Former NASCAR racer Kyle Petty makes donation in Volusia County Council race

Former race car driver Randy Dye, who is running for chairman of the Volusia County Council in 2024, got a contribution from another former race car driver, this one with a slightly higher profile: Kyle Petty.

Dye's campaign raised $32,540 in May. Petty and his wife, Morgan, both donated to the campaign ― $245 from Kyle and $145 from Morgan.

Kyle Petty is the son of Richard "The King" Petty, who won 200 NASCAR races, a record that has never been threatened.

So why is a sports celebrity from North Carolina giving money to a candidate for Volusia County Council? Turns out the two have been friends for years, and it all dates back to Daytona Beach, both men said.

"If Kyle Petty takes a notion to run for ... commissioner or school board ... I would do the same thing for him," Dye said.

That's unlikely. Petty said he doesn't usually get involved in "political stuff" in a phone interview from his home in Charlotte.

Petty said he's a registered Republican but always votes for the person that he thinks would do the best job.

"Randy is just a great human being and that's it," Petty said.

The amount of the $245 donation is significant.

Kyle Petty's son Adam drove under the number 45. Adam Petty died in 2000 after a crash at a New Hampshire speedway. As for the 200, that's a nod to his dad.

"The 200 is in honor of Richard Petty's 200 wins because I know Randy's a big Richard Petty fan. You know what I mean? And the 45 is always going to be Adam's number. Always," Kyle Petty said.

The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America raises money for Victory Junction, an effort he launched in honor of Adam which helps children who have medical challenges. Petty said that Dye has helped his charitable efforts over the years.

'Taking the gloves off now': Brower files papers for re-election

The connection between Dye and Petty began, unsurprisingly, after a race.

Dye, now 63, was a teen when he came to Daytona Beach to watch his first NASCAR race in 1976, he said. It ended in dramatic style with Richard Petty losing to David Pearson after the two wrecked on the last lap.

Later Dye spotted Richard Petty out at dinner and waited his turn for an autograph. He and Kyle Petty, who are the same age, started talking.

With Dye in the auto business and Petty in the racing business, they ran into each other regularly ― Petty jokingly said he was 13 or 14 before he realized the "Atlantic Ocean touched the United States anywhere but Daytona Beach."

"That's the only place I ever saw the ocean when we were growing up was February and July when we'd come down to race," he said.

Over the years, Dye provided Petty with cars to use during his visits. Dye now owns Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram and Maserati Alfa Romeo of Daytona. The two also get together for dinner or breakfast, sometimes at Hampton's Restaurant in Daytona Beach.

"We've gone to dinner 10,000 times. He's loaned me cars. I think one time he loaned me a car and I told him I crashed it. And I think he was a little nervous until I drove it back in and it wasn't crashed. You know what I mean? Something like that. Just messing with him," Petty said.

And he sees Dye in the racing world because Dye's son, Daniel, drives in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ― and he drives the No. 43 car, the same number that Richard Petty was famous for.

"He's going to make something. He's going to be a star," Kyle Petty said.

These days, Kyle Petty is busy with his charitable efforts and raising three boys. His dad just turned 86 and is launching a North Carolina-based wine called ICON.

"I'm trying to help him sell wine right now," Petty said.

Meanwhile, Dye is working on a campaign that still has a long road ahead. So far he faces incumbent Chairman Jeff Brower and Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette, but there's still plenty of time for others to join the race.

He said he's grateful for the support from the Petty family.

"The kind of people that they are, I'm not surprised," Dye said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Former racer Kyle Petty donates to Volusia County chairman candidate