Kyle Petty preaches a sermon on "respect" to Carl Edwards after the Bristol Sharpie 500
Most of the Sharpie 500 drama centered around Jarrett, Newman and Harvick. But, it was the Kyle Petty and Carl Edwards audioless exchange that remains with me. The facial expressions, head nodding, shoulder clasping and grins said it all. I gained greater respect for both.
Easy there Carl
I don’t know whether Carl Edwards was being aggressive or just out-of-control, but he managed to ruin the night for Jeff Green and Kyle Petty. And Lord knows, Jeff and Kyle don’t need any help in getting to the rear of the pack.
I’ve never been a Jeff Green fan. And although I don’t root for Kyle, I find myself feeling sorry for his race day performance compared to the big guns on the big teams. Until earlier this year, I questioned why he continued to race. Then I read this article by Marty Smith of nascar.com.
“I don’t feel closer to him anywhere more than I do when I’m in the racecar. I’m just keeping his seat warm.” – Kyle Petty about his son Adam
Wow, that quote says it all. I pray I never have to bury my daughters, and know Kyle’s pain. Kyle Petty is a man who knows that the way to overcome our own pain is to help others. The things he has done with the Victory Junction Gang is phenomenal.
Kyle is a class act
Watching Kyle smile, yet firmly talk with Carl after the race was a great moment. I can only imagine what Kyle was saying, and I imagine it to be like a father teaching his son. Kyle showed me (and Carl) what thousands must already know about him. He is genuine. He is real. It was great television. Great drama. Great NASCAR.”