‘Hear Ye, Hear Ye’ — It’s Kings Royal History

Richard Petty notched his 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway with President Ronald Reagan in attendance; SPEED SPORT marked its 50th year with a special pullout section; and promoter Earl Baltes sent shockwaves through the short-track industry by paying $50,000 to the winner of the inaugural Kings Royal.

The year was 1984. The average income was around $21,600, a gallon of gas sold for a buck and a dime and a new Ford Mustang convertible stickered for approximately $13,500. Simply put, $50,000 was a lot of money.