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The King returns Petty speaks out for the first time since Adam's death
Posted: Wednesday May 24, 2000 11:28 PM
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- The Petty family took the first step toward returning to racing Wednesday when Richard Petty showed up for work at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was the first time a member of NASCAR's most famous family has been to a track since 19-year-old Adam Petty was killed May 12 in a practice accident at New Hampshire International Speedway. “Everybody seems to be doing real good,” Petty said. “It's like everything else. I know everybody's been through it from time to time. As long as everybody stays busy, everything's going good.” Wearing his trademark cowboy hat and wraparound sunglasses, Petty's voice cracked a few times when he paused to remember his oldest grandson, who had been tabbed as the heir to the family's racing throne. “You see very few 19-year-old kids that's affected as many people, that's touched as many people, as what Adam has,” he said. “I think the majority of the people who have ever met him remember his smile, patting them on the back, joking with them or whatever. “I guess that's probably the best memory that anybody could ever have of anybody, is that he was a pretty good kid.” Kyle Petty, Richard's son and Adam's father, will not drive in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600, marking the first time since 1970 a Petty has missed a race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It's the second event since Adam's death that Kyle Petty will miss, although he is expected to return for the NASCAR Winston Cup race next week in Dover, Del. “I think this was just a little bit too quick for him,” Richard Petty said of his son. “I think that he needs to sort of settle down. I think he just sort of said he needed to take a week off here and try to sort of get all that stuff so that he could go forward with it.” There's been no decision on who will drive the car Adam drove on the Busch Grand National circuit and Petty acknowledged that the family's legacy will likely end with Kyle. He said Kyle's other son, 17-year-old Austin, has never expressed any interest in driving, and the future of the Petty name had been riding on Adam. “We're going to go forward, though,” he said. “This is not going to stop Petty Enterprises.” The Petty family has no desire to find out what caused Adam's fatal crash, although Petty said they believe the accelerator got stuck on his car as he entered Turn 3. “We don't want to know and we don't care,” he said. “No matter what you find out, it doesn't change the outcome.” Petty said that point was reinforced when John Andretti, Petty Enterprises' other Winston Cup driver, escaped injury in a crash last week during The Winston. “John went into the wall and tore a brand new car up,” Petty said. “That car was tore up worse than Adam's car. So it wasn't John's time. Know what I mean? So we just look at it that part of living is dying.”
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