The entire NASCAR world came to a standstill on 12th May 2000, following an extremely unfortunate incident. The crash of the Petty family’s youngest driver, Adam Petty‘s car, during a practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway came as a shock. The 19-year-old Adam passed away due to a skull fracture. This accident finally opened NASCAR’s eyes, as they fit the cars with more safety features.

Now, the 2024 season heads to the place where Adam made his Winston Cup debut, Texas Motor Speedway. Amidst all this, Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty co-owned Legacy Motor Club’s efforts to remember him have caught everyone’s attention.

A tribute to Adam Petty

Having one of the strongest racing backgrounds, Adam Petty debuted at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 2, 2000. The #45 qualified as 33rd to enter the DirecTV 500. Though he ended the race at P40, it was indeed a special moment for him and his family. Legacy MC, thus, decided to mark this time as the best to give him a tribute through their Instagram handle.

They captioned the post, “@txmotorspeedway is a memorable track for #Petty75. Adam Petty drove his only Cup Series start at the track in 2000. This weekend we remember him and his LEGACY.”

The dreamy-eyed Adam began his racing career in 1998 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, where, like his father Kyle, he won his first ARCA race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He moved to the NASCAR Busch Series full-time in 1999, driving the No. 45 Chevrolet, and finished the season 20th overall in points.

The outstanding legacy of four generations of the Petty family

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Adam’s family racing background starts with his great grandfather Lee Petty who was one of the pioneers of NASCAR. His grandfather Richard “the King” Petty continued the legacy by winning the most number of championships in his time. Although his father, Kyle Petty, could not garner that much fame, he was still one of the most popular drivers of his time.

Petty Enterprises had envisioned a decorated journey for Adam in the 2000 Busch season. The plan included simultaneously grooming him for an extensive Winston Cup run. However, the course of events took a heartbreaking turn when a malfunctioning throttle led to a catastrophic collision with the wall. The impact caused a basilar skull fracture, which tragically ended Adam Petty’s life when he was just 19 years old.

We hope that Adam Petty rests in peace, wherever he may be.

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