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Kyle Petty was born into the world of NASCAR.
He's the son of Richard Petty, who's nickname "The King" carries a weight of its own. Kyle is a third-generation driver who proudly carries the torch. In his autobiography, "Swerve or Die: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing," the 62-year-old expounds on the life and legacy of racing through life at his own speed.
A legacy rooted in NASCAR began with his grandfather Lee, who participated in the sport's inaugural race and went on to be a stock-car racing pioneer. The legacy continued with arguably the greatest racer of all-time, Richard Petty. The racing gene was passed down to Kyle, who transferred it to his son Adam, who was said to be the first fourth-generation athlete in modern American sports. Adam, in a practice session for what would have been his 48th professional race, died in a head-on collision in 2000.
His death was one of three incidents in 2000 that led to a number of safety precautions in NASCAR today, such as the kill switch. Throughout his autobiography, Kyle Petty highlighted his family's adaptation and embracement of the sport's evolution.
"Change has always been a part of NASCAR, so why should we stop now?" he writes in his autobiography. "It's about changing the sport and making the sport more inclusive."
Richard, Adam and Kyle Petty at EasyCare Certified 100, September 1998. (Harold Hinson/Charlotte Motor Speedway Archives)
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That change is one that he takes ultimate pride in.
During a Zoom interview with Fox News Digital, Petty speaks on the life and legacy of his family and how his evolution parallels the sport he's dedicated his life to.
Fox News Digital: The title is provocative. Why do you feel like this is the perfect time in order to publish your autobiography?
Kyle Petty: The pandemic drove me to publish it. First time in my life that I had the opportunity to just stop and look back at things I've done, places I've gone. I've got a lot of crazy stories. So when the pandemic started, I started writing down some stories about my wife, Morgan, my three little boys and racing. Then, it kind of evolved. I got in touch with Elice (Henican) and we began to write. It's about the things I've gone through, whether good or bad. It's about changing direction. If you don't change direction, you can die. You basically stop living. It's also about our sport as a chameleon and how it has changed and continues to grow and be relevant. You know what we went through the last couple of years with everything in society, with Bubba Wallace, with the Confederate flag. It found a way to stay relevant, to change, to try to be more inclusive, to try to be more welcoming. And the sport continues to strive. So that's where the title comes from a little bit.
How were you able to navigate as a third-generation NASCAR driver? Was there any pressure? Did it weigh on you at any moment?
I never felt like there was pressure. Some people say it's a double-edged sword. I just saw it as single-edged. My grandfather won three championships, 50 races. My dad won seven championships, 200 races. I won a few races. Then I had a son, Adam, come along. There were four of us, but we were all allowed to be who we were and what we wanted to be. If you had an opportunity to sit my granddad down and talk to him, and set my dad down and then set myself and then Adam down, you would leave that conversation and say, 'Those four guys don't even know each other.' And that's how different we all were.
I never wanted to be my father or my granddad. I didn't want to be a clone. I had to be Kyle. Adam had to be Adam.
At an early age, you tell your son Adam to do what makes him happy. When did you learn that lesson in your journey?
I think I was about the same age as Adam – 13 or 14.
I realized that there was something special about my dad. Even in a day and time where there were so many great race car drivers and so much greatness going on in NASCAR, he was a notch above everyone at that time. I looked at Bobby Allison and David Pierce. I looked at the greats of that time. And I'm thinking, 'Man, if they're not getting that done, how am I going to get that done?' You know, I just better be me. My mom had a lot to do with that. I'm more like my mom than like my dad in a lot of ways. She had a lot to do with instilling that into us – even my three sisters. My mother assured that we did not have to live up to our last name Petty, or chase something that we were never going to get. Just be happy with who you were.
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As far as controversial races, the 1993 Bobby Hillins crash at the Daytona 500. Do you think you could have won the race if not for the crash?
No, because so many other things can happen. I think people want to point to that and look at it that way. If it was meant to be, I would have a trophy, and we wouldn't be having this conversation. You can't look at it that way. I tell people, 'You can be like any professional athlete or any 4-year-old. You can blame it on somebody else, but you can't.' Overall, we had a great year after that, so I can't complain anything about anything. It's not something that's on my mind.
