105:, who finished in the Top 5 points in NASCAR's stock car division every year from its formation in 1949 until 1959 and won the 1954, 1958, and 1959 championships. The teenage boys would attend some races and work on Lee's car after school and on weekends. Richard started racing in the late 1950s with Maurice and Inman as part of his pit crew, as they were too young to be his crew chief. In 1960, Petty won his first NASCAR race. By this time, Maurice and Inman had become NASCAR mechanics. Maurice had been the mechanic and crew chief at the races. Petty Enterprises had him start concentrating on engine building for the team, and Inman became the crew chief at the races. Petty described him as the sport's first official crew chief.
85:.com contributor Rick Houston said that if the best crew chief was "settled on statistics and statistics alone, Dale Inman is the greatest crew chief of all time." He is credited for starting the main duties of the position, including preparation, and driver-pit communication. Inman has the most victories as a NASCAR crew chief at 193, 188 of which were with Richard Petty. Inman won five additional races from 1982 to 1984 with
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as the top NASCAR crew chief of all-time and Inman placed a close second even though he had more first place votes than
Evernham. When asked, Inman said, "I'm not even sure I should be ranked. I think I was second , and I'm honored that." He said that the best crew chief that he ever saw was Leonard
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He returned to Petty
Enterprises in 1986 to oversee the business side. In an interview, he said, "This is my homecoming and this is where I belong. Damn, I am happy." He served as Petty’s crew chief for three more seasons (1986–1988) and continued in his role helping Richard Petty until Petty retired
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Inman retired from NASCAR in 1998, having won 193 races and eight championships. He continued as a consultant for Petty
Enterprises for a while afterward. Away from racing, Inman has helped the Victory Junction Gang Camp get started. In 2008, he helped unveil the first artifact at the
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In 1967, Petty won a NASCAR-record ten straight races and 27 races during that season with Inman as his crew chief. All 27 victories were in the same car that they built in 1966. He departed the team days after winning the 1981
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As of 2000, Inman was married to his wife Mary for over 40 years. They had two children, Tina Dale Hussey and
Jeffrey Inman, and four grandchildren, Taylor and Logan Hussey, and Peyton and Addison Inman.
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His contributions to racing led to him receiving the North
Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame's first Golden Wrench award on May 25, 2000. In 2008, he was received the
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during three decades. They won 188 races and seven championships together (1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1979). Inman spent most of his career working for
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that he would soon be leaving the team. Inman had been crew chief for 188 of Petty's 193 victories up to that point.
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422:"NASCAR WCUP: Behind the Scenes: Dale Inman Guides Drivers to Victory Lane"
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in 1992. After his retirement, Inman helped Petty
Enterprises drivers
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295:"Dale Inman receives the Smokey Yunick Award before Saturday's race"
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On June 14, 2011, he was selected to the 2012 class of the
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Inman grew up playing with his second cousins
Richard and
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In 2006, a national motorsports media group poll named
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61:. He is best known for being the crew chief of
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1182:List of NASCAR race wins by Petty Enterprises
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319:"NASCAR History: Sprint Cup Series Champions"
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59:Level Cross, Randolph County, North Carolina
1218:People from Randolph County, North Carolina
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509:crew chief statistics at Racing-Reference
449:The Unauthorized NASCAR Fan Guide 1998-99
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383:"Letty Petty Career (NASCAR) statistics"
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132:. That June, Osterlund sold the team to
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128:to be the crew chief for 1980 champion
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445:Fleischman, Bill; Pearce, Al (1999).
184:that Petty drove to 27 wins in 1967.
101:. The Petty brothers were the son of
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420:Callahan, Terry (April 25, 2000).
358:"Dale Inman, Legendary Crew Chief"
297:. ThatsRacin.com. October 11, 2008
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545:NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2012
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356:Champion, Omer (April 21, 2004).
73:. He also was the crew chief for
360:. Speedway Media. Archived from
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952:NASCAR Cup Series Championships
478:Ryan, Nate (October 11, 2008).
453:. Visible Ink Press. pp.
266:Houston, Rick (June 1, 2007).
1:
1228:NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees
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44:Level Cross, North Carolina
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268:"Where is ... Dale Inman?"
77:'s 1984 championship with
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42:(born August 19, 1936 in
33:Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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724:Christian Fittipaldi
714:Wally Dallenbach Jr.
1159:Buyouts and mergers
884:NASCAR Hall of Fame
217:NASCAR Hall of Fame
178:NASCAR Hall of Fame
89:and Terry Labonte.
1213:NASCAR crew chiefs
1087:1970 (P. Hamilton)
1043:1970 (P. Hamilton)
424:. The Auto Channel
385:. Racing Reference
182:Plymouth Belvedere
52:Winston Cup Series
37:
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619:Petty Enterprises
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154:1984 championship
71:Petty Enterprises
67:Petty Enterprises
23:Inman in the pits
16:NASCAR crew chief
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1175:Related articles
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1116:1966 (Panch)
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804:Marvin Panch
799:Jerry Nadeau
794:Ted Musgrave
704:Rodney Combs
694:Ken Bouchard
626:Years active
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557:Richie Evans
487:. Retrieved
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426:. Retrieved
387:. Retrieved
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366:. Retrieved
362:the original
327:. Retrieved
299:. Retrieved
275:. Retrieved
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194:Ray Evernham
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142:Tim Richmond
123:
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87:Tim Richmond
79:Hagan Racing
39:
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1203:1936 births
1078:Winston 500
897:Buddy Baker
874:Rick Wilson
849:Joe Ruttman
809:Jim Paschal
759:Shane Hmiel
699:Dick Brooks
689:Greg Biffle
684:Rich Bickle
679:Buddy Baker
162:Rick Wilson
146:Billy Hagan
138:Joe Ruttman
134:J. D. Stacy
119:Ned Jarrett
111:Daytona 500
1197:Categories
902:Dale Inman
892:Buck Baker
829:Mark Petty
819:Kyle Petty
814:Adam Petty
734:Mark Green
729:Jeff Green
674:Buck Baker
653:Kyle Petty
562:Dale Inman
507:Dale Inman
489:2008-10-31
428:2008-10-31
389:2008-10-31
368:2008-10-31
329:2008-10-31
301:2008-10-31
277:2008-10-31
232:References
55:crew chief
40:Dale Inman
922:Lee Petty
824:Lee Petty
784:Tiny Lund
643:Lee Petty
636:Personnel
630:1949–2008
567:Glen Wood
484:USA Today
117:reporter
103:Lee Petty
31:Inman at
212:Award.
148:to join
35:in 2014
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325:. 2008
323:NASCAR
272:NASCAR
188:Awards
168:, and
93:Career
83:NASCAR
48:NASCAR
57:from
1143:wins
1104:wins
1080:wins
459:ISBN
201:and
140:and
172:.
115:CBS
65:at
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