The King

1970 (rookie)

*It's ok (Enter name here). - The King's main phrase when someone is worried or sad.*

**Strip "The King" Weathers** is a Piston Cup racer from 1970 to 2005. He is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird NASCAR 426 Hemi. In 2006, he would get replaced by his nephew Cal Weathers, the 2006-2016 Dinoco racer. He originally raced as Lee Weathers backup from 1958 to 1964 until 1965 when he raced part-time and went rookie in 1970. He’s arguably the best racer of all time. His father is Lee Weathers. He is voiced by Richard Petty in the Cars movies, and his also his real-life counterpart.

## His Team Members

He has a crew chief named Roger Wheeler and some pitties, in which one is named Luke Pettlework. Luke and Roger are some of The King's best friends. They started working for The King in the late 60s/1970.

## History

The King started his career as a backup racer for Lee Weathers in 1958 but hardly raced due to Lee being a strong racer who when crashes rarely misses a race. He made his first start ever in the 1963 Brickyard 400 when Lee Weathers could not attend due to missing his flight. It was a disappointing first race for Strip has he had collided into Gordon Tireson on lap 2 and was out. He would start part-time in 1965 but not doing well generally and many racers even started insulting him(minus Kraig who is King's friend) badly saying Lee was much better than him. The King did not let the mean comments get to him. Finally, in 1967 he would place 3rd in the Leak Less 400 and would win his first race two years later in the 1969 Texas 350.

He still had not got respect from his team or the other racers but his two best friends Luke Pettlework and Roger Wheeler as well as his wife Lynda were there for him. He won three races in 1970.

1971 however, would be the ultimate year for Strip. He would win the 1971 Nightdona 500 where he had a huge overtake and won. But that was not enough for him for some reason. He won several races. Then came another fantastic performance at the 1971 Brickyard 400 with a last-lap overtake on Bobby Carsac. Another win was at the 1971 Palm Mile 300 where he leads all 200 laps from start to finish. In Calladega, widely considered to be the hardest Piston Cup track of all time not just did he dodge a huge wreck to win but he smashed the lap record ten times(the previous lap record was held by Mario Andretti in the 1966 Calladega 500) and held the fastest lap for 40 years before being broken by his own nephew Cal in 2011.

Strip Weathers would win 22 races in an unbelievable record-breaking 1971 season. It was after that season when the racers and fans truly realized his power. He placed in the top 15 in 35 of 36 races of the 1971 season a record that will never be broken again. Thomas Tireson won 4 races in 1971 but was more than 200 points behind Strip. Strip Weathers was now "The King"

1972 was also a good year as he won the 1972 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400 and 1972 Easy Idle 400 at Nightdona among some other races. 1973 would be good until the historic Tow Cap 400 in which The King had a horrifying crash and missed seven races. He would return but 1973 did not turn out to be too good. He won another Piston Cup in 1975 and another one five years later in 1980.

In 1983 at Texas Motor Speedway, the speedway's 350-mile race was held. In that race, The King crashed and flipped four times but only missed two races. The King continued to do well in the 1980s. Winning back to back cups in 1987 and 1988.

The early 1990s were not very interesting for The King. He did well once again in the late 1990's and early 2000's winning Piston Cups in 1998 and his final one 2001.

The King started to slow down not placing many top 10's after 2001. He sadly had a wreck caused by Chick Hicks on his final race in the 2005 LA tiebreaker but was pushed by Lightning McQueen. Throughout his career, he had 124 wins (unlike Richard Petty, his real-life counterpart, who has 200).

The King is considered as the greatest Piston Cup racer ever by almost every Piston Cup fan but especially Matthew "True Blue" McCrew.

The King inspired many racers including Lightning McQueen, Cal Weathers (due to Cal being his nephew), Winford Bradford Rutherford, Reb Meeker, and Bobby Swift.

## Quotes

* It's ok - His main quote whenever someone is sad or hurt
* What are you doing, kid? - 2005 LA Tiebreaker Race
* You just gave up the Piston Cup, you know that? - 2005 LA Tiebreaker Race
* Good comeback, Cal! - Whenever his nephew makes a comeback

