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Known throughout NASCAR as “Chief,” Maurice Petty was the engine-building force behind one of stock car racing’s greatest dynasties. Working largely away from the spotlight, he supplied the horsepower, durability and consistency that helped make Petty Enterprises a dominant organization and his older brother Richard Petty “The King.”
Maurice Petty was born March 27, 1939, and grew up in the Level Cross area of North Carolina. After overcoming polio as a child, he and Richard learned racing from their father, NASCAR pioneer Lee Petty. Both brothers worked on their father’s pit crew as teenagers, gaining practical experience in every part of preparing and maintaining a race car.
Maurice also spent time behind the wheel. Between 1960 and 1964, he made 26 starts in NASCAR’s premier series, earning seven top-five finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and a career-best third place. His greatest contribution, however, would come in the engine room.
After Richard’s breakthrough victory in the 1964 Daytona 500 helped bring full-time Chrysler backing to the family team, Maurice concentrated on building and maintaining its engines. In an era when racing powerplants were painstakingly assembled by hand, his attention to detail produced engines renowned for both speed and reliability.
Maurice is credited with 212 victories as an engine builder. His engines powered Richard to 198 of his record 200 NASCAR Cup Series wins and helped carry him to all seven of his championships. Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Pete Hamilton and Jim Paschal were among the other drivers who reached Victory Lane with Maurice-built power.
Maurice’s engines were central to Petty Enterprises’ extraordinary success in the 1960s and 1970s. They helped power Richard’s record 27-win season in 1967 and seven Daytona 500 victories, including the dramatic 1979 race that became the first 500-mile NASCAR event televised live from start to finish by a major network.
Maurice’s responsibilities extended throughout the family operation. Over the years he served as an occasional crew chief, tire changer, truck driver and general manager. He also handled many of the shop’s day-to-day business duties and later consulted with Dodge when the manufacturer returned to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001.
His ability to understand the entire race car—and to do whatever was necessary to get it to the track—made him an indispensable member of Petty Enterprises. His example also influenced generations of mechanics and engine builders who followed.
Maurice was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2011. Three years later, he became the first dedicated engine builder inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, joining Lee, Richard and longtime Petty Enterprises crew chief Dale Inman.
Maurice Petty died July 25, 2020, at age 81. His legacy endures in the victories, championships and engineering standards he helped establish. He was more than the man behind the Petty dynasty—he was the horsepower that drove it.
