Dennis Quaid to Star in NASCAR Film

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) _ The star of ``The Rookie'' is slated to be father of ``The King'' of NASCAR in an upcoming film. <br><br>Dennis Quaid has pledged to play Lee Petty in an untitled

Saturday, April 27th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) _ The star of ``The Rookie'' is slated to be father of ``The King'' of NASCAR in an upcoming film.

Dennis Quaid has pledged to play Lee Petty in an untitled movie chronicling the racing careers of Lee and Richard Petty in the late 1950s and '60s. Richard Petty is NASCAR's all-time winningest driver with 200 victories.

The film will focus on the father-son relationship, as Richard Petty struggles to meet the high expectations Lee Petty had for him.

``It's not as much about the grinding of the wheels as it is the relationship of the two best racers in NASCAR,'' executive producer John O'Hurley said this week.

The movie has gotten a thumbs-up from Richard Petty and Petty Enterprises, said Bill Scott, executive vice president of Petty Enterprises in Level Cross south of Greensboro. Lee Petty died in April 2000.