Breaking news
NASCAR Cup
Kyle Petty says news of Earnhardt's plane crash “chilled me”
Former NASCAR star Kyle Petty says Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s fiery plane crash on Thursday left him feeling “chilled” to the bone, but “blessed” that all occupants escaped without serious injury.
Charles Bradley
Edited: Aug 16, 2019, 6:04 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Petty, who is a colleague of Earnhardt’s with broadcaster NBC, was speaking ahead of practice for this weekend’s Bristol night race. He said seeing the images of Earnhardt’s crash reminded him of the death of 1992 Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki in a private jet crash at the nearby Tri-Cities Regional Airport in 1993.
Read Also:
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. survives fiery plane crash
- Witness to Dale Jr. plane crash: "There are people in there!"
- Letarte says Dale Jr is “recovering and processing the situation”
“[Private jet transport] a part of this sport, it’s become an intricate part of this sport, you get through with a race on Sunday and you need to be back at the shop at 6:30am on Monday – whether you’re in California or Michigan or Daytona,” said Petty on NBCSN. “And I think we just take it for granted. We’ve had wake-up calls through the years, but the one yesterday chilled me.
“Twenty-six years ago I was sitting in a hotel room here when Alan Kulwicki’s plane crash happened. So it brought back so many memories that I thought… they were just raw.
“So we are very blessed. We’re very blessed to have the pilots we have in the organisations, who get people there safely and return them home safely. It’s a wake-up call, but at the same time we’re a very blessed bunch of individuals who get to do this.”
NBC reported that Earnhardt is now back home with his wife and daughter, who were also on board the plane that crashed, and said it hopes Dale Jr will be back in the commentary booth at Darlington.
2
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Witness to Dale Jr. plane crash: "There are people in there!"
Next article Toyota drivers dominate Friday's first Cup practice at Bristol
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Charles Bradley
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mika Hakkinen on his darkest day in F1
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Dillon: Spotter was “wrong” to shout “wreck him!” before Hamlin clash
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Richmond II
Hamlin: NASCAR stripping Dillon of win would be “warranted”
More from
Kyle Petty
Jarrett slams “consequences” of Talladega manufacturer orders
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
Jarrett slams “consequences” of Talladega manufacturer orders
Wood Brothers honor Kyle Petty with Darlington throwback
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Darlington
Wood Brothers honor Kyle Petty with Darlington throwback
The King turns 80: Son Kyle Petty amazed by Richard's staying power
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
The King turns 80: Son Kyle Petty amazed by Richard's staying power
Latest news
WSJ Report: NASCAR is building 80+ race cars for Days of Thunder sequel
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h
WSJ Report: NASCAR is building 80+ race cars for Days of Thunder sequel
Brennan Poole to leave Alpha Prime Racing; team owners 'disappointed' to see him go
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Charlotte II
11 h
Brennan Poole to leave Alpha Prime Racing; team owners 'disappointed' to see him go
Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
12 h
Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”
Winners and losers from NASCAR Cup at Charlotte after dramatic finish
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Charlotte II
15 h
Winners and losers from NASCAR Cup at Charlotte after dramatic finish
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe