Buckley: Kyle Petty on Memphis racing, Elvis, barbecue and more
In a 2008 photo, Kyle Petty stands by his car at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (John Raoux/AP file)
Tim Buckley
Tim is a veteran sportswriter who graduated from CBHS in Memphis and the University of Missouri. He previously covered LSU sports in Baton Rouge, and the University of Louisiana football and basketball for The Daily Advertiser/USA TODAY Network in Lafayette, the NBA’s Utah Jazz for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning for the St. Petersburg Times in Florida, and West Texas State basketball for the Amarillo Globe News in Texas.
A popular retired NASCAR driver, his famous father and a caravan of 150 motorcyclists will descend upon Memphis on Wednesday.
When Kyle Petty, his dad Richard “The King” Petty and several others taking part in the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America arrive, they will do so in a community that has never hosted a NASCAR Cup Series race.
But Memphis does have a rich racing history, including a host of stock car races held at a facility on the verge of a new life.
And that’s sweet music to Petty’s ears.
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