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Swerve or Die: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing
Stock-car racing star, country singer, and sports broadcaster Kyle Petty shares his familial legacy, intertwined with NASCAR's founding and history, in Swerve or Die―written with Pulitzer Prize-winner Ellis Henican, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of In the Blink of an Eye.
"Born into racing royalty. The only son of NASCAR's winningest driver ever. The grandson of one of the sport's true pioneers. The nephew of our very first Hall of Fame engine builder. It's quite a family to represent, and through it all, I've somehow managed to keep being Kyle."
Kyle Petty won his very first stock-car race, the Daytona ARCA 200, in 1979 when he was eighteen. Hailed as a third-generation professional NASCAR racer, he became an instant celebrity in circles he had been around all his young life. Despite being the grandson and son of racing champions Lee Petty and Richard Petty, Kyle didn't inherit innate talent. Working in his family's North Carolina race shop from an early age, he learned all about car mechanics and maintenance long before he got behind the wheel. And although Kyle continued the family business, driving "Petty blue" colored cars emblazoned with his grandfather's #42―a number once used by Marty Robbins―his career took a different route than his forebears'.
In Swerve or Die: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing, Kyle chronicles his life on and off the racetrack, presenting his insider's perspective of growing up throughout the sport's popular rise in American culture. In between driving and running Petty Enterprises for thirty years, Kyle took some detours into country music, voiced Cal Weathers in Pixar's Cars 3, and started his annual motorcycle Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. And when his nineteen-year-old son Adam, a fourth-generation racing Petty, tragically lost his life on the track, Kyle founded Victory Junction, a camp for children with chronic and serious medical conditions in Adam's name―with help from Academy Award-winning actor and motorsports enthusiast Paul Newman.
Filled with NASCAR history, stories of his family's careers, and anecdotes about some of stock-car racing's most famous drivers, Kyle's memoir also tackles the sport's evolution, discussing how welcoming diverse racers, improving car and track safety features, and integrating green technology will benefit NASCAR's competitors and fans in the future.
Includes Photographs
"Born into racing royalty. The only son of NASCAR's winningest driver ever. The grandson of one of the sport's true pioneers. The nephew of our very first Hall of Fame engine builder. It's quite a family to represent, and through it all, I've somehow managed to keep being Kyle."
Kyle Petty won his very first stock-car race, the Daytona ARCA 200, in 1979 when he was eighteen. Hailed as a third-generation professional NASCAR racer, he became an instant celebrity in circles he had been around all his young life. Despite being the grandson and son of racing champions Lee Petty and Richard Petty, Kyle didn't inherit innate talent. Working in his family's North Carolina race shop from an early age, he learned all about car mechanics and maintenance long before he got behind the wheel. And although Kyle continued the family business, driving "Petty blue" colored cars emblazoned with his grandfather's #42―a number once used by Marty Robbins―his career took a different route than his forebears'.
In Swerve or Die: Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR Racing, Kyle chronicles his life on and off the racetrack, presenting his insider's perspective of growing up throughout the sport's popular rise in American culture. In between driving and running Petty Enterprises for thirty years, Kyle took some detours into country music, voiced Cal Weathers in Pixar's Cars 3, and started his annual motorcycle Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. And when his nineteen-year-old son Adam, a fourth-generation racing Petty, tragically lost his life on the track, Kyle founded Victory Junction, a camp for children with chronic and serious medical conditions in Adam's name―with help from Academy Award-winning actor and motorsports enthusiast Paul Newman.
Filled with NASCAR history, stories of his family's careers, and anecdotes about some of stock-car racing's most famous drivers, Kyle's memoir also tackles the sport's evolution, discussing how welcoming diverse racers, improving car and track safety features, and integrating green technology will benefit NASCAR's competitors and fans in the future.
Includes Photographs
Editorial Reviews
"It's always darkest in the shadow of greatness. Each generation has had to prove itself along the way, and believe me it doesn't get easier. Kyle's story is a uniquely American one about a uniquely American sport. I highly recommend it." ― Jay Leno
"After all the things Kyle's done, I knew there had to be a book in there somewhere. Well, here it is. And I'll tell you what: Kyle doesn't believe in keeping secrets. Even I learned some things in here. And yeah, his mom deserves all the credit for how he turned out." ― Richard Petty
"He's lived through the worst possible scenario that could happen to anyone. Imagine going back to Loudon after that! You could throw haymakers at Kyle. He just rolls with it. He's like, ‘I'm gonna walk around with a ponytail…I'm gonna sing…I'm gonna say whatever I wanna say on TV.' With that upbeat attitude of his and the way he grabs every opportunity, I do think Kyle has lived the lives of five people combined."
― Joey Logano
"For a guy that could be a prick because of who he is, he is just the greatest, most down-to-earth person I've ever met. Just like his dad. You gotta read Kyle's book. You gotta."
― Ric Flair
"As a competitor, broadcaster, family member and dear friend, Kyle has lived through every era of our sport, impacting the lives of so many along the way. With a heartfelt gift for storytelling, his love for NASCAR and passion for the people in it make his first-hand account of motorsports history a must-read for racing fans everywhere."
