Video Inspiration: The Flying Scot Wheels The King’s Charger at Atlanta You Should Know

The NASCAR Classics YouTube channel has lately become one of our favorite corners on the internet. Besides dozens of hours of full-race replays, there are short-form Classic Clips featuring everything else in between. They recently released some special footage from the vault, and it’s the subject of today’s highlight: a sub-seven-minute video featuring two larger-than-life personalities from opposite ends of the motorsports spectrum—“The King” Richard Petty and Sir Jackie Stewart.

Ahead of the 1976 Atlanta 500, Petty’s team agreed to let retired F1 legend and racing commentator Stewart run 10 laps in the #43 STP Charger for a special feature to run during ABC’s Wide World of Sports broadcast. This wasn’t their first time together—Petty had taken Stewart on his first ride-along at Darlington in 1973. This time, however, it was Stewart behind the wheel, taking his first laps in a stock car while The King guided him over the radio from the pit lane.

Image: Atlanta Constitution via Imgur

As to why Richard Petty had ever agreed to the “unusual situation,” he told the Atlanta Constitution: “That $50,000 car of mine gets to be a $200,000 car as soon as Jackie sticks his right leg through the window.” It was Stewart who had the last laugh when he ran the #43 car up to 139 mph! Despite being his first time with the car and the track, the “Flying Scot” didn’t hesitate to pour on the speed, inching closer to the wall with every lap as Petty’s laid-back drawl took on anxious undertones.

The entire clip is definitely worth watching, if only just to catch a younger Petty rocking hirsute ’70s style.