My 1984 Richard Petty Photo Story: Inside a NASCAR Garage From a Different Era
- bcpix3
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Any photographer working inside a NASCAR garage today can tell you exactly what would happen if you walked into a garage stall, dropped to the ground, and started taking photos of crew members working underneath a Cup car:you’d be pulled out by your heels, escorted from the garage, and you’d probably lose your credential for the weekend—if not longer.
But it wasn’t always that way.I learned that firsthand back in February of 1984 at Daytona.
At the time, I was a young twenty-something freelancer, stringing for United Press International and working under the legendary Peter Cosgrove, who was editing the event for UPI. With instructions to go find an “interesting feature photo,” I grabbed my camera and headed into the garage, searching for something that would stand out.
It didn’t take long.
When I reached the stall of Richard “The King” Petty, the seven-time NASCAR Cup champion himself was on the floor, crawling underneath his race car to check it out. No entourage, no PR handler, no security bubble—just Richard Petty, doing what he did.
Back then, photographers had the freedom to wander in and out of garages, talk to anyone, and generally move around as long as we respected the space. So I stepped right in, introduced myself as a UPI photographer, and asked Petty if he’d mind if I got on the floor to make a few photos of him under the car.
His reply was simple:“Knock yourself out.”
So I got down and shot away. When I felt I had what I needed, I thanked him and continued on. I was happy, and my editor was happy.
Looking back, that moment perfectly captures how different the NASCAR environment was 40 years ago—how accessible the sport was, and how personal the interactions could be. It was a type of exchange, and a type of photo opportunity, that simply wouldn’t (and understandably couldn’t) happen in today’s tightly controlled garage areas.
In so many ways, I’m grateful I had the chance to work in that era of NASCAR racing. It was a special time, and moments like this one remind me just how lucky I was to experience it.
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