Adam Petty’s legacy lives on in Kyle Petty
The question is often asked: When will Kyle Petty retire from racing? The main reason why he has lasted so long is the same reason he has to continue.
When 19-year-old Adam Petty was murdered in 2000 during a practice in New Hampshire, Kyle and Pattie Petty lost a beloved son and Petty Enterprises lost its future. The fourth-generation driver was being groomed to take the team’s lead and gradually replace his father in the then-named Winston Cup Series after another year of Busch Series experience.
The kill switch was ordered by NASCAR after Adam’s death, which preceded Dale Earnhardt’s fatal crash at Daytona by nine months and six days.
Grief-stricken but strengthened by his Christian faith, Kyle, already a full-time Cup Series driver, moved up to the No. 45 Sprint Pontiac and finished the Busch 2000 program to allow Adam’s team to keep their jobs. during that season. Today, Kyle drives the No. 45 Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series, a car that was designed with Adam in mind. Great-grandfather Lee drove the 42, grandfather Richard the 43, and Kyle had driven the 44. The Wells Fargo-sponsored 45 car is painted black whenever Kyle drives at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, in Adam’s memory.
For the second time in two years, Kyle is on hiatus from NASCAR racing while covering six races on television for TNT. The 45 is being shared by former non-retired champion Terry Labonte and rookie Chad McCumbee. With the majority sale of Petty Enterprises to Boston Ventures, Kyle stepped down as CEO of the company and spends more time managing Victory Junction Gang Camp, a career-themed medical camp built in Adam’s memory for youth ages 7 to 15. who have special needs. . VJGC houses and treats children and adolescents with chronic and life-threatening illnesses, physical ailments, and other disabilities. The $24 million, 65-acre facility in Randleman, NC, was founded in October 2000 and opened around June 2004, offering eight one-week sessions free of charge. NASCAR drivers, racing teams, various businesses and corporations, and racing fans have donated millions in seed money.
The camp was Adam’s idea. He and his mother discussed the business nearly a year before his death. His parents are carrying out his wishes while honoring his continuing legacy. With the majority sale of the racing team, Kyle is now able to spend more time and energy overseeing VJGC, building more campgrounds, and becoming more active at Richard Petty Driving Experience schools.
When Kyle stops racing for good, for the first time in over 60 years there will be no Petty driving for Petty Enterprises. Having someone else run the business side of the company frees him up to build another VJGC in Wyandotte County near Kansas City, he says. If that works, more camps may come. Tony Stewart recently donated $1 million in proceeds toward construction costs in Kansas City after winning the Prelude to the Dream, an exhibition race at his Rossburg, Ohio track in early June.
Meanwhile, Kyle continues to drive for his firstborn son. He runs for Adam.
June 21, 2008
by Mel Kizzidek
