“He was just a kid, full of personality, full of life, always smiling, always joking,” said Kyle Petty about his late son.

24 years ago, NASCAR lost a rising star, and the Petty family faced tragedy. Adam Petty‘s tenure in racing was short, but the time he spent left a mark in his fellow racers’ hearts. So even today, fans and drivers alike remember his name sadly yet proudly. Now Petty’s Garage is embarking on a new project in a new vintage racing series. And Richard Petty‘s grandson is at the forefront of it.

The Petty family’s legacy is renowned across the motorsports world globally. Richard Petty is the most glittering icon, standing out for his record-breaking 200 Cup Series victories. Yet as we remember the good memories, the tragic ones also deserve equal remembrance.

Richard Petty’s Lost Jewel will be represented

Adam Petty spent his childhood around race tracks, courtesy of the rich motorsports heritage of his family, started by Lee Petty. He started racing go-karts and transitioned to stock cars soon enough. But nobody had a clue that tragedy awaited him. On 12th May 2000, Adam lost his life as his car crashed into a wall at 130mph in New Hampshire.

His death marked a turning point in NASCAR’s history as new safety measures set in soon after. Now people remember him fondly, and Petty Garage, an automotive parts distributor, recently released a revamped version of Adam’s car, the No. 45 Dodge splashed in red, green, and purple. Its Instagram page posted a video with the caption, “The Big Reveal! Our #45 Dodge Charger Adam Petty @victoryjunction Tribute for the inaugural @nascar Classic Race at @virnow This Saturday. 8/24”

NASCAR Classic, Historic Sportscar Racing‘s stock car vintage racing series, will debut at Virginia International Speedway. Each classic race would feature 30 cars, out of which one would proudly carry Adam Petty’s racing colors. He won a Charlotte ARCA event in 1998 in the same car.

Richard Petty also gave his blessings to this new endeavor: “There is no better match for what Petty’s Garage can do than working on historic stock cars and getting them ready for the track. This is what we’ve been doing for seventy-five years and we have the people and experience to make it happen.”

Echoing Richard Petty and the Petty Garage’s tribute, NASCAR fans are also enthralled and fondly cherish the fallen racer’s memory.

NASCAR fans salute this tribute

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Richard Petty is evergreen for his victories, and his grandson is evergreen for unrealized dreams. Well over two decades after his death, Adam Petty is fondly remembered across the NASCAR community. So the restoration of the No. 45 model drew waves of applause from the motorsports fanbase.

One fan patted Petty’s Garage COO Greg Steadmen on the back. “Looks good Greg! Can’t wait to see Adams car on track!”  The last time he was seen on track inside a car was on May 12, 2000, during a practice session for the Busch 200 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In what would have been his 48th career Busch Series start, Petty’s throttle stuck wide open as he entered the third turn of the track. Another fan applauded the effort, “Beautiful car and a great tribute to a great racer!”

Although a lot of time has elapsed since Adam Petty’s death, he is remembered frequently. For instance, Bubba Wallace honored him at the 2019 Southern 500 race, carrying the colors of the No. 45 on his car. So fans also stressed how important it is to keep this tradition going. “Very cool to see. Adam needs to be remembered.”

A fan pointed out Adam’s immense potential that saw an early exit. “The kid was going to rewrite NASCAR history. Good to see him being remembered like this so many years later.” 

Adam Petty kicked off his career in 1998, shortly after turning 18, racing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Following in his father Kyle’s tire tracks, he scored his first ARCA win in the #45 Pontiac at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He transitioned to the NASCAR Busch Series in 1999, piloting the No. 45 Chevrolet, and made a strong debut with a sixth-place finish at Daytona and secured a notable fourth place at Fontana.

What could have given NASCAR and fans another Petty era, was sadly taken away by the sport itself.

Adam’s great-grandfather and a three-time NASCAR Champion, who proudly saw Adam’s Winston Cup debut before passing away just three days later. The Petty name remains a symbol of racing excellence and family heritage. What a moment it would have been for the Petty legacy!

Somebody else deemed no words to be necessary, and saluted Richard Petty’s effort