Kyle Petty is a former NASCAR driver turned racing analyst who has become one of the most popular personalities in all of sports. As a member of one of NASCAR’s pioneer families, Kyle is as much a product of racing as he is of his famous father, Richard Petty – “The King,” and grandfather, Lee Petty. While his name will forever connect him to NASCAR, Kyle has made significant strides outside of racing in the world of music and philanthropy.
Kyle received his first guitar at age 12 by a traveling preacher at the racetrack. Soon after, he began writing his own music, finding creative influences in Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Carole King, James Taylor, Harry Chapin and Jim Croce. In the ‘80s, Kyle took to the stage for a brief period after signing with RCA Records. He opened up for acts such as Randy Travis, The Oak Ridge Boys and Hank Williams, Jr. Today, Kyle is represented by Dolphus Ramseur of Ramseur Records and frequently performs his original music in intimate shows across North Carolina and surrounding states.
In addition to racing and music, Kyle has always been a champion of philanthropy. For more than 27 years, Kyle has hosted his annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America – one of the most successful and popular charity events in the country. To date, the Ride has raised more than $20 million for a variety of children’s hospitals and Victory Junction – a camp created by Kyle and his family in honor of his late son, Adam, to provide life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic and serious medical illnesses. Since its inception in 2004, Victory Junction has provided more than 115,000 camp experiences to campers and their families – through onsite camp programs, virtual online programming, Vic’s Riders equine therapy program, and at participating hospitals and medical facilities through its REACH program.
Outside of his music and philanthropic efforts, Petty can also be found on your television screen. You can watch Petty on Peacock’s daily show, NASCAR America and on pre- and post-race NASCAR Cup and Xfinity coverage on NBC and USA Network. In addition to his race coverage for NBC, Kyle also hosts a digital series, ‘Coffee with Kyle,’ which airs on the Motorsports on NBC YouTube Channel. You can also find Petty in a primetime slot, hosting his series ‘Dinner Drive with Kyle Petty’ on the Circle Network.
Petty has also chronicled his life on and off the racetrack, including stories about his family, racing career, music, philanthropy and more in a memoir, SWERVE or DIE: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing. He also co-hosts the weekly radio show, “Fast Talk” on the Performance Racing Network and regularly contributes to NASCAR.com’s platforms. Petty resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Morgan, and young sons, Overton, Cotten and Davant.
