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, Petty 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, Petty has made significant strides outside of racing in the worlds of music and philanthropy.
Petty 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, Petty 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. Another significant achievement was when Kyle performed his original song 'Hard Times' at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in June 2021. Today, Petty 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, Petty has always been a champion of philanthropy. Since 1995, Petty 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 Petty 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 105,000 camp experiences to campers and their families – both onsite at the camp and offsite 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 digtial 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 co-hosts the weekly radio show, "Fast Talk," on the Peformance Racing Network and regularly contributes to NASCAR.com's Backseat Drivers series. Petty resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Morgan, and young sons, Overton, Cotten and Davant.