Tim Richmond - ESPN Documentary

[HOF#13]

Did any of you get to see the ESPN documentary on Tim Richmond last night? What did you think?

The one part that really surprised me was Richard Petty's comments about Tim being a good driver, but then immediately references drug use. I thought that was pretty low class from the "king".

[TRZ II]

I have Zero interest in Racing, but i watched the entire thing. It was a very interesting and moving piece. Petty looked like a real Jerk, I mean come on! The guy died 25 yrs ago and your still bitter he beat you a few times, very classless! Nice program.

[HOF#13]

Here is the part where Petty takes his cheap shot....it comes at the :40 mark.

Sifty,

If I violated the forum policy by adding this link, go ahead and fix it for me.

[spearchucker]

Did any of you get to see the ESPN documentary on Tim Richmond last night? What did you think?

The one part that really surprised me was Richard Petty's comments about Tim being a good driver, but then immediately references drug use. I thought that was pretty low class from the "king".

Sometimes the truth hurts though. He died of AIDS didn't he?

[HOF#13]

He did die of AIDS, but all reports I have seen state it was contracted through sexual contact. I don't think there has ever been any evidence to support that he was a drug user.

[harvey lee]

Yes, pretty cheap hit by the King.

[SpitnArgueDuckClub*]

To be honest, I don't have a clue to what is true about Tim Richmond..... How would I or any of us really (unless there are some retired nascar drivers here)? Now the drivers, especially from that era would be most apt to call a spade a spade. Still not necessarily right though to talk that way about the deceased.

[gregg52]

i would think the King has some good background on that statement

or he would not have said that

remember he ran his whole carreer with out tabbacco or alchol sponership

just think the money he turned down..I hafta admire people like that (al and ron linder same thing with all their magizines ..tv ..radio..etc etc)

he couldn't race in the bush clashes cuz he wouldnt put their sticker on his car

just cuz a guy is dead doesnt mean he deserves to be put on a pedestal

i heard the old man make coments about richmond

he said he was a hell of driver but had no idea what made the car go

if your going to live in the fast lane (off the race track..lol)

you hafta be willing to suffer the consequences

the great thing bout NASCAR is there just isnt much of that

its that old line these guys would be racin for half the money

you hear stick and ball players say that to.. but it just doesnt seem so to me

[spearchucker]

He did die of AIDS, but all reports I have seen state it was contracted through sexual contact. I don't think there has ever been any evidence to support that he was a drug user.

I would bet that Petty knows a lot more than anyone producing the documentary.

[gregg52]

well if you show up lookin like you been up all night as stated

you most likely drinkin or drugin..i use to be 23-24yrs old...lol

i dont ever remember staying up all night just for the fun of it!!!

[HOF#13]

For Petty to say that he was a heck of a race car driver only because he was "strung" out on something was cheap. I have never seen any reports where someone has said that they ever saw Tim Richmond do drugs. With all the allegations and rumors regarding drug use, don't you think that ESPN tried pretty hard to find someone that could corroborate those rumors with fact? I am guessing they did.

It seems just as likely to me that Petty simply did not like him because he was not the typical southern homeboy in NASCAR and because Tim was more into the glitz and glamour and having a good time. Or...perhaps Petty was simply jealous of him...For being in the sport for such a short period of time and being so popular.

We can agree to disagree though. It's all good.

Honestly, would I be utterly surprised if there were "facts" presented regarding drug use. Not really...It looked like he played pretty hard. But like I said, after 20+ years you would think those facts would have come out a long time ago, but haven't. Still simply rumor...and that's why I think Richard Petty was a complete jackwagon.

[HOF#13]

well if you show up lookin like you been up all night as stated

you most likely drinkin or drugin..i use to be 23-24yrs old...lol

i dont ever remember staying up all night just for the fun of it!!!

