Kyle Petty 1981 Lionel Racing #43 STP Chevy Monte Carlo Riverside Swap 1/64

As iconic and recognizable as Richard’s No. 43 and Kyle’s No. 42 cars were, the father-son duo spent one afternoon in Southern California racing each other’s signature cars.

In the opening event of the 1981 season at Riverside, the Petty Enterprises team, which fielded both cars, wanted to get Kyle’s No. 42 into NASCAR’s® “Winner’s Circle” incentive program. Because that race marked the start of Kyle’s first full season in the NASCAR Cup Series®, Richard’s championship-winning experience was the key to get Kyle’s car into the program. It was then decided that Richard Petty would take the reins of Kyle’s No. 42, while Kyle would drive his father’s No. 43 at Riverside.

At the end of the grueling race on the Riverside Road course, Richard Petty took his son’s No. 42 car to a fifth-place finish, while Kyle brought the No. 43 home in 20th position

After the event, both drivers returned to their respective iconic numbers as the “Winner’s Circle” rules changed. Richard Petty returned to his iconic No. 43 and went on to win two more races that season. Kyle Petty went to the No. 42 car for the remainder of the year and scored 10 top10 finishes during his first full season of NASCAR Cup Series® competition.