RacingOne//Getty Images David Pearson (21) leads Richard Petty during the 1974 Firecracker 400 at Daytona. "The two biggest races involving those two guys was the 1976 Daytona 500 finish and the ...

When it comes to sports rivalries, it's easy to put the three decades of on-track battles between NASCAR stars Richard Petty and David Pearson up against any larger-than-life rivalry in any sport.