Adam Petty Biography

Petty was born in North Carolina into a family of Stock Car racers. His father Kyle Patty, his grandfather Richard Petty and his great grandfather Lee Petty were stock car drivers. Adam too was passionate about driving and was the first fourth generation athlete of all American motor sports to participate in a chosen profession.

Petty entered into his racing career in 1998 and won ARCA RE/MAX Series and Sprint/Spree Pontiac in the same year. Lee Petty, his great grandfather, saw his debut performance, but died three days after this. Petty Enterprises, a NASCAR team owned by both his grandfather and father, decided to make him perform in Winston Cup (The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series). Petty managed to qualify in his first attempt itself, ranking 33rd. However, his engine failed in the race and he finished 40th. After showing great performance during Midwestern short track American Speed Association season Petty drove Chevrolet in the Busch Series in 1999.

12 May 2000, while Petty was practicing for Busch 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series at the New Hampshire International Speedway in London, his car lost its traction and Petty went head-on to the wall. He contracted a basilar skull fracture and died on the spot. After the death of Adam petty and ‘1998 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year’ racecar driver Kenny Irwin, Jr. at the same track the NASCAR made it compulsory to install a kill switch on the steering wheel. Later, after the death of Dale Earnhardt on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 more precautionary measures were taken and the use of head-and-neck restraints were made compulsory by the NASCAR.

In 2000 to honor Adam’s memory his family in association with Paul Newman and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp started the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, North Carolina. The camp started its operation in 2004. Many NASCAR drivers and team participate in the camp. Adam Petty is featured in many games like NASCAR 2000, NASCAR 2001, and NASCAR Rumble etc. as special guest driver.

Adam’s great-grandfather Lee Petty was himself a three times NASCAR Champion racecar driver and his grandfather Richard Petty was also a well-known racecar driver. His father Kyle Petty was a former American NASCAR driver and who is now a co-host for NASCAR Race Day and is also a panel member for NASCAR Smarts.

1980: Adam Petty was born on 10th of 10 July in Trenton, New Jersey.

1998: Petty entered into his racing career and won ARCA RE/MAX Series and Sprint/Spree Pontiac in the same year.

1999: Petty drove Chevrolet in the Busch Series.

2000: Adam Petty died on 12 May.