Expound on the 1996 protest car that mimicked Dale Earnhardt's car. You were able to galvanize your fans, which sparked a change. Did you feel a sense of power and influence after that incident that you may not have felt prior to?
Not really. You know, I laughed about it. I went into it with an open mind and had a lot of fun. I was amazed at the reaction of the fans and how they got behind it. It's like one of those things where you just come up with a saying and you put it on a T-shirt. The next thing you know, you've sold over 15 million T-shirts. It was a joke. But listen, there's nothing like NASCAR fans. They are the most amazing, loyal. If they pull for you, they pull for you. But let me tell you, when they pull against you, they pull hard against.
Philanthropy is something you're passionate about. Talk about the significance of Victory Junction and Charity Ride Across America.
We motorcycle ride just because of my love for motorcycles. We wanted to ride from California to North Carolina. We started that in '95 with a few of my friends, but we also wanted to help families. We would stop at different children's hospitals to help families pay their medical expenses. That was what it was all about. To have a child with a chronic illness, a life-threatening illness, who has spent so much time in a hospital can be financially catastrophic for families. Then in 2000, when my oldest son, Adam, was killed in a racing accident in New Hampshire, then we just, we talked about building the camp and we built the Camp Victory Junction. The camp has hosted almost 100,000 kids from all 50 states since opening in 2004, free of charge. We've raised over $20 million since opening. It's been incredibly special to watch the people who have helped build camp and who continue to help support camp.
In your book, you mention while NASCAR races happen on Sunday, the business takes place on Monday-Saturday. How have you been able to navigate both the business and the actual race successfully?
It's a tough balance. It's almost as if racing is your side hustle. Your main deal is being a businessman, trying to put everything together. As the years go by, you have to continue to find sponsors, which is tough within itself. That's one thing. Our sport is heavily driven by OPM: other people's money. I was more successful as a driver when I didn't have to go find money. As an owner, it's tough. You have your good and your bad days. At the end of the day, it is what we signed up for.
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Are sponsors concerned about the risk? How have you learned to make the process of finding sponsors easier?
NASCAR has done a tremendous job from softer walls to the cars that we have now. Many companies view NASCAR as a plus to their advertising and customers. There was a time when many looked at the dark side of the sport, based on the possibilities of what could happen. I don't think that's the case now. That was a big issue over the last 15 or 20 years.
As a commentator, how are you using your platform to educate current drivers and progress the sport?
I have such a broad base of knowledge of the sport that when I say something, people look and they're like, ‘Oh, well, that might be right. He's been around for a while.' Also our fan base has gained more knowledge. At the same token, we have to be honest with them in our analysis and tell them things they may not want to hear. I guess that's where I come in. I speak the truth. If you don't like it, I'm sorry. We all have opinions and so do I. More importantly, I come from a place where I feel pretty confident that my opinion is close.
To close the book, you speak on the evolution of the sport and how it transforms based on societal happenings of today. How important is the evolution of the sport in regard to diversity, inclusion and green energy?
First, our sport was born in the South. At the time, things were the way they were because it was a different time period. My dad, Richard Petty, was born in the midst of that. So to see a guy who was there at the very first big NASCAR race stand next to Bubba Wallace in 2020 and support him to remove the Confederate flag, it was a huge moment. NASCAR is inclusive and welcoming. As far as green energy, everybody is going to point to motorsports because we use fossil fuel. I'll just say this, 'Every time the Yankees get on a plane to go fly and play ball somewhere, they use fossil fuels.' How does all of this weigh out? I don't have all the answers. What I do know is, NASCAR has been a leader and the sport is headed in the right direction.
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How do you define success at this moment in your life and career?
Success for me is getting up in the morning. My wife, Morgan and I have been together for six years. We have three amazing little boys. I need to be the best dad I can be. That's how I define success. I've won races. I've been on TV. It's not about those things anymore. It's about my family, my friends, changing the sports of NASCAR, making it more inclusive and being a leader in the industry to make the sport more green. It's about taking the sport into a direction where everyone wants to be involved, like they've done in the NFL, basketball and baseball. Most importantly, when my little boys say, ‘Daddy’ that's the biggest success for me.
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