“It was amazing. Those are the moments that the guys live for.” This is what Hendrick Motorsports pit crew coach Chris Burkey told Racer.com when Kyle Larson’s crew pulled off a nearly perfect stop in just 11.8 seconds, helping him win the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series championship. For every NASCAR victory that hit the headlines, an unseen hand was plotting his strategy. In the case of 7-time Cup Champion Richard Petty, his 200 Cup Series victories had not merely been a factor of speed. They had been a crescendo of adjustment, judgment, and grit permeated by one man: Dale Inman.
A long time ago, before high-definition television replays and digital telemetry, Dale Inman was the original alchemist on race day. As Richard Petty’s crew chief, he redefined what it meant to orchestrate a race from behind the scenes, and now, upon being inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, he is finally shedding light on the decisions that built a dynasty.
The architect behind Richard “King” Petty’s castle
Dale Inman was more than Richard Petty’s cousin. In fact, he was the architect for one of the most dominating eras of motorsports history. Born and raised in Level Cross, North Carolina, Inman earned his legend through wrenching and a rewriting of the playbook on what a crew chief could be. By the end of his signature career, he had amassed 193 wins and eight Cup Series championships, seven with Petty. Inman took his influence well beyond the garage. He was the center of Petty Enterprises during its gilded years.
Inman sat with Kyle Petty, Richard’s son, in their latest conversation on the Petty Racing Family podcast and played down the glory, instead dwelling much on the pains associated with the success. Kyle Petty joked that, “Out of all the adjustments you [Dale Inman] made, the seat adjustment was the biggest adjustment.” Inman, chuckling, replied, “He [Richard Petty] says that, but we worked hard on that thing.” Narrating how they worked to perfect every inch of the car. “We worked on the springs and the torsion bars and the shocks and all that.” It was not just mechanics; it was about an understanding of the driver, instincts, and being ready to adapt when the road necessitated.
And Inman’s rise was born of necessity, not formal assignment. “When Richard got started driving, I wasn’t assigned to nothing. I just had to step up and do it,” Inman admitted. Every decision made was relentless, unapologetic, and instinctual. Richard might have called the car, but Inman called everything else. “The stuff that I learned here over the years, I carried everywhere I went,” he said, alluding to how Level Cross didn’t raise a racer but an empire in racing.
Dale Inman was a master strategist and was one of the first people to pioneer the ‘gas and go’ strategy, which involved a pit stop without changing tires! He successfully pulled this off during the 1981 Daytona 500, helping Richard Petty clinch his seventh Great American Race victory. Late in that race, Dale Inman had his entire pit crew over the wall, indicating a standard four-tire and gas pit stop, however, he fooled everyone, just filling gas and gaining valuable seconds for the iconic #43 to take the checkered flag. It was this presence of mind that made all the difference in Petty’s career. He had a crew chief who wasn’t simply acting on instinct; he was anticipating.
Kyle Petty acknowledged the quiet fingerprints Inman left on countless wins: “There’s wins and championships out here that you had your fingerprints on.” The grim fact is that from the grandstands, it might have seemed like Petty’s creativity, but every calculated adjustment and call from the pits bore Inman’s signature.
Legacy beyond the finish line
After stepping away from the pit box, Dale Inman became the racing scene’s humble historian and proud guardian. While many of his peers chose to hang up their helmets, Inman carved out a space for himself. “People just giving up and sit and watch television. And I just don’t want to do that as long as I can do what I’m doing,” he said. Whether working with youthful talents or rubbing elbows with fans at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Inman remains the sport’s heartbeat behind the scenes.
His impact has been sewn into the fine fabric of NASCAR, pit stop safety, and the fine precision of modern-day strategy. The honor of being the first crew chief inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame was an honor for Inman, done strategically to create a precedent for honoring unsung heroes of racing. Not only are trophies his legacy, but the shaping of the very sport.
Dale Inman must have stayed under the shadows for several decades of “The King,” but in actuality, never needed a crown to rule. One adjustment at a time, one call at a time, Dale Inman’s imprint for an unwavering pursuit of excellence will remain forever in racing.
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