I can't disagree with you there. I remember the good 'ol younger days!...but you also kind of make my point. If he was out partying all night, like everyone knows he was, AND he was using drugs, there should be plenty of people who could say they were with Tim when he did drugs or witnessed Tim doing drugs. All I am saying is, I have not seen one report where any factual evidence or statements were given to support those rumors. As such, I'll give Mr. Richmond the benefit of the doubt. Besides, he was too busy sleeping with any woman he could get his hands on to do drugs.

[spearchucker]

I don't care one way or the other. All I know is I wasn't there and Mr. Petty was.

[gregg52]

strung out doesnt hafta mean he was using drugs

but if you are up all night no drugs or not you still are going to appear to be strung out

remember the feeling of no sleep ????

i do

if he was chasing the skirts...good for him..but where do you think he found those skirts???? in church ??...lol

and i dont think he got aids from a gal and probably not drugs

he might have been alittle on the acey dcey side which might not have been to popular in the garage to say the least

[harvey lee]

Who cares if he did whatever. The man is gone and its a cheap shot to slam people after they have passed away.

I see no reason to go over this again and again as it really does not matter.

As far as the King goes, I lost alot of respect for him after he slams a guy in his grave.

Very low.

[gregg52]

do you say stuff just to make him look good because he's passed

i dont believe in that

it is what it is...or was..why sugar coat it

richmond made his choices

[spearchucker]

Who cares if he did whatever. The man is gone and its a cheap shot to slam people after they have passed away.

Then what is the point of the biography? He is dead and to portray him there is no way to get around talking about a dead man.

[harvey lee]

There is a bit of a diffence in a biograohy and Petty slamming him in public.

He did not need to go there but I guess he thought it was cool to repeat.

[HOF#13]

do you say stuff just to make him look good because he's passed

i dont believe in that

it is what it is...or was..why sugar coat it

richmond made his choices

I agree in that you can't sugar coat it. It is what it is, and he was who he was. I just think it was low class to say what Petty said based soley off rumors.

If it were an established fact that Richmond used drugs, then I have no problem with what Petty had to say.

At any rate...it would have been real interesting to see what he and Hendrick could have done together if he had lived.

[gregg52]

why doyou think it was just rumours

remember he was at the track every week remember he use to drive the 43

[gregg52]

one other thing is..7 seven championships and 200 wins brings and demands respect IMO

A splash in the pan..not so much

[HOF#13]

why doyou think it was just rumours

remember he was at the track every week remember he use to drive the 43

It was addressed during the documentary a bit, and when discussed was mentioned as rumors. Plus, I have not read anything to support those rumors with fact. As I said earlier, if he was using drugs like Petty insinuated and other people heard as rumor, surely there would be plenty of eye witnesses of his drug use to corroborate that as fact. If true, I personally doubt it could have gone this long without information coming out from someone having first hand knowledge to support the drug use rumor.

[HOF#13]

one other thing is..7 seven championships and 200 wins brings and demands respect IMO

A splash in the pan..not so much

Agree with you there Gregg. That's why I was fairly surprised to see Petty's comments and the way he made them.

[gregg52]

well T R won 13 races which is admiralbe enough i'll say that runnin

against some of the legends

much better the that blow hard spencer on the hub...geeeeeeeeez

[HOF#13]

I was able to get in contact with a NASCAR reporter from back in the day who had forged a friendship with Tim. I asked him about Richard Petty's comments and specifically if the rumors about the drug use were true. Here is his reply:

"Jason - I love Richard Petty. He's a genuinely nice human being. But his opinions and comments are often old-fashioned and off the cuff. I'd bet everything I have that Tim never drove while under the influence of anything other than adrenalin. But I do believe he did experiment with weed and other drugs during the period when he was with the Blue Max team, which was a very wild bunch. And, later, when he got so ill, I think he went off the deep end. But, underneath it all, he was a really good, caring man. He loved his family and he loved his friends."

So...I'm man enough to eat a little crow. Still think Petty could have been more tactful though, but there was some truth to what he said.