From EssentiallySports · Chionia Libania Colaco · · 1m
Richard Fell on the Ground
NASCAR veteran Jimmy Insolo replaces 'The King' Richard Petty after pit road panic.
In brief
NASCAR veteran Jimmy Insolo replaces 'The King' Richard Petty after pit road panic. Jimmy Insolo finished third in a NASCAR race after replacing sick Richard Petty, helping Petty win his seventh Cup Series title. Originally reported by EssentiallySports.
Pit road panic
Jimmy Insolo replaced Richard Petty after a pit road incident during Riverside race.
“And all of a sudden, here Richard comes down the pit road. And I went around the back of the car. And Richard fell on the ground. I almost stepped on him”
Ralph Salvino's warning
Ralph Salvino, an STP employee, told Insolo to get into Richard Petty’s car because he was sick.
“You need to get in Richard’s car. He’s sick.”
Dale Inman's instructions
Dale Inman, Petty’s cousin, gave Insolo technical instructions to fix Petty’s car.
“Richard’s sick. We’re going to put you in the car. The battery’s dead. And this switch, you got to turn this switch on and that switch off.”
Maurice Petty's advice
Maurice Petty told Insolo to drive the car with no worries about the outcome.
“Get in and drive it. There are only two things that can happen. Either it’s going to finish or it’s going to blow up. Don’t worry. Just treat it like it was yours.”
Insolo's race
Insolo passed Cale Yarborough to finish third in the race with 20 laps remaining.
“I wound up, he was running fourth when I got in the car and I wound up passing Cale Yarborough and I finished third. I ran the last 20 laps of the race.”
Riverside finish
Bobby Allison won the race, Darrell Waltrip second, and the No. 43 finished third.
“Bobby Allison won the race, Darrell Waltrip was second, and the No. 4:3 took third.”
Championship impact
Richard Petty won his seventh Cup Series title that season, edging Darrell Waltrip by 11 points.
“Richard Petty went on to win his seventh Cup Series title that season, edging Waltrip by only 11 points.”
The big picture
Jimmy Insolo finished third in a NASCAR race after replacing sick Richard Petty, helping Petty win his seventh Cup Series title.
