Pattie Petty Was a Miss Winston – Facts about Kyle Petty's Ex-wife

Pattie Petty channeled her grief for her late son into a legacy in his name that has benefitted thousands of sick kids. She is the ex-wife of NASCAR driver-turned-commentator Kyle Petty.

Pattie Petty married into the Petty family and made her lasting mark by helping to launch and fundraise for Victory Junction. She was married to Kyle Petty for 33 years.

The devout Christian woman, mother of three, and grandmother inherited her father's Parkinson's, which she has been living with since the early 2010s.

Pattie Petty Née Huffman Went from Being Miss Winston to Mrs. Petty

Pattie, née Huffman, was once a Miss Winston, a promotional worker akin to the Monster Energy Girl like Courtney Little in her twenties. The Miss Winstons were hired for their beauty and intelligence. Kyle wrote in his memoir that they had to follow three strict rules:

"Be on time. Don't miss your plane. And don't date anyone inside the sport."

The twenty-something started dating high school senior Kyle after she met him at the race track. They "didn't care what anyone else's opinion was," Kyle said.

Pattie married the 18-year-old driver, even though she was about ten years older than him, on February 4, 1979, with many of her father-in-law, Richard "King" Petty's famous NASCAR pals, in attendance.

The newlyweds honeymooned in Daytona Beach, Florida, where Kyle raced his father's hand-me-down Dodge Magnum. During their marriage, the couple had two sons, Adam Petty and Austin Petty, and a daughter Montgomery Lee Petty, before they divorced in 2012.

Pattie was in a Kevin Costner-narrated TV documentary about Richard in 2010. She was officially diagnosed with Parkinson's, the same illness as Michael J. Fox, in September 2011.

Tragedy Inspired Pattie Petty's Philanthropy

Kyle once mused that his son Adam was the son Richard had always wanted. Adam showed immense potential on the track, winning his first superspeedway race. He died on Friday, May 12, 2000, from head injuries sustained from a head-on crash at the Loudon track.

Pattie co-founded the Victory Junction, a camp for chronically ill children between the ages of six and 16, which opened its gates in 2004. She said in a news interview:

"Our son Adam desperately wanted to build this camp, as it was so important to him to give children the opportunity to do the things he took for granted."

However, the former model was unceremoniously removed as the chair and CEO of Victory Junction's board in 2012, and she accepted the goodwill ambassador role.

He was part of the organization in some capacity when his mother was fired.

The board and Pattie did not give reasons for her dismissal. A newspaper reported that she had been removed after a fundraiser and auction, which featured Wynonna Judd, lost money.

Pattie Petty's Adult Children Have Families of Their Own

Pattie once warned Adam not to hang out with her at the race track as it might scare off romantic conquests. However, he told her he was proud to be seen with her, the "prettiest" woman there. She reflected on her late son's character:

"And it just brightened my day and it made my day because he didn't care. He wanted to walk with his mother. He wanted to have prayer with his parents and he was proud of that as far as being associated with being a Christian."

Pattie's other son, Austin, has three kids, Stonewall, Rhett, and Ellington, with his wife, Sarah. He was part of the organization in some capacity when his mother was fired but is not currently listed as a member of the Victory Junction board of directors.

Her daughter, Montgomery Lee Petty Schlappi, is a PR graduate from Belmont University. She is the communications director at the Kyle Petty Media Corporation and is based in Brentwood, Tennessee.