Kyle Petty

Biography

Kyle Petty is an auto racing icon, a champion of philanthropy and one of the most popular personalities in NASCAR. The son of NASCAR champion Richard Petty and grandson of NASCAR pioneer Lee Petty – Kyle followed in their footsteps, starting his 30-year NASCAR career as a Sprint Cup driver in 1979 at age 19, before also becoming an owner and media commentator.

In 2004, Kyle and the Petty family opened the doors to Victory Junction – a camp created for children with chronic or serious medical illnesses – in honor of his late son, Adam Petty.

For 27 years, Kyle Petty has hosted hundreds of NASCAR fans, drivers and motorcycle enthusiasts on his annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. The Ride travels cross-country each spring to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction. To date, the Ride has raised more than $19 million for children with chronic and serious illnesses, and is the most successful philanthropic event staged by any person in the NASCAR family.

Additionally, Kyle is a featured analyst on NBCSN’s daily show, NASCAR America and on pre and post-race NASCAR Cup and Xfinity coverage on NBC and NBCSN. He also co-hosts the weekly radio show, “Fast Talk” on the Performance Racing Network.

His memoir, SWERVE OR DIE: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing, will be published in August 2022 and will include personal stories from his life and racing career.

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More Than Victory Lane

Inspired by his late son Adam's work with sick children, Petty partnered with actor Paul Newman to establish the Victory Junction Gang Camp for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. The most ambitious of Kyle's many charitable projects, it is the official charity of NASCAR. Petty's work on behalf of others has made him one of the most widely recognized philanthropists in the world of sports.

What A Ride

As driver and CEO of Petty Enterprises, Petty takes audiences on a moving and anecdotal journey through his life as a businessman, philanthropist and one of NASCAR's most respected drivers. He explores the ideals that have kept the Petty family, which includes his father, Richard "The King" Petty and grandfather Lee, at the pinnacle of racing success for three generations: consistently striving for excellence, living up to your promises, teamwork, committing to family and helping the community.

In auto racing, you are only as good as your last race, and every week you get a report card. NASCAR racer Kyle Petty understands that business operates the same way and that you can never rest on your laurels; that competition is always fierce; that even at high speeds course-correction is always necessary; that even when you don't finish first, there's always a chance for redemption; and that you not only have to remain prepared for the unexpected, but it must be factored in to your path towards success. Petty's presentation draws analogies from racing and applies them to business, showing leaders how to learn from past performance, how to adapt to change and much more.