Adam Kyler Petty
(July 10, 1980 - May 12, 2000)

Name: Adam Kyler Petty
Birthday: July 10, 1980
Died: May 12, 2000
Team: Petty Enterprises
Car number: #45 Sprint Dodge
Marital Status:single
Children: none


Adam Petty was one of those drivers who whenever you saw him, he always had a smile on his face and would always give an autograph to a fan or two. Although he was only 19 years old, he was one of the most respected NASCAR Busch Series drivers in the garage area over the weekend.
Adam Kyler Petty was born on July 10, 1980 with racing in his veins. Of course, it was very easy to have a love for racing when your grandfather is the 7-time NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Richard Petty. He started racing Go-Karts at age 6, and then by age 12 was competing in select Mini-Sprint races. In 1995, he competed in several Legends car events, and debuted in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 1997, where he ran 25 events. In 1998, Adam moved to Minnesota to compete in the ASA (American Speed Association) series. He ran in 19 events, and earned his first win at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Missouri on June 27, in just his 10th start. He also competed in the ARCA (American Racing Club Association) race, the EasyCare 100, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, on September 30, 1998, and won by .006 seconds.
Adam made his Busch Series debuted at Gateway International Raceway in October 1998, finishing 27th. In 1999, he ran the full NASCAR Busch Series Schedule. He finished 20th in points, and was 3rd in the Rookie of the Year standings. Also, in 1999, he ran two Truck races, and earned a 10th place finish at Richmond. It was announced in November 1999 that Adam would run 5 Winston Cup races in 2000, in preparation for a move to Winston Cup full-time in 2001. Adam raced in his first and only Winston Cup race at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2000. He started 33rd and finished 40th in the DirecTV 500.


Adam was a very popular driver. The photo to the left is one of Adam and a few of his friends. (From left to right: Adam, Hank Parker Jr, Kevin Grubb, and Casey Atwood). As always, he was never too busy to hang out with friends, share time with family, or sign autographs for fans.

Adam died from head injuries he suffered in a practice crash at the New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12, 2000. His father, Kyle, decided to keep Adam's memory alive and build a camp for sick children in North Carolina. Named "The Victory Junction Gang Camp", it is dedicated In Loving Memory of Adam Petty, and will have a racing theme to it. Of course, Adam is not forgotten, as there will be "Adam's raceshop" on the premises for kids to learn about racing.
In Loving Memory of Adam Kyler Petty (July 10, 1980 - May 12, 2000).
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