race and I don't watch races. Not even your son? Conversations, I mean. Racing's been good to the Petty's. Very good. Your news. I think he almost matches. Now what we got here is a matter of a possible concussion. Now Richard Bay, snap out of it and just shuffle out of here. On the other hand, you may not. Until I know which way it's going. I don't know you. That's the end of this conversation. Where I am. And where I'm from is my concern and my concern. I like it a little bit. I rebuilt it. Watch the upholstery there, Richard. Don't mess it up. It was a 28th board. Tore it down from Firewall to Radiator. Got about another 10 to 15 miles an hour out of it, too. What? My bad ears. The state and ourselves half out of our minds looking for them. And you want me to heat up cornbread? But you know you're the only one can make that old gas stove work? Oh, Elizabeth, now don't worry. Lee and Richard, they're bound to come home sooner or later. Maybe in a pine box. What are you going to do about it? Well, I'm going to have to buy a new one, I suspect. I ain't talking about the Dern Wagon. I'll tell you what I'm going to do about it. I'm going in the house and warm up that cornbread with my own cell. Well, you do have a way of putting things, Maurice. Come on, piece of machinery. You're going to tell me where you've been, Lee? Richard and I were just along for the ride. Curtis? Curtis Cross, former owner. Former owner. Well, a poor fellow. He had to have a lawyer, you know. So I just got what a heck of a... A secret, Lee. A special little ground valve. Read your paperwork, Lee. $300. $100 with this car. Did I show you the suspension? Look, look, see, right underneath that I got those tie bars in there. Keep them healing down on the courage, you know. Lee, what are you going to do with this car? What are you going to do with it, Lee? That's what I figured. What? No file. Well, I guess we're going to move in with my mom. Well, I'd like to see it. I mean, no. No, I've got to go. No. We've got to get ourselves there. New house? Clothes? We own a truck, remember? Ninety-five. One hundred and ten. And twenty percent for the house. Twenty? Well, there you go. There's half for mama, put in the bank, and half for baby. Hey, do you know something, Mom? Yeah, I know the baby needs to do tires. How's it feel winning our first race? Well, the car cost three hundred. The house is worth about twelve. His lost weight is about six. I figured this win has cost us about two thousand dollars. Well, man has got to do what he's got to do. And in case you haven't noticed, I blew an engine. I was out of the twenty laps before he hit that wall. You were out of it years ago, Cola. Now, can I see him? We'll get you the way you two handle things like this. The words out here ain't going to help him in there. Everything is going to be all right. Scratch two pity cars. All bad. The car's towed. He's okay. They got wrapped up there, I'll call it a day. Anything? Nope. I'll let you know. You going to be okay? We'll be here. Everything's going to be just fine. Except I'm going out of my head. It had to happen this way. But I'll have to hang myself with my mouth sooner or later. It's going to be a good idea to get you on the ear, but if they can break into the kitchen, it'll be easier. I didn't think they'd work you to death after school. You know? What? Why I got you on the earbook, Steph? Yeah. I just told you. Why I got you on the earbook, Steph? To meet the kids, because you're new here. Yes, I am. Yes, you am what? Okay, which one is it? You like them tall or short? The tall one and the right. Petty. Who? Richard Petty. Lee Petty is his father. Lee Petty, the race car driver. Oh. You want some advice? Okay. Forget it. Why? Because you ain't got the right equipment. I mean, you got nice lines, kids, but you ain't got a carburetor or a transmission or whatever. All Richard Petty ever talks about is race cars, he and Bobby. Nothing else? If Richard doesn't talk about cars, he just doesn't talk. Believe me, we've all tried. Oh, I don't know nothing about race cars. My daddy drives a specific car. My daddy drives a 50, I get six. Like I said, forget it. You want a coke? There's a yellow thing with black socks on your neck. Maybe you'd rather eat that. Maybe tomorrow. How's your plugs? Your spark plugs, I mean. What are your favorite brands? Brands, it is your favorite brand. Well, I guess you don't have a favorite. Well, like I say, you've seen one, you've seen them all. Say, listen, would you like to drive me home? I mean, I really would like it if you'd drive me home. Okay. Nah, he's faster. Faster? Not Petty. Oh, I do too. You do too what? Petty him. No, Petty. Men more, it's Petty. Oh. We always have. Oh. Do you enjoy petting him? Sure. When he first started, he couldn't afford a cruise, so we bailed in. Uncle Jude helped us in. Matter of fact, he couldn't even afford the car. Sort of borrowed one. Couple of NASCAR