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Kyle Petty and Michael Waltrip Remember 40-Year Relationship in Touching Posts

Srijan Mandal
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Kyle Petty and Michael Waltrip Remember 40-Year Relationship in Touching Posts

While Michael Waltrip might not have won as much as his elder brother Darrell, he did achieve quite a lot of things in the top flight of American Motorsports. With a career spanning 33 years and over 784 races, the younger Waltrip recalls that a lot of his success and development wouldn’t have been possible without the constant support of the King of NASCAR and his son among others.

Recently, Waltrip shared an image over social media that showcased Richard and Kyle Petty along with him in it. The captions for the image read, I’m thankful for my 40 years of knowing the Petty’s. @kylepetty #75.”

Not long after, Kyle Petty replied to the post stating, “Back at you my friend.” The interaction between the two was a wholesome thing to witness, especially considering the friendship the two have shared throughout their lives.

When Michael Waltrip moved in with the Pettys to stay with them

Early into his career, Waltrip moved in with the Pettys and stayed with them for a brief amount of time. Later on, during an interview when the former DEI driver was asked who was it that helped him the most, he promptly answered, “Physically helping me with advice and direction and a job was Richard Petty. He did a lot for me at a young age, when I needed help and direction.”

“But what Darrell accomplished made my last name mean something, and that opened up a lot of doors and gave me a lot of opportunities. So Darrell and Richard are the two main people that helped me get up and running.”

Lastly, Waltrip stated that without the support of Dale Earnhardt Sr. believing in him, possibly beyond his prime in today’s terms, he would not have achieved what he was able to in his career.

About the author

Srijan Mandal

Srijan Mandal

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Srijan Mandal is the Lead NASCAR Editor and Strategist at The Sportsrush with a wealth of experience and expertise in the world of motorsports. With several thousand articles under his belt over the years, he has established himself as a leading authority on all things racing. His passion for motorsports started at a young age, and he has dedicated his career to covering the sport in all its forms. He is an expert in various disciplines, including stock car racing, American motorsports, Formula 1, IndyCar, NHRA, MotoGP, WRC, WEC, and several more. But Srijan's love for racing goes beyond his writing. He actively competes in professional open-wheel sim racing, using '88' as his racing number. While he mostly participates in GT Endurance classes, he also ventures into Stock Car racing from time to time. In case, you wish to contact Srijan, kindly send an email to him at srijan.mandal@sportsrush.com or just DM him on Twitter.

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