For just
about as long as NASCAR has been around, there has been a Petty. This is the
only family that has had four generations race in the sport's highest level.
Even today, the influence is still there. The impact of the Pettys cannot be
denied. Either on the track or off it.
The
family's introduction to NASCAR was in the very early days of the sport. Lee
Petty entered the family Buick at the race in Charlotte on June 14, 1949. Lee
would go on to be one of the sport's early superstars. In 433 starts, he won 54
races and three championships (1954, 1958, 1959). Lee would write his name in
the history of NASCAR when he won the first Daytona 500 in 1959. He was
inducted into the International Motorsports Hall Of Fame in 1990.
After Lee,
came is son, who would become one of, and some would say, the greatest driver of
all time. He is Richard, but he's known as "The King". Richard Petty entered
NASCAR in 1958. His first win would come in 1960. Richard Petty is written all
over the NASCAR history book. Seven NASCAR Championships, 200 wins, seven
Daytona 500 wins. Even after he retired from driving in 1992, he remains a
popular figure in the sport. He remains in the sport as the owner of Petty
Enterprises. Richard was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall Of
Fame in 1997. He was also awarded the Medal of Freedom by President George H.
W. Bush in 1992, the first race car driver to be honored in that way.
With all
the accomplishments of his father and grandfather, there were major expectations
placed on the third Petty, Richard's son, Kyle. His racing career couldn't have
started any better. Kyle won his first stock car event, an ARCA race at Daytona
in 1979. He made his debut in the Winston Cup Series in 1979 at
Talladega.
His first win came at Richmond in 1986. Kyle has eight wins in his career, the
last coming at Dover in 1995. He is currently the CEO of Petty Enterprises.
Kyle's
son, Adam, became the fourth Petty to enter NASCAR. Adam began is career in the
ARCA-Re/Max series in 1998. Like his dad, he won in his first start, taking the
victory in Charlotte.
Adam qualified for the DirecTV 500 Winston Cup race at Texas in 2000.
The year
2000 was a rough one for the Petty Family. On April 5th, three days after Adam
qualified for the Winston Cup race at Texas, Lee passed away. A bit more than a
month later, the family, and the sport was shocked by Adam's death. On May 12,
while practicing his Busch Series car at New Hampshire, Adam hit the wall head
on after his throttle got stuck. He died instantly. Kyle drove his #45 Sprint
sponsored car in the Busch Series the rest of that year in his honor.
Even after
his death, Adam's legacy still lives on. In October of 2000, in honor of Adam,
Kyle along with Paul Newman and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp began the Victory
Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC. The camp is for terminally ill children.
The camp is widely supported by all of NASCAR. Many drivers and others within
the sport have donated time and money to Victory Junction. On October 18, 2006,
President George W. Bush visited the camp.
Through
the many wins, through the good times and the bad, The Petty Family has
endured. As mentioned earlier, the influence of the Petty's is undeniable and
is still felt today. Besides winning, they have been symbols of style, class,
and grace. The legacy of The Petty Family in NASCAR is a strong one and will
always be there.
By
CrimsonCowboy