Richard Petty's Darlington Wreck Led to One of NASCAR's Most Important Safety Implementations

Richard Pettys worst crash? During the 1970 Rebel 400 at Darlington, Richard Petty suffered one of the most violent crashes of his career. On lap 176, a steering failure caused his Plymouth to brush the outside wall in Turn 4, then shoot across the track and slam nose-first into the frontstretch barrier. The impact sent Petty’s car into a series of violent flips, coming to rest upside down with Petty’s body hanging partially out the window. The scene was chaotic, with red rags Petty kept in his