Why a NASCAR legend got blasted for calling a country music star an ‘American icon’

Richard Petty took some heat after calling Kid Rock an ‘American icon.’AP

NASCAR legend Richard Petty took to social media before the Daytona 500 to post a photo alongside country music star Kid Rock.

“American Icons,” Petty wrote. “Welcome to Daytona @KidRock.”

It probably didn’t go the way “The King” thought it might from there. Rock, of course, recently headlined Turning Point USA’s Super Bowl LX All-American Halftime Show. But he didn’t do so without controversy after controversial song lyrics and comments he made about underage girls resurfaced.

Rock has his fans, and in the NASCAR world, there are plenty of them. So, there were plenty of supportive comments to Petty’s post. There were also plenty that were far from supportive.

Some were downright nasty.

“You sure about that,” Darkside on X asked while reposing Rock’s controversial song lyrics about liking underage girls to Petty’s replies.

“Kid Rock looks like if AI made a mashup of every dude on the sex offender registry,’ another person replied to Petty.

“American icon,” AJ Punk replied. “(Expletive) standard are low.”

“Hanging with pedophiles Rich?” Dana Furr replied before referencing Rock’s lyrics. “Not statutory but mandatory creep? How gross and embarrassing. SICKENING.”

“One legendary icon and racer,” Etienne Rhyming replied. “One never-was chuckle (expletive).”

“An American Icon?” Josh Hubbard replied. “A man who rapped about statutory rape being mandatory. (Expletive) dude.”

There were plenty more comments like that and you can see them as well as the comments that were supportive and Petty’s post here.

For those who missed the controversy around the singer heading into the Super Bowl, there were several instances of lyrics and comments about underage girls that resurfaced before his performance.

The latest problem for the singer was an appearance by Rock on Saturday Night Live in 2001. During that appearance, Rock reportedly opined about the Olsen Twins, who were born in 1986, and were around 14 or 15 years old at that time.

“Why is every guy in America waiting on these chicks to turn 18?” the singer reportedly said on the show. “I mean, you know what I’m saying? If there’s grass on the field, play ball.”

Many on X criticized Rock for the comment, while some defended him, arguing it was part of a skit.

The resurfaced appearance comes after the singer was already trending on social media for his 2001 song “Cool, Daddy Cool,” which was included on the soundtrack of the movie, “Osmosis Jones.”

What’s the issue with “Cool, Daddy Cool”?

Well, the lyrics are something else, but Verse 3 is the real problem for Rock.

“Young ladies, young ladies, I like ‘em underage,” Rock sings on the track. “See some say that’s statutory.”

His sidekick at the time, the late Joe-C then chimes in, “But I say it’s mandatory.”

And finally, another Rock song, “Balls in Your Mouth,” off his album “The Polyfuze Method,” was brought to the forefront heading into the TPUSA show.

Aside from the name, which is not exactly family friendly, a clip from Rock’s performance at Woodstock in which he announces that “Monica Lewinsky is a (expletive) hoe and Bill Clinton is a God (expletive) pimp!” has been circulating online, too.