A Curtain Call That’s Fit for a King : Auto racing: Richard Petty is in wreck in his final event, then comes out for a one last time behind the wheel.

If cheers and affection could be converted to money, the Sultan of Brunei would slip to second position on Forbes’ list of the world’s richest men.

Richard Petty, the king of stock car racing, would be No. 1.

From one emotional moment to another--including returning from a fiery accident to run the final two laps in the Hooters 500 on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway--Petty’s career came to a close after 35 years as the most successful race driver who ever lived.

On the race track, it was a dismal ending for the gaunt man from Level Cross, N.C., and it brought tears to the eyes of many of the 160,000 present--including Petty’s.

Petty had qualified 39th, the worst start of his final season, and was running 29th, one lap behind the leaders, when an accident occurred in front of him and there was no place to go. Petty’s blue and red No. 43 Pontiac went into the grassy infield and briefly caught fire before an emergency crew put it out.

The day’s longest and loudest cheer--more than the one for new Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki or for Hooters 500 winner Bill Elliott--came when Petty crawled out through the window of the car and waved his arms.

“We wanted to go out in a blaze of glory, but all we got was the blaze part,” Petty said.

“Everything just went blank for me when all those cars were going every which way. I ran up under somebody, and then the thing caught fire because it busted the oil cooler. I got down to the end of pit row and figured I had better find me a fire truck. I pulled alongside one, and all them cats came running to me, but they forgot the fire extinguishers. I guess they were coming for an autograph. I sent them back for the extinguisher, and they got the thing out.”

The accident was triggered when Dick Trickle and Ken Schrader tangled coming off the fourth turn on the 95th lap, and before it was over, five cars were involved, including Petty’s.

“Trickle got into me and the next thing I knew we were backward,” Schrader said. “I was trying to pass Dale Jarrett and Trickle was trying to pass me, and he ran into my left rear.”

After Petty’s crumpled car was returned to the garage on the back of a wrecker, team manager Dale Inman and crew chief Robbie Loomis got the crew working as if a championship were on the line to repair it in time for Petty to run the final two laps.

“It wouldn’t have been right if Richard weren’t there to take his last checkered flag,” said his wife, Lynda.

The second-largest cheer of the dramatic day went up when car No. 43 poked its nose through the pit entrance as Petty returned to the race with two laps to go in the 328-lap race. The season championship was still on the line between Kulwicki and Elliott, but Petty had the spotlight.

He finished 35th, 233 laps behind Elliott, but no one cared. Petty was on the track for the checkered flag at the end of his 1,085th Winston Cup race.

“It’s been a good day, a good week and a good career, but after 35 years, it’s over,” he said. “I think it was a relief to me to see what a relief it was for my family to finally have it over. When the whole deal was over, my three daughters came in the truck and they were all crying. Lynda came in and she was crying, too. It really took a load off me in the sense that I saw through them how much they were glad it was all over with. They were very, very concerned because of the love for their father and husband, and now I feel good about it.

“I think, in a way, they were happy to see me wreck, once they saw I wasn’t hurt. It meant there was a couple of hundred laps they wouldn’t have to be worrying about me. There won’t be any comebacks for me down the road. Lynda’s already said she’s going to bury my helmet.”

The emotions began early in the day at the driver’s meeting, which was standing room only with celebrities and corporate executives invited for Petty’s final such meeting. When Petty entered the room, wearing a gaudy jacket with THE KING embroidered on the back, the 40 other drivers gave him a standing ovation.

He responded by passing out silver money clips to each driver.

“I’ve got a little something for all the drivers,” Petty said. “I really appreciate what y’all have done for us over the years. Try not to hit me, and I’ll try not to hit you.”

The front of each clip was engraved with the driver’s name, his starting position and the name of the race track. On the back was the message, “Thanks for All the Memories--Richard Petty.”

Then he took his seat, in the middle of the front row. He had taken a similar seat with Lynda and the rest of the Petty family the night before in the Georgia Dome where 45,000 came to hear an Alabama Salutes Richard Petty concert.

As has come to be expected wherever Petty appeared this season, the biggest hand came when he drove one of the No. 43 cars into the Dome, right up to the stage. No, make that the second biggest hand. The biggest came when the TV monitors showed Petty’s granddaughters dancing in the aisle to Alabama’s music.

It was the second time Petty had been upstaged by a grandchild. During ceremonies Friday when a 7-foot 2-inch bronze statue of Petty was unveiled in front of the speedway, 2-year-old Richard Luck broke loose from his mother Lisa (Petty’s daughter) and toddled across the garden to the arms of his grandfather.

During the Saturday night concert, the R.J. Reynolds Co. presented Petty with a sterling silver hat--a replica of his famous cowboy hat--cast by Tiffany’s.

After trying it on for size and finding it a perfect 7 3/8 fit, Petty took it off, looked at it and said, “I don’t now quite what to do with it. Maybe I can drink out of it.”

As Petty took one last tour around Atlanta Motor Speedway, his entire family and entourage were on the pit wall. As her husband drove by for the last time, Lynda Petty began to cry.

So did thousands who were watching.

* ARITHMETIC: Alan Kulwicki lost a race but won the season championship by crunching numbers in Atlanta. C17