―Lesa Kennedy, executive vice chair of NASCAR
"After all the things Kyle's done, I knew there had to be a book in there somewhere. Well, here it is. And I'll tell you what: Kyle doesn't believe in keeping secrets. Even I learned some things in here. And yeah, his mom deserves all the credit for how he turned out." ― Richard Petty
"He's lived through the worst possible scenario that could happen to anyone. Imagine going back to Loudon after that! You could throw haymakers at Kyle. He just rolls with it. He's like, ‘I'm gonna walk around with a ponytail…I'm gonna sing…I'm gonna say whatever I wanna say on TV.' With that upbeat attitude of his and the way he grabs every opportunity, I do think Kyle has lived the lives of five people combined."
― Joey Logano
"For a guy that could be a prick because of who he is, he is just the greatest, most down-to-earth person I've ever met. Just like his dad. You gotta read Kyle's book. You gotta."
― Ric Flair
"As a competitor, broadcaster, family member and dear friend, Kyle has lived through every era of our sport, impacting the lives of so many along the way. With a heartfelt gift for storytelling, his love for NASCAR and passion for the people in it make his first-hand account of motorsports history a must-read for racing fans everywhere."
―Lesa Kennedy, executive vice chair of NASCAR
Readers Top Reviews
Amy A. Fitzpatric
Kyle has a natural storytelling gift (tone, pace, humor). I enjoyed the stories that were new to me. He is also very brave for sharing his tragic experiences.
Marie EdwardsAmy
Thank you in advance to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for providing an advanced review copy. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own. Rarely do I read biographies or autobiographies (A). I have, since starting my blog, read four (including this one) – William Daniels (A), Princess Diana, and Gary Sinise’s (A) book. I have perused Dale Jr’s Racing to the Finish (A) and Jeff Gordon’s book (A). In order for me to want to read it – I have to REALLY like the person or be interested in what they’ve done. Naturally, if it is about NASCAR – I’m VERY LIKELY to read the book. If it is a person of interest – I will more than likely read the book. For those who might not be too familiar with the difference – Biography – account of a person’s life written by someone else Autobiography – account of a person’s life written by them No matter how you view him – Kyle Petty can be a polarizing figure. You either like him or you don’t. He can be contentious, out-spoken, but refreshingly honest. It can’t be denied he is part of a powerful NASCAR family and history. He is after all, a third (3rd) generation racer, with his late son Adam who was one of the first 4th generation athletes. After hearing about this book (and seeing a “contest”) – I HAD to read it. And, am thankful to the publisher for it. I learned so much that I ended up with PAGES of notes. Like most – this is written by the “subject” with another author – though it is very hard to tell and easily reads like a conversation one would have with Kyle Petty. It’s so easy to “hear” his voice in this, especially if you’ve heard an interview or seen him on TV. The title of the book is not really explained, so I didn’t see the correlation. It is very catchy though, and I have to admit it drew my attention right away. This isn’t one of those “long-winded” books and comes in at under 300 pages. Petty says what he wants to and gets it done – perhaps in some cases, he’s too “short”. Even the chapters are short. Petty tells his story in four (4) parts over 30 chapters. This way it is easier to read and pause to come back. Though, I do admit – there were times I didn’t want to put it down. I’ll admit this up front and right here – I’m more of a Dale Earnhardt fan and think he’s a bit better than Richard Petty in the overall stats. Why? Earnhardt won seven (7) titles with 1/3 of the wins Petty did. In addition, there are other stats to expand on that would take up far more time. To me, it goes –> Dale, Jimmie Johnson, Richard Petty. Not to say I don’t recognize what Petty brought to NASCAR’s table, I’m just saying that Dale (in my opinion) is #1. That out of the way … I can’t (and won’t) deny the impact the Pettys have had on NASCAR considering the origins of the sport, as well as their legacy...
Nidhi Shrivastava
While I am not into race cars, Kyle Petty's memoir was an invitation into the politics and culture of the racing industry. Petty's storytelling techniques are helpful and engage the readers by speaking about his experiences and his son's in the NASCAR competitions. One of the most poignant aspects I loved about his memoir was his dedication to the family business. It is something I have also found growing up with my parents, especially my father. I could relate to so many aspects of his life and work. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy of the arc!
JenniferNidhi Shr
Been a NASCAR fan for a while and picked this up after reading that it would be showing a lot of "off the screen". There were some things in there that I was aware of, but the things I was unaware of were pretty cool to learn about. I did know a lot about the Petty Enterprise and the legacy of of his granddaddy, Lee Petty, his daddy Richard Petty, himself, and his son Adam. I was watching that on tv that day. I knew about Victory Junction and the charity ride, it was the little details in there I didn't know about, however I'm sure a die hard fan would have know, but it brought a lot more to me. His time in Nashville, I was totally unaware of, so that was cool to discover, enough that I went digging down the rabbit hole for more about it. I'm not a very emotional person and definitely not as a reader, but there finally came a point in this book, later in the book, that I reached and a tear came down my cheek. Then a few pages later, I got watery eyed. You don't have to be a Kyle Petty fan, you don't even have to be a NASCAR fan! This book is more off the track and behind the scene of the life he's been through, btw, a typical teen, lol, what he's accomplished, and still involved in a lot of things today. Give the book a chance, I think you'll really enjoy it.
Nita M.catmom17Je
I opened the box excited and was totally disappointed. No book cover. Had to double check what book I ordered. It had no book sleeve just the name down the spine of the book. Totally disgusted
