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Birth Date: June 2, 1960
Height: 6’ 2”
Weight: 195 lbs.
Birthplace: Randleman, N.C.
Resides: Trinity, N.C.
Wife: Pattie
Children: Adam, Austin, Montgomery Lee
Growing up in racing is always an advantage if you want to win in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, but when you grow up in Level Cross, North Carolina, and your father is casually referred to as “The King,” the expectations for your career jump tremendously. Kyle Petty was able to productively use his family business, and to take advantage of his incredible driving talents and people skills, to build a winning driving resume and rebuild a racing business that has been the most successful in the history of motorsports.
Today, Petty remains a fixture at his family-owned business. A proven winner, Petty stays focused and determined to keep Petty Enterprises at the forefront of the motorsports’ world. Doing so, Petty will again sit behind the wheel of the No. 45 Dodge in 2008. Petty will welcome back primary sponsors Wells Fargo and Marathon, while adding the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), to the sides of the Petty Dodge.
Since he was a young boy, Petty has been around race tracks, stock cars, and drivers of the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. His father, Richard Petty, is the most successful driver in the history of the sport, while his grandfather, Lee Petty, was one of the most successful pioneers of NASCAR racing. It comes to no one’s surprise that Kyle Petty’s first time in a major league stock car race he crossed the finish line first, winning the 1979 Daytona ARCA 200. Winning races is just what the Petty’s do, and now Kyle Petty is leading the charge to a newer, stronger, better Petty Enterprises for years to come.
In 2001 for the first time since 1963, Petty Enterprises, under the lead role of Petty, campaigned three cars in Cup competition. Petty Enterprises also led the Dodge manufacturer in its return to NASCAR racing in the same season. Being a car owner for three teams, and one of the most accomplished drivers on the track, in 2001 Petty orchestrated one of the most challenging tasks in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. Today, he continues to lead the organization back to the top of the stock car world.
A man with eight victories on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit, Petty knows what it takes to be a winner. Having begun his career working for Petty Enterprises, and later running motorsports’ most successful team, Petty has also driven for such successful car owners as the Wood Brothers and Felix Sabates, learning the “do’s and don’ts” of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition. In 1997 Petty opened pe2, and experienced first hand what it was like to be a car owner. Collecting two top-fives and nine top-10s in his first year as a car owner, Petty was moving to a new level in the business at Petty Enterprises, while at the same time staying a fierce competitor on the track. At the end of the 1998 season, Petty packed his bags - and everybody else’s bag too - moving back home to Level Cross to become the CEO at Petty Enterprises and continue his driving career where it started.
Over the past two seasons, Petty Enterprises’ commitment to winning has been reinforced by several new hires and changes. Each move was made with the intent of returning Petty Enterprises back to the pinnacle of NASCAR
In 2006, Robbie Loomis returned to Petty Enterprises as Executive Vice President of Race Operations and he assumed the day-to-day duties from Petty. 2000 Sprint Cup Champion, Bobby Labonte, came on board to drive the famed No. 43 as a teammate to Petty to give Petty Enterprises a solid stable of drivers. NASCAR veteran Billy Wilburn was hired as Petty’s crew chief, a move that resulted in such a great driver-crew chief cohesion that it led the No. 45 to consecutive finishes inside the top-35 in NASCAR Sprint Cup owner points. Petty also garnered a third place finish in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600, one of the crown jewel races on the circuit.
One such change, however, stands as the embodiment of Petty Enterprises’ focus and desire to return to Victory Lane. Prior to the start of the 2008 season, the organization will move from their Level Cross, N.C. shop to a state-of-the-art facility in Mooresville, N.C. This move will put Petty Enterprises in the heart of NASCAR country and will give their talented personnel all the resources to compete for wins, beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in February.
2007 also saw Petty diversify his portfolio as he prepares for a career after racing. Petty stepped into the broadcast booth for TNT Sports during a six race summer stretch of events broadcast on the network. His performance drew rave reviews from many NASCAR writers and critics. John Andretti and Chad McCumbee filled in superbly for Petty, highlighted by Andretti’s 18th place finish at Chicago and McCumbee’s 25th place finish at Pocono.
Petty is a man, who besides being known as one of the great car owners and drivers, is also known for his charity work. The Chick-Fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America was founded by Petty in 1995 to benefit children’s charities across America. Every year hundreds of fans, drivers, and crew members jump on their motorcycles to join Petty in visiting local children’s hospitals and other local charities. Today, the Petty charity ride is the most successful event by any person in the NASCAR garage.
In October of 2000 Petty once again confirmed that giving back to the community is what proves most important to him and his family by making plans to open the Victory Junction Gang Camp near his home in Level Cross, N.C. The camp became a reality in 2004 when it opened its doors to become the sixth camp in the “Hole in the Wall Gang” camps founded by actor Paul Newman. For his efforts Petty was named NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated “Person of the year” in both 1999 and 2000, marking the first time that any one person has won it in consecutive years. He has also won the 2000 and 2004 Myers Brothers Award, the highest award presented by the National Motorsports Press Association, and in 2002 Petty was awarded the True Value Person of the Year Award for his humanitarian efforts. The culmination of his goodwill came when Petty was inducted into the Philanthropy Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 2007.
For sure Petty makes full use of his time, and this racing season will be no different. The No. 45 Wells Fargo/Marathon/PVA Dodge team is ready for another banner year. The many changes made within the organization should give Petty plenty of muscle to improve on the strong runs he enjoyed in 2007. On and off the track Petty is looking forward to making a difference in 2008.
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