fishers better get those baby faces out of sight. You too. You're only like a kid. Have all your life. I'm not a rich man. This is the only car I own. I'm beginning to have some jobs. Well, I can understand that. I really can't understand it, but don't you see that with your half of the big prize money that I'm going to win here today, why, you can buy 10 more cars. I don't know nothing about auto racing, Mr. Petty, but I do know there's a certain risk. Risk? Well, now, don't, don't you worry none about that. Mr. Phillips, if I were you, don't you worry I'm going to take all the risks. But what if you rack or something? Rack? Well, that's, that's, that's not a nice thing to say. I mean, that's no way to talk to a man. If you could undermine a man, undermine a man's confidence. I would talk like that. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings. I think you hit him right where he lives. I've hurt his really very good. Oh, tell him. Tell him what? Well, tell him what you just said. Tell him you hurt. He's very good. I know your reputation as a race driver is just real good. Well, I don't think I got nothing to worry about. Yeah, well, I appreciate your concern, Mr. Phillips, but you understand, of course, that I never think about or worry about my own driver. Well, then, I want you to drive it. I want you to drive my car in this race for right here to date now. Well, I don't know. No, I want you to drive it. I got every confidence, Mr. Betty, that me and you are going to make a lot of money. Well, no, no, not if you're scared. But I ain't scared, Mr. Ben, I ain't scared a bit. I want you to drive my car. Well, really? I mean, you're sure you're sure. I'd be proud if you drove my car. Are you sure now? I'm sure, Mr. Betty. I'm sure. I'm sure you're going to drive my car just fine. Like a baby buggy, it sucks oil like a hog, and it drinks gas like a drunken sailor. It drifts in the corners like a rowboat, and it steers like a pregnant truck. I mean, it can kill that thing. It sure didn't worth the pot of the blood. My God, he still calls his old man Daddy. Meet, uh, Ed Kohler. He's been driving normal tracks mostly. Your, uh, Daddy took the first away from me at Irish Hills last week. I thought I'd come down here and just take it back. Here's your welcome to try. If you stick by the rules. I drive by only one rule. Do whatever you have to to win. Everything else just works. Now listen to me, Kohler. I've called these meetings so us drivers can get together so we can get a voice with NASCAR. Now they're nice people, and we're all growing. There's a lot of money in this, especially now with factory sponsorship and all. Now if we don't kill ourselves with crazy driving, we're not all sharing it. I heard that in there. Apparently you weren't listening. I heard it. I just think it's stupid. I'm on the track. I don't tend to worry about any union brother in the car behind me. Or in front of you? Anywhere. Racing it out of team sport, Betty was never meant to be. Attracts one of the few places left in this world where the man with the guts for it can take it off. You ever forget that when you race against me? Ever. He makes me so mad I could just spit. Good luck tomorrow, kitchen. Oh, by the way, I've wished your father the same. Sounds very nice. Good. Let's go. Wait a minute. What? Do you have to race against your daddy tomorrow? Well, tomorrow's just the first time that we'll get two cars in the same race. Well, you could hire another, another driver to take you place. We're a family. We're a team. So you should respect each other. We do respect each other. But what's that got to do with the race tomorrow? Racing the man. Nope. Ha. Hmm. Tracy. Well, I don't see why they should. Now, you can go on and order them out. I haven't come here in a few days. I'm going home. Bang, bang, there's no one on me. Now, you just hush up. Just hush up. Now, it has been discussed. It is all settled. No, it is not settled. And it is not. And really, if we turn in your dad here today, how many times do you argue he turns his dad here? I first started noticing it about five years ago. What's that? I said he was a smart aleck kid. It's simply a matter of business, that's all. I mean, the first two cars that come in, they're sharing the prize money without much closer to attract the sponsor. It don't matter if it comes in first in which car. Now, I know you two better than anybody else in the whole world. And I know it is not going to be that simple. Now, you won too many times to ever want to settle for second. And you are too anxious for your first win ever to hold back. Now, when you two go out there to that track tomorrow, I just want you to remember that I said it first. That's, I only drive one way. To win. There's always been that way with me. Well, I always will be. For both of us. Done. Oh, man, got to do what he's got to do. He's going to save that one, too, all fast. It was. You're