NASCAR’s biggest personalities - from Kyle Petty and Joey Logano to Samantha Busch - marked Father's Day on Sunday, June 15, 2025, by honoring their fathers. Their heartfelt messages across social media platforms reflected how racing was a family affair in NASCAR.
There is a deep-rooted legacy of multi-generational relationships in stock car racing, and fathers remain at the center of it. NASCAR also has a rich tradition of children following in their father's footsteps. The Pettys, Burtons, Nemecheks, and now, the Buschs and Harvicks have made the sport a true family legacy.
Kyle Petty took to X on Sunday to celebrate his dad, Richard Petty, a seven-time Cup Series Champion and a true icon in NASCAR. His post read:
"Happy Father's Day to my dad and all the other fathers out there. Growing up, every day I got to spend with my dad was Father's Day. He was my hero, my teacher and the best dad."
Richard Petty has profoundly influenced Kyle's career, and his mentorship has shaped his son, not just as a driver but as a person.
Meanwhile, the Team Penske camp also joined Joey Logano to share what Father's Day meant to him. When asked how racing compared to parenting, the two-time Cup Series Champion reflected on his role as a dad to Hudson (2018), Jameson (2020), and Emilia (2022):
"I don't think there's really anything that compares to raising children. I think it's kind of a thing of its own. I can tell you one thing, racing didn't prepare me to raise children."
Logano's Penske teammates, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin, also weighed in on the feeling of becoming a father and echoed his sentiments.
The family tributes weren't limited to drivers. Samantha Busch, wife of two-time Cup Series Champion Kyle Busch, shared a heartfelt message on Instagram:
"Happy Father's Day to these two amazing men in my life. ❤️ Thank you for everything you both do, for your love, your hard work, and the way you show up for our family every single day. We're all lucky to have you."
Samantha also posted a carousel of family images of her children, Brexton and Lily, with Kyle and her father, who are growing up surrounded by the sport.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins NASCAR drivers for heartfelt Father's Day tributes
Drivers from Legacy Motor Club also paid tribute, offering a look at how the next generation of NASCAR dads cherish their roles. In a team video posted on X, John Hunter Nemechek, son of former Cup Series driver Joe Nemechek, spoke about the joy of bringing his young daughters into his racing world. John Hunter and his wife, Taylor, are parents to Aspen and Riley.
John reflected on how he used to come to NASCAR races with his father and how life has come full circle with his daughters accompanying him:
"I think now having two daughters and having them go to the racetrack for the first time at two weeks old, being able to win races and share moments with them in Victory Lane, and just be able to spend time with them the same way that I spent time with my dad growing up is super neat. And so it's really neat that life has come full circle."
Erik Jones, who welcomed his first child, son David Wayne Jones, last December, described this Father's Day as a special milestone. His first holiday as a dad fell during a busy race weekend in Mexico. Nevertheless, he explained that it's a huge moment for him, and his dad will be with his son this weekend.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., son of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt, also shared a heartfelt tribute on X and on being a dad himself:
"Happy Fathers Day. Pretty cool club to be a part of. Cheers to all the dads and the happiness that it brings. 🍻"
These Father's Day messages gave the motorsports fans a reminder that at NASCAR's heart are families who have built the sport's foundation and continue to fuel its future.
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