Petty, 54, Says Next Season Will Be His Last as Driver on NASCAR Circuit

Richard Petty, 54, ended months of speculation and confirmed Tuesday that he will end his 34-year driving career after next season.

“The deal is I’ll run every race next year,” Petty said at a news conference. He added that he will stay in NASCAR’s Winston Cup series as a team owner.

“Age has got something to do with it, not winning races has got something to do with it, just the idea that every once in a while you say, ‘I really love to drive this race car, but do I really need to do this?’ ” he said of retirement. “Maybe the burning desire’s not there the way it was 10 years ago.”

Petty has not won since July 4, 1984, and has only two top 10 finishes in the past three years. He has won 200 races, 95 more than anyone else, and seven series championships.