The saying goes, “you never know who you’ll run into backstage at the Grand Ole Opry” and Thursday night (June 17) was no exception. It was truly an unforgettable experience.
That night, I put on my best boots and drove to the historic Opry for a screening of “Dinner Drive with Kyle Petty.” Petty was slated to be there for an intimate evening and a Q&A with a few members of the media. I was honored to be on the list.
“Dinner Drive with Kyle Petty” is an eight-part series that takes a different look at Petty’s high-profile friends, beyond their public triumphs into who they are at their core. The show premieres on July 8 on Circle Network and it’s something different for the legendary NASCAR driver. While he’s used to sitting around with old school racing vets, discussing the history of the sport, he describes this new venture as his “first foray off into Oprah Winfrey land.”
Throughout the series, Petty will drive into conversations with the likes of Herschel Walker, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darius Rucker, Ric Flair and Davis Love III.
Petty lit up when discussing the Love episode saying, “I want people to walk away and think, ‘man what a great guy. What a great individual who gave so much to his community. When tragedy struck in his life, people came to give to him.’ This is what I learned from Davis — watching the way he handled it, watching the way he did things.”
The enjoyable series, and even more enjoyable evening, was complete when Petty invited his dad (yes, “The King” Richard Petty was also on hand) to join him in another kind of winner’s circle. This time, it was the most sacred circle in country music. As the two stood there and soaked in the moment together, Petty jokingly told The King, “If I could have just taught you to play guitar you could have been a superstar.”
