Only a few sports offer their fans an experience like NASCAR does. Fans have been the backbone of the sport for years and continue to do so. One of the drivers who has reigned supreme in the fandom throughout the history of NASCAR is ‘The King’, Richard Petty. Apart from being a fierce competitor on the track and a seven-time NASCAR champion, Petty is also one of the most benevolent drivers regarding fan service.

In another recent instance, Richard Petty reciprocated the support of the NASCAR community by surprising a Charlotte-based WBTV station reporter with a memorable memento. Richard and Kyle Petty took the retiring David Whisenet by shock as the long-time Petty fan received an iconic gift.

Richard Petty has a special gift for a special fan

David Whisenet has been a stalwart in the ranks of WBTV. Having served as a reporter for the Charlotte-based station for 32 years, his peers wanted to give him something special before his departure. The WBTV personnel capitalized on his love for Richard Petty to set up an exclusive interview with the King himself.

With just three days to his retirement, Whisenet was lured to the Speedway Club after being informed that it was for the cause of Speedway Children’s Charity. Upon arriving at the table, he was left speechless to see Richard and Kyle Petty in front of him. David Whisenet was visibly emotional and surprised simultaneously.

“I don’t know what to say. I’m just kind of overwhelmed,” said Whisenet as Kyle Petty convinced him, “This is all about you, man. Yes, it is.”

Later in the conversation, Kyle Petty asked Whisenet about his post-retirement plans. The WBTV reporter responded with an answer typical to a Richard Petty fan, as he said smiling, “I don’t know, for at least a little while I won’t do anything. Then maybe I’ll go work at Petty’s garage.”

After the interview, Richard Petty gifted Whisenet the iconic cowboy hat, his trademark symbol. The hat resembles Petty’s with a touch of off-white to it. David couldn’t hold his emotions and stated, “I think this is one of the best days I’ve had in a 32-year career. I was taken totally by surprise. The King and Kyle are just the greatest, and I mean that they are.”

Continuing the conversation, Kyle Petty explained the common ground that unites a fan and a driver regarding the love for the sport.

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Kyle Petty feels he’s similar to David Whisenet

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Richard Petty has raced in an era when NASCAR drivers had embraced stardom. However, he still remembers his roots in racing, too. Most drivers start as fans of the roaring engines they admire and the adrenaline triggered by the clashing race cars on a race track.

The Petty father-son duo wasn’t any different either. Narrating his experience to Whisenet, Kyle Petty said, “In some way, we were you. We were just fans. We would come and sit in the stands. Come and watch Charlie Glotzbach and Dale Earnhardt.”

“We would have come anyhow because we loved the sport, and we loved it with the passion that you loved it with. Then why wouldn’t we sit and talk to you? Because you had the same passion, that’s the common ground.“

Instances like these reaffirm Richard Petty’s popularity within the NASCAR fanbase. The King has always been a people’s person and by the looks of it, he’s pretty committed to the role!

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