Richard Petty is set to race at Daytona International Speedway once again.
OK, not really. But there will be a Petty on the track, in Petty colors, for the Feb. 18 Truck Series race.
Thad Moffitt, Petty’s grandson, will run a multi-race schedule in the No. 43 Chevy Silverado for GMS Racing this season in the Truck Series, beginning with the NextEra Energy 250 next week.
Longtime Richard Petty partner STP will be on Moffitt’s truck, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Petty’s “Fan Appreciation Tour” with a paint scheme paying homage to his 1992 retirement season.
“Daytona is a track that has a lot of family history, and having STP on board makes it that much more special,” Moffitt said. “It truly is an honor to run the iconic STP branding on my Silverado along with my fire suit, and I am hoping to represent their longtime support of my family in a great way.”
Since 2017, Moffitt has competed in 44 ARCA Menards Series races while running for various teams. The 21-year-old has posted 25 top-10s and eight top-fives, earning a best-career finish of third at Phoenix last season.
Moffitt’s Petty paint scheme will be prominently featured on the truck in addition to a fire suit which resembles Petty’s from the 1992 Daytona 500 — Petty’s final start in the Great American Race.
To have Thad racing with STP at Daytona, a place that our family has been so successful at, is just very special to me personally,” Petty said.
“Obviously, I’ve watched Thad’s career grow and he is ready for this next step in the Camping World Truck Series. It will be great to see another member of the Petty family racing with STP.”
The NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona is set for 7 p.m. next Friday and will be aired on FS1.
When is the Daytona 500?
That race is just one of several Speedweeks events, beginning with a hauler parade from 5 p.m.-7 at One Daytona on Monday, and two, 50-minute Cup practices on Tuesday.
Front-row qualifying is set for Wednesday, followed by the two Duel races on Thursday, the truck race on Friday, an ARCA-Xfinity doubleheader Saturday and the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20.
There will also be a Rodney Atkins concert in the Speedway’s Fanzone at 8 p.m. Tuesday that will be free to infield campers and only $20 for everyone else.