"He said I am so sorry" - When Kyle Petty recalled emotional impact on Dale Earnhardt following Adam Petty’s fatal incident

Last year, former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty talked about how NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt responded to Adam Petty’s death in 2000.

Adam, the grandson of another NASCAR legend Richard Petty, died in a crash during a practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, when he was just 19. In a 2023 interview, Kyle shared how Earnhardt, who is known for his tough exterior, usually avoided him after Adam's death but things changed when Kyle caught up with him one day.

"If we were walking through the garage area and he was 100 yards away, and he saw me, he would turn and go the other way. He would not speak to me," Kyle Petty said [01:45 onwards].

"So, he's walking back out to the bus lot, and I see him. I just run up to him and I said, 'How's it going, man?' He never skipped a beat and he said, 'I am so sorry. I just don’t know what to say to you.' I said, 'I just want you to know we can talk. You don’t have to keep avoiding me,'" he added.

Dale Earnhardt again approached Kyle before the 2001 Daytona 500 and offered his support to Petty, who competed in his late son’s race car.

"He put his arm around me and hugged me. He said, 'I’m thinking about you, and I love you. I’m thinking about you, and I just want you to know that, and I know this is hard.' And that was it. He got in his car, I got in mine, and we ran around," Kyle Petty said [02:58 onwards].

Adam's car crashed at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after his throttle got stuck and he died instantly from a skull fracture. His death was the first of three fatal crashes in NASCAR that year.

How Dale Earnhardt's death led to safety features in NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt celebrates his 4th NASCAR Winston Cup Championship - Source: Getty

Seven-time cup champion, Dale Earnhardt competed in the NASAR Cup Series from the mid-1970s until his death in February 2001. He also suffered a similar basilar skull ring fracture that had killed Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, and Tony Roper the previous year.

During the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt was blocking for his team when his car collided with Sterling Marlin and hit the wall after a spin. Earnhardt was taken to the hospital but was later declared dead. He was 49 at the time.

His death led to important safety changes. NASCAR mandated the use of the head and neck support device (HANS) and stronger seatbelts. The "U" shaped restraint, made from carbon fiber, protects the head and neck during crashes and helps prevent serious injuries.