Kyle Petty

Name: Kyle Petty
Date of Birth: June 2, 1960
Team: Petty Enterprises
Car number: #45 Sprint (now Georgia-Pacific) Dodge
Marital Status: married - Pattie
Children: Adam (7/10/80), Austin (3/24/82), Montgomery Lee (12/17/85)

Kyle Petty is one of the most generous and wonderful NASCAR drivers on the track. When Kyle is not racing, him and his wife Pattie are constantly working with one charity or ogranization.

When Kyle's oldest son, Adam, lost his life in a racing accident on May 12, 2000 at the New Hampshire International Speedway, Kyle got out of his #44 Hotwheels Pontiac and into Adam's #45 Sprint Dodge in the Busch Grand National Series. He continued to drive Adam's car for the rest of the 2000 season, and then brought up Adam's car, and crew to the Winston Cup Series. The reasoning behind the move was that the #45 Sprint Dodge was supposed to be in the Winston Cup Series in 2001 with Adam as the driver. However, after Adam's death, Kyle thought it was only fair that he drive the car as none of the crew members wanted anyone other than a Petty to drive that car.

 

Victory Junction Gang CampKyle Petty's Career Statistics at a Glance
· Won his first stock car race that he entered in the ARCA 200 at the Daytona International Speedway on February 12, 1979 at age 18 years and 8 months.
· First Winston Cup Start - Talladega 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway on August 5, 1979. He finished ninth.
· First Winston Cup Pole - March 2, 1990 driving for SABCO Racing. The pole came for the Goodwrench 500 at the North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, NC. Kyle also won the race that day.
· First Winston Cup Win - February 23, 2986 driving for the Wood Brothers. He won the Miller High Life 400 at the Richmond International Speedway in Richmond, VA.
· He was named the True Value "Man of the Year" in 1998
· In 1999, he was named NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated's "Person of the Year"
These two photos were taken at the 2001 Daytona 500 on February 18, 2001. This was the first year Kyle Petty was at the Daytona International Speedway driving his late son Adam's car, the #45 Sprint Dodge. As it is seen, these two friends enjoyed a nice chat, and then hugged good-bye. Unfortunately, this would be the last time Kyle would see Dale Earnhardt alive, as he was killed in a racing accident in Turn 4 on the last lap of the race.