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Richard Petty and Kyle Busch: Compare and Contrast


Lately there’s been a lot of comparisons between Richard Petty, holder of a record 200 Nascar Cup wins, and Kyle Busch, due to pass that number in all three of Nascar’s national touring series. Here now is a look at the ways The King and Rowdy are alike—and how they’re also quite different. 

Compare: Both drivers come from racing families. 
Contrast: Maurice Petty never testified that an ex-lover was plotting to kill him. 

Compare: Petty (STP) & Busch (M&M’s) both have long-term sponsorship relationships. 
Contrast: STP never demanded to be taken off the car after Richard Petty wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr under caution. 

Compare: Both Richard and Kyle have hundreds of unique trophies. 
Contrast: Hey, remember that time Richard Petty smashed one of his Martinsville grandfather clocks in victory lane? Yeah, me neither. 

Compare: Both drivers have had to beat some of the biggest stars in Cup Series history.
Contrast: Richard Petty never had to beat such Truck Series luminaries as Norm Benning, Jennifer Jo Cobb, or Timmy Hill. 

Compare: Both of them have become icons of their longtime manufacturers—Petty for Mopar, Busch for Toyota. 
Contrast: Dodge never put out anything as ugly as the current Supra (ok, ok, maybe the Aspen). 

Compare: Both have operated race teams—Petty Enterprises and Kyle Busch Motorsports. 
Contrast: Petty Enterprises was more or less a completely independent team. KBM, meanwhile, functions as a developmental organization for one of the top teams in the sport—Hendrick Motorsports.