(UPDATE) -- This weekend at Chicagoland Speedway Richard Petty will celebrate 50 years in NASCAR. The legendary driver and team owner drove his first race on July 12, 1958. "I come along with the history, ya know, NASCAR I think was 10 years old when I ran my first race," said Petty.

Petty said his desire to get on the track started about 60 years ago. "I went to the very first Cup race they had in 1949 in Charlotte with my father. (I was) like 11 years old. I just came along at the right time to grow up with NASCAR."

As Petty compares the NASCAR drivers of the early days to the NASCAR drivers of today, he said earlier drivers were better able to adapt to track conditions. "When we started a race, that was it. If you was in a 500 mile race and the car handled bad, there was nothing you could do to the car." Petty said drivers today are in constant communication with the crew on how the car is handling and adjustments are throughout a race. He said that did not happen in the old days.

Some might say the 71-year-old racing icon has forgotten more than most current NASCAR drivers will ever know.