## Wins

1. 1969 Texas 350
2. 1970 Pocono 400
3. 1970 Belle 500
4. 1970 Los Angeles 500
5. 1971 Nightdona 500
6. 1971 Texas 350
7. 1971 Olympus 500
8. 1971 BnL 500
9. 1971 Sidewall Shine 300
10. 1971 Palm Mile 300
11. 1971 Hudson Hornet 400
12. 1971 Rev N Go 350
13. 1971 N20 Cola 400
14. 1971 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400
15. 1971 Revolting 400
16. 1971 Brickyard 400
17. 1971 Michigan 400
18. 1971 Calladega 500
19. 1971 Boston 350
20. 1971 Fei 400
21. 1971 Southern 350
22. 1971 Vitoline 400
23. 1971 Virginia 500
24. 1971 Heartland 500
25. 1971 Richmond 400
26. 1971 Dinoco 400
27. 1972 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400
28. 1972 Easy Idle 400
29. 1972 Brickyard 400
30. 1972 Heartland 500
31. 1973 Nightdona 500
32. 1973 Brickyard 400
33. 1973 Leak Less 400
34. 1974 Easy Idle 400
35. 1975 Texas 350
36. 1975 Southern 350
37. 1975 Los Angeles 500
38. 1975 Dinoco 400
39. 1976 Nightdona 500
40. 1976 Olympus 500
41. 1976 Calladega 500
42. 1977 Calladega 500
43. 1977 Carolina's 350
44. 1977 Michigan 400
45. 1977 Rev N Go 350
46. 1978 Las Vegas 400
47. 1978 N20 Cola 400
48. 1978 Daniel 500
49. 1979 Las Vegas 400
50. 1979 Michigan 400
51. 1979 Daniel 500
52. 1980 Los Angeles 500
53. 1980 Dinoco 400
54. 1981 Boston 350
55. 1982 Carolina's 350
56. 1983 N20 Cola 400
57. 1983 New York 400
58. 1983 Boston 350
59. 1984 Nightdona 500
60. 1985 Sidewall Shine 300
61. 1985 Daniel 500
62. 1985 Spare Mint 400
63. 1985 Richmond 400
64. 1986 Olympus 500
65. 1986 Calladega 500
66. 1986 Richmond 400
67. 1987 Revolting 400
68. 1987 Dinoco 400
69. 1988 Texas 350
70. 1988 Pocono 400
71. 1988 Dinoco 400
72. 1989 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400
73. 1990 Las Vegas 400
74. 1990 Calladega 500
75. 1990 No Stall 350
76. 1991 Leak Less 400
77. 1991 Heartland 500
78. 1992 Boston 350
79. 1993 Copper Canyon 400
80. 1993 Tow Cap 400
81. 1994 BnL 500
82. 1995 Ben's Hot Sauce 350
83. 1995 Heartland 500
84. 1996 Nightdona 500
85. 1996 Copper Canyon 400
86. 1996 Gasprin 400
87. 1996 Los Angeles 500
88. 1996 New York 400
89. 1996 Revolting 400
90. 1997 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400
91. 1997 Mario Andretti 400
92. 1997 Rev N Go 350
93. 1997 Sidewall Shine 350
94. 1998 Calladega 500
95. 1998 Memphis 400
96. 1998 Michigan 400
97. 1998 Pocono 400
98. 1998 Tow Cap 400
99. 1998 Virginia 400
100. 1998 Dinoco 400
101. 1999 New York 400
102. 1999 Leak Less 400
103. 2000 Las Vegas 400
104. 2000 BnL 500
105. 2001 Nightdona 500
106. 2001 Mario Andretti 400
107. 2001 Nitroade 400
108. 2001 Olympus 500
109. 2001 Spare Mint 400
110. 2001 Dinoco 400
111. 2002 N20 Cola 400
112. 2002 BnL 500
113. 2003 Vitoline 350
114. 2003 Sputter Stop 400
115. 2003 N20 Cola 400
116. 2003 Boston 350
117. 2003 Heartland 500
118. 2004 Sputter Stop 400
119. 2004 Pinkie and Spike 400
120. 2004 Los Angeles 500
121. 2005 BnL 500
122. 2005 Clutch Aid/Cozsen 400
123. 2005 Brickyard 400
124. 2005 Washington 350

## Trivia

* He has the most wins of Piston Cup along with Lightning McQueen (Who has almost 90). In the Stock Car Universe, Lightning has 103 wins.
* Cal Weathers calls him uncle Strip.
* Lightning McQueen's children love him and like to see him often. They also call Strip uncle.
* He is Dinoco's longest racer with a 40-year career from 1965-2005
* Just like Doc Hudson and Lightning McQueen, he became a crew chief after he retired
* Doc Hudson is his inspiration. Smokey is Roger Wheeler's.
* The race he did not place in the top 15 in 1971 is the 1971 Carolina's 350 because he got an engine failure on lap 142.
* In Cars, he is voiced by Richard Petty, who The King is based on in real life
* His net worth is $65 million
* The King is the only Plymouth in Generation 2 as all racers looking like him were Dodge Charger Daytonas, he is also the only one to be one in Gen 3 and 4.
* He is very brave and kind and friendly.