NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty recently shared a memory of his late son Adam Petty from when he was 13. Adam Petty was a former NASCAR driver who passed away during a practice session for an Xfinity Series race in 2000.
After calling time on his racing career, Kyle Petty now works as a NASCAR analyst and a TV presenter. The 64-year-old reminisced over a childhood moment with his son during an episode of the NASCAR Insider Roundtable. Ryan Blaney and Harrison Burton also made an appearance on the show which was themed on the racing families in NASCAR.
Kyle Petty, in a conversation with former NASCAR drivers Dave Blaney and Jeff Burton, said:
"When Adam came along, we bought a light model car when he was like 13. And we worked on it for about six months and he quit showing up. And one day he asked me, he's like, 'How's my car coming?' I'm like, 'same place it was when you left the last time.' And we're going, 'your stuff, dude. I work on my stuff, you know what I mean?', "
"And then he came back and we put it together and we go to Caraway. And I'd put him up in the truck and lock the doors and change two springs. And then send him out to run and say, 'OK, what I change?' So we just spent lap after lap." Petty added.
Adam Petty was the fourth-generation professional driver from the Petty family. He was the grandson of seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty. Adam began his racing career in the ARCA Menards Series, following in his father's footsteps, and won on his debut. He was in his second Xfinity Series season, piloting the #45 Chevrolet for Petty Enterprises, and made his first Cup Series start days before his untimely demise.
Kyle Petty recently penned a heartfelt note on Adam Petty's birthday
During a practice session at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, 2000, Adam Petty tragically died in a car crash.
Adam was running laps during a practice session in New Hampshire for his 48th Xfinity start when his car's throttle got jammed on Turn 3 and the car collided head-on. The 19-year-old died on the spot with a skull fracture.
On Adam's 44th birth anniversary, his father, Kyle Petty wrote on his Instagram account:
"There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of Adam. But today, on his birthday, all the memories come flooding back. My prayer is that Adam will always be remembered. We all miss him every minute of every day."