Special feature
NASCAR Cup
His name was Adam Petty
Today is the 14 year anniversary of the day we lost Adam Petty.
Nick DeGroot
Edited: Jun 18, 2014, 5:28 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
May 12th, 2000 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Nationwide (then Busch) Series took to the track for practice at the 'Magic Mile.' Names such as Johnson, Harvick, Hornaday, Leffler, Green, Hendrick, Dillon, Parsons, Bodine, Jarrett, and Labonte were all taking part.
There was another driver who participated in that session as well. He was the fourth generation member of NASCAR's royal family - the Petty family. When he pulled out onto the track that day, this day, May 12th, 14 years ago, he paid the ultimate price in pursuit of the checkered flag. His name was Adam Petty and he was 19 years-old.
The cause? A stuck throttle. The result? A sport devastated, a family line shattered, a fan base stunned, and a young man lost to the unshakable and unwelcomed partner of all auto racing ... death. His loss was one that rocked the NASCAR community and changed the sport in more ways than we can possibly imagine.
Adam Petty garage
Photo by: Action Sports Photography
Had he lived, the Petty family would still have a driver on the track, carrying Petty Enterprises into the 21st century. That team ceased operations at the end of the 2008 season. They technically merged with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, but the only thing left of one of NASCAR's longest running organizations was 'King' Richard Petty himself.
Adam was a talented young racer but he was so much more than just a race car driver with a famous last name. He was a good, caring, respectful person. He liked to help others. In his honor, the Petty family created the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which is a haven for seriously ill children. Its purpose was and is to give those children a chance to have happiness, enjoy life, and just be a kid.
Now, this short piece remembering Adam Petty isn't anything special. It's nothing you've never heard before; just a simple reminder to take a moment today to remember him and the legacy he left behind. Adam's time here was short and he was robbed of a chance to be the star that he was destined to be. As the old adage goes though, "it's not about what you did when you're alive, but how you're remembered when you're gone."
In reality, you're never truly gone when there's people who will never let your memory die.
His fleeting presence in NASCAR ended over a decade ago, yet, his impact on the world is still felt today. Every child at the VJG Camp smiling, laughing, and enjoying life is because of him and the life he once had.
A few months ago, his brother Austin had a son - a fifth generation member of the iconic Petty family.
His name is Adam ... Adam Petty.
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 Petty Motorsports earns a top-10 at Kansas
Next article Contender returns to Homestead-Miami Speedway
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Nick DeGroot
WSJ Report: NASCAR is building 80+ race cars for Days of Thunder sequel
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup 12 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
NASCAR O'Reilly
Charlotte II
22 h
Brennan Poole to leave Alpha Prime Racing; team owners 'disappointed' to see him go
9/11 after 25 years: How NASCAR went back racing following September 11 attacks
Feature
NASCAR Cup
Feature
NASCAR Cup
9/11 after 25 years: How NASCAR went back racing following September 11 attacks
More from
Richard Petty
Unprecedented: How every Daytona 500 three-peat was derailed
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Daytona 500
Unprecedented: How every Daytona 500 three-peat was derailed
Almirola: Wallace can't afford to "screw up" driving Petty's No. 43
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Almirola: Wallace can't afford to "screw up" driving Petty's No. 43
Appalachian State houses one of stock car racing’s premier collections
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Appalachian State houses one of stock car racing’s premier collections
Latest news
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 46 min
Five key takeaways from F1's big African Grand Prix reveal in Rwanda
Niels Koolen makes switch to Abel Motorsports ahead of 2027 Indy NXT campaign
Indy NXT
IndL Indy NXT 2 h
Niels Koolen makes switch to Abel Motorsports ahead of 2027 Indy NXT campaign
GT World Challenge Portimao: All you need to know about season finale featuring Max Verstappen
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance
WCEE GT World Challenge Europe Endurance 2 h
GT World Challenge Portimao: All you need to know about season finale featuring Max Verstappen
13 Autosport retains unchanged lineup for 2027 IMSA campaign, eyes global expansion
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 2 h
13 Autosport retains unchanged lineup for 2027 IMSA campaign, eyes global expansion
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