grinning. Yeah. You're still grinning. So? After what he just done to you. All he done was win the race. Yeah. It could have been the other way around. Yeah, but it wasn't. It wasn't. Look foolish in front of thousands of people. You feel foolish? I don't feel foolish. You feel foolish? I don't feel foolish. You don't look foolish. Why did you? You really don't care. Sir, I care I didn't win the race. I'm going to get him next time. He'll you want to bet there, boy. You're crazy. You're both crazy. You know, I think you better marry that girl. Jesus, 21st. I wouldn't bet. I know that. This thing's supposed to turn 5,000 RPMs, and I can't get it up about 4500. I'm trying to make adjustments on the coverage. Richard, I'll get her here. Anyhow, I know that. But if I don't get this thing running, we'll come back empty. I don't know about your RPM or your carburetor. I just want you to get in the house and marry me. Anyhow, I got every intention in it. I know they just named you Rookie of the Year. I know you just won $8,000. I know without the money we couldn't afford to get married. But I'm not going to share you with a race car on my wedding day. It'll only take a couple of minutes. Don't prevent the thrillers. Long day. Everybody had a good time? There's some punch like down stairs. What is the carburetor? I got the RPMs up now. It's starting $5,000 now. In years to come, some of the acts someone always does about my wedding night. Well, I'm thankful I'll be able to look them straight in the eye and tell them that on my wedding night, the most important night of my life, Richard did finally get his RPM up. Three generations of petties with us today. While Lee Petty and son Richard can't fathom each other on the track, Richard's young son, Kyle, will be watching his father and grandfather from the stand. It's Kyle's first look, and America's got more on a rating. We kind of feel it won't be his last. Oh, no. They keep up, but before long, we'll have to see three generations of petties right out there on the track. Meanwhile, young Kyle is going to be witnessing a battle of giants here today. And the heated competition is even higher. After only 36 laps, 10 cars are already out of the competition because of mechanical failure. Lee, Petty, and Ed Kohler are fighting now for third remission. The Iron Fire of all Roberts is on the stand. There's no problem. There's a pair of them, and we're running again here at Daytona. And it's got to be the wildest motorcar race since the invention of the wheel. Lee, Petty, and Ed Kohler continue to battle for second place now at the Iron Fire of all Roberts. Richard Petty has just left the pit, and he's in place. He's in the Petty-Rede car. Hey, Tony. I can't say that. But his car number 17, Kohler, literally left the track in a split second. Again, the emergency vehicles are being dispatched, trying to get across the track. And he responded to the caution flag. There's heavy smoke visible over the fence. One of the drivers seemed... Richard, into... Maurice, come back here. It is cold. I think they all went out looking for Kohler. I can't say I tried or wanted to stop him. Well, you should have. Kohler didn't have anything to do with what happened today. He hurt Lee. Lee hurt himself. Now, if the track felt that Kohler had failed him, they would have lodged a complaint. Maybe it wasn't obvious to them, but it was what it is to us. Linda. Lee has been racing all his life. Now, he knows the risks. He wants it. It's what keeps him alive. And Richard is cut out of the same cloth. I can't say that. Oh, well, you're better. After today, we are in for some tough times. We're nearly broke. So, you had better get on Richard's team. You're going to have some lonely days ahead. This isn't exactly the best time to announce it. I'm going to have a baby. I am glad to know that you and Richard have been working at something together. Why don't you spool down that linear yours? Well, Amy, a chuck on a half tonight. Oh, let's for dear getting a little edgy. Put a man through the fence today. Little Paul was both thought bare. Petty put himself through that fence. Here's to me. Too much time following you around could get to be fearful. What occurs to me also ran usually as a shaky place to live. He should know. He's been there a lot more times than Petty. Only to visit sweet lips. I just got a call from NASCAR this afternoon after the race. They threw me off the circuit. Trying to organize the drivers. We've all been trying to open up. Yeah, but he's the one who told them I started it. You heard us? Well, they've done it. One tired, faded, all still land. That was a cheap way to make an example, isn't it? What do you see? He's mine too. That was with me. Yeah, I heard he didn't get power, dude. That's what they'll call it. That's what they'll call it. Look, I'm sorry. It's hurt, but it's got nothing to do with me. May I call her? Did you know that old Curtis got thrown off the circuit today? I heard. Before he really else out there. Told you I was a guest, huh? Yeah, that's right. You did. Let me tell you something real special. Lee Petty raised his son with real manners, sent a fair play, and always told him to act like gentlemen. Good for them. And they don't drink. What's the matter? Look, compete to get hurt. I don't know that. Petty competed and got hurt. Me too. He could have had an accident, you know? I'd like to do this because he finds what you better do. I think it's a pretty good method. Hang down the road. Traveling hang down the road. Did again, wondering when. I'll lose me this hand down low. Rotin' her hand down hard. I'm asking the rain. I'm asking it again. When does the sunshine start? Spend a minute, little child. Myself. And I've always schooled myself. Nobody's too old. I'll go there to love you, spring. Free of this hand down. Myself. Always schooled myself. Nobody's too old. I'll go there to love. But maybe I fooled myself. I will scream. Free of this hand down low. I've got to get... Well, first money. It's good to see you, Curtis. Hey, how are you doing? Good for yourself? Yeah, things are looking up. Oh, well, I... I come down here just for kicks, you know. These outlawed tracks are a hell of a lot of fun. Just to keep my hands in it, you know. I got a lot of good things going for myself. Real good things. Listen to me trying to bull you. Why do you have to find me in a place like this? Curtis, I need you here. It's been about a year and a half since Daddy had his Rick, and he's talking about driving again. What I hear, uh, he can't handle it. You're right. But I don't want to be the one that has to tell him, but I think you can. Mm-hmm. Listen, I've driven, and I've seen many more times this tailpipe than he's seen of mine. Uh-uh. I'm not going to talk to him. You can do it, Curtis. You're the only one that can. Just be gentle. Gentle? With your pa? Yeah, you just kind of drop around for breakfast in the morning and take him outside and just, uh, you know, talk old times. You ready, buddy? He'll be happy to see me. Heck, yeah, the whole crowd would be glad to see you. Just change your shirt. I haven't gone two hours. Some conversation there, haven't I? Let's go find them. Y'all are modified. I don't know who's in that suit right now. But you do have the distinct impression that your father is in it. And before he's rich, what, good bones ain't already broken? With you? Well, are you just going to stand there? No, uh, like, I'm going through the air for him. He beat me by ten feet. That truth is I should have beat you but ten laps. That neither of us are what we once were. That's all. That's the end of it. Mr. Petty, I guess he just wanted to take a little nap. Looks pretty good, hasn't it? Yes, sir. All right. We'll be right back. Remember the first day we met and you gave me a ride home? Yeah. Did you know I was scared stiff? Why do you bring that up now? No reason. Except you're driving scarce at daylights out of me sometimes. Me too. Sometimes. Well, man's got to do what a man's got to do. You know, you ought to marry that girl. I did. That's right. You did, didn't you? Yeah, you did it all. All of it's been done. Well, not quite. Not quite. Well, you got trucks over there, the pull trailers, the haul cars in. You got buildings that go from here to never, never land. You're building 14 race cars. You build on any more. You're going to end up in the road. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Charlotte. What about Charlotte? We're running out of this coming week. Yeah, I know. I read the paper. I'd like for you to come. I don't race. And I don't watch races. For six years you hadn't been. Why? Don't matter why, I just don't. Well, I had never won it, Charlotte. It's all right, son. Nobody wins them all. Well, I can be the first. If you want it, you go on out and get it. You come and maybe I will. I told you, I don't race. And I don't watch races. Now, how many times do I have to tell you that? Well, what does he want with me? Well, I did. He did better. I gave him and he got more of for himself. I mean, he don't need me and Charlotte. You needed him. Him and Maurice. Charlotte in 1948. Hard Buick and two scared kids. Now you needed them. And they were there. Now you owe him, Lee. Owing. Owing. I gave him everything I had. I raised him good. I raced him and I beat him. And I taught him how to race others and beat them. Owing. That debt has been paid. Lee, we're not talking about debts. Deep down inside you, you ain't quit. Oh, you think you have. But you have it. You still want to be first. You are the best man I ever knew. But you can't be first no more. And you can't quit. So you're just hanging somewhere in there in the middle. And it's a mighty poor place for a man to live. If you ever want to have peace of mind, you are going to have to go to Charlotte with Richard. And don't watch me.