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45 Kyle Petty

 
  • POLES

    0
  • WINS

    0
  • RANK

    39
  • POINTS

    485
  • BEHIND

    -1205
 

With more than 800 starts in NASCAR’s Cup series, Kyle Petty has a career span seldom rivaled. He has driven for the Petty Enterprises team for 17 of his 28 seasons and doesn’t seem to be slowing. The personable driver has moved into the television booth as well, balancing two careers in 2008. He's also put Chad McCumbee in the car for at least one race.

Career Highlights

  • Has won eight NASCAR Cup series races
  • Winner of eight Cup series poles
  • Career-best fifth in series championship (1992, '93)
  • 1998 and 2002 NASCAR USG Person of the Year

Driver Details

  • Ht: 74     Wt: 195
  • Born: 06/20/1960
  • Hometown: Trinity, North Carolina

Related Links

2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season Summary
Starts Poles Rank Wins Top 5 Top 10 Points Winnings
8 0 39 0 0 0 485 818,840

Year-by-Year Sprint Cup Series Recap

  • 2007 Chose to skip five races in the summer to work as a commentator for TNT Sports. Chad McCumbee drove one race for the team while John Andretti drove in the other four. Later missed two races with a broken hand … Petty finished 35th in the series driver and owner points, allowing him a locked-in position for the first five races of 2008 … Petty and his team announced plans to move their Randleman, N.C., shop to the Mooresville, N.C., area in 2008.

  • 2006 Finished 32nd in series standings and 35th in owner points, guaranteeing him a starting position in the first five races of 2007 … Earned two top-10 finishes … Switched to crew chief Billy Wilburn in September as part of company reorganization … Petty posted $3.6 million in winnings.

  • 2005 Finished 27th in series standings. ... Eighth-place finish at Bristol was his first top 10 since 2002. ... Added another top-10 finish at Dover in September. ... Led at least one lap in 12 different races. ... Two top-10 finishes was best mark since 1999.

  • 2004 Finished 33rd in series points. ... Recorded season-best finish, 12th, at Las Vegas in March. ... Opened Victory Junction Gang Camp for chronically ill children, with wife Pattie, in June.

  • 2003 Finished 37th in series points. ... Finished 13th in the Daytona 500. ... Best finish of the season was 11th at Talladega in April. ... Started eighth and 10th, respectively, at Richmond in his two top-10 starts of the season.

  • 2002 Finished 22nd in series points in resurgent season. ... Best finish 10th at Talladega. ... Seventh consecutive season without a victory. ... Still, tremendously consistent; completed 97.4% of laps. ... Won the 2002 USG Person of the Year award. ... Continued extensive off-track charity efforts including the Visa Fun Walk for Charity and broke ground at the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C.

  • 2001 Finished 43rd in series points. ... Best finish 16th, at Daytona 500 and Homestead-Miami. ... Collected more than $1 million in race winnings for the fourth time in his career. ... Made 600th career start in June.

  • 2000 Finished 41st in series points. ... Competed in 19 races before moving from his No. 44 team to drive his late son Adam's No. 45 car in the NASCAR Busch Series. ... Best finish ninth at Talladega. ... Awarded the Myers Brothers Award by the National Motorsports Press Association, for his contributions to racing.

  • 1999 Finished 26th in series points. ... His best finish was seventh, but he did that five times. ... Named NASCAR Illustrated's Person of the Year as a result of his charitable work.

  • 1998 Finished 30th in series points. ... Best finish sixth, at Watkins Glen. ... Career-high $1,287,731 in race winnings. ... Named NASCAR USG Man of the Year

  • 1997 Finished 15th in series points. ... Best finish a third place at Dover.

  • 1996 Finished 27th in series points in final season with Felix Sabates' Team Sabco. ... Best finish eighth, at Dover and Martinsville. ... Sustained an injury in Brickyard 400 which caused him to miss Watkins Glen, Michigan and Bristol events.

  • 1995 Finished 30th in series points. ... Earned eighth career victory, at Dover ... Had five top-five finishes ... Founded Kyle Petty Charity Ride to benefit children's charities across the nation.

  • 1994 Finished 15th in series points. ... Best finish fourth, at North Wilkesboro. ... Other top finishes were fifth at the spring Richmond race and sixth-place finishes at Dover, Phoenix and Michigan.

  • 1993 Finished fifth in series points, matching career-best finish... Opened the 1993 season by winning the pole at the Daytona 500. ... Had one victory, at Pocono.

  • 1992 Finished fifth in series points. ... Had two victories, at Watkins Glen and Rockingham. ... Rockingham win was his third there in three consecutive seasons. ... Made a late bid for the championship with seven top-five finishes in the last 10 races.

  • 1991 Finished 31st in series points. ... Won at Rockingham, and recorded three poles. ... Sat out 11 races after being involved in an accident at Talladega that left him with a broken thigh.

  • 1990 Finished 11th in series points. ... Season's sole victory, at Rockingham, achieved in dominating style, leading 433 of 492 laps. ... Car owner Felix Sabates was so elated by the Rockingham victory he presented Petty with a Rolls Royce. ... Won career-first pole at Rockingham in March. ... Recorded second career-pole four races later at North Wilkesboro.

  • 1989 Finished 30th in series points. ... First year driving for team owner Felix Sabates. ... Best finish a fourth, at Atlanta. ... Finished in the top 10 twice in the final three races.

  • 1988 Finished 13th in series points in final season driving for Wood Brothers Racing. ... Best finish fifth, at Atlanta and North Wilkesboro.

  • 1987 Finished seventh in series points. ... Won two races, including prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.

  • 1986 Finished 10th in series points. ... Earned career-first series victory, at Richmond, becoming the first third-generation driver to win a series race, following grandfather Lee and father Richard.

  • 1985 Finished ninth in series points. ... Joined the Wood Brothers Racing team … Exceeded $1 million in career winnings. ... Won the 1985 Comeback Driver of the Year Award.

  • 1984 Finished 16th in series points. ... Only one top-five finish. ... Marked his last season driving for Petty Enterprises until rejoining the operation in 1999.

  • 1983 Finished 13th in series points. ... Made 30 starts, posting two top-five efforts.

  • 1982 Finished 15th in series points. ... Best finish a second place, at Dover. ... Drove the Petty Enterprises STP Pontiac but also made a few starts in the Hoss Ellington /UNO Buick.

  • 1981 Finished 12th in series points. ... Best finish fifth, at Charlotte ... First year Petty attempted to compete in every event on the schedule.

  • 1980 Finished 28th in series points after competing in 15 events. ... Finished third in the Rookie of the Year standings behind Jody Ridley and Lake Speed. ... Had six top-10 finishes.

  • 1979 Finished 37th in series points. ... Made Cup series debut, running five races for Petty Enterprises ... First race was at Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished ninth. ... Also competed in local Late Model Sportsman events and served on his father's pit crew.

Kyle Petty in the News