NASCAR legend Petty STILL talking about Danica

By Mike Larson, Crain News Service

DETROIT (May 30, 2014) — Richard Petty really seems to enjoy talking about Danica Patrick. And talking. And talking.

The NASCAR legend was at it again May 19 when he talked to a reporter from The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville, Tenn.

By now, pretty much everyone is aware of the war of words between Mr. Petty and Ms. Patrick. Well, it's pretty much just “The King” spouting off about how he doesn't think Ms. Patrick is any good. Then her team owner, Tony Stewart, challenged Mr. Petty to race her. And he accepted…but not really.

Now he's saying Ms. Patrick has some more work to do before he'll get his 76-year-old body back into a stock car.

“When she wins 200 races, we're going to have a race,” Mr. Petty said. For those who aren't huge NASCAR fans, Mr. Petty is the sport's winningest driver—with 200 wins.

So there you have it. The best driver ever to get behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car is still answering questions about racing the sport's only female driver—a race that, to be frank, he never had any intention of participating in in the first place.

The King was a fast driver, but he's apparently not quick enough to realize this issue has been dead for months.

This report appeared on the website of Autoweek magazine, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.