The younger Petty's mechanical skills were credited as having played an "integral part" in his father's success.
Although he himself started 26 times in the NASCAR Cup Series between 1960 and 1964, he soon elected to focus on engine building.
As a driver, his best finish was third place at the Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, South Carolina in 1961.
[3] As an engine builder, Maurice built the motors that helped his brother Richard win a record 200 victories, along with seven Cup Series championships.
[2] In 2011, Maurice Petty was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Alabama, in recognition of his career as a team owner, engine builder, crew chief, and driver.