Richard Petty proud to be politically conservative

• Richard Petty is emblematic of much of NASCAR in leaning to the right
• He thinks Mitt Romney has a good chance to unseat President Obama on Tuesday
• NASCAR CEO Brian France has chaired a luncheon for Romney but donated to Democrats, too

FORT WORTH -- For a sport consumed mostly by turning left on racing Sundays, NASCAR often leans toward the right on election Tuesdays.

One of the best examples is its most successful star, who has taken a proactive role in this year's presidential campaign.

Richard Petty stumped Saturday with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at a rally in Dubuque, Iowa, and the seven-time champion said NASCAR's rural roots and emphasis on self-determination help inform why he is a lifelong conservative.

"We always look at conservative people being more individual people (who) want to be left alone and be able to make their own decisions and do stuff with their family and start a business or whatever," Petty told USA TODAY Sports before Sunday's AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. "You go to the racetrack, and the majority of the people I associate with are conservative because they make their own decisions on what to do on the race car, when to make pit stops. They're very individual people.

"Country people are more conservative because most of them are doing their own thing. City people wind up being more liberal because they're depending on somebody to own their house or clean the streets."

Petty, who ran unsuccessfully for North Carolina secretary of state in 1996 and spent 16 years as a county commissioner, hasn't shielded his political views. He jokes that he always told right-wing North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms "he was a liberal. That's how conservative I am."

But NASCAR teams, such as Richard Petty Motorsports, are fueled by corporate sponsorship, and that sometimes means tempering opinions in toeing the line of political correctness.

"You don't want to get too far," Petty said. "I want to be conservative, but I don't want to be ultraconservative as far as the general public is concerned, the sponsors and all that stuff. You don't want to jump off the bridge by yourself."

Petty, who won a record 200 times, isn't alone among those who have pledged Republican support in NASCAR's premier series. NASCAR CEO Brian France introduced Romney at a Charlotte fundraiser in August that drew team owner Rick Hendrick, NASCAR President Mike Helton and track mogul Bruton Smith.

Though France and Hendrick also have donated to Democratic campaigns, NASCAR personalities have been more involved with promoting Republican candidates. Before the 2004 presidential election, nine of 10 drivers in the Chase endorsed George W. Bush.

Republican campaigns also have used NASCAR as a vehicle for exposure. Then-presidential candidate Rick Santorum sponsored Tony Raines in this year's rain-delayed Daytona 500, which was attended by Romney — who said he had "some great friends that are NASCAR team owners."

Petty, who hadn't met Romney before Saturday, said his goal isn't to turn the grandstands into a sea of red and acknowledges the NASCAR fan base includes many who disagree with him.

"That's the advantage of living in the United States," he said. "Everybody has got their own opinions, and I welcome that. I think that's great, and that's what is good about the country."

Petty said he has been politically active because it "involves everything we do in some way, shape or form" and is supporting Romney because he believes his economic policy would help business owners expand hiring.

"No matter what you want to say, it's a trickle-down deal," Petty said. "If you ain't got the money at the top, there ain't going to be no money at the bottom. The way I see it in the country, and we go everywhere, the people want to do something, but they don't know how assured their investments are going to be."

Petty is a veteran of the campaign trail, having also attended events for Ronald Reagan, both Bush campaigns and John McCain. He was optimistic about Romney's chances Tuesday against President Obama.

"The enthusiasm wasn't there with McCain (in 2008)," Petty said. "There was all kinds of enthusiasm for Romney. People jumping and hollering. It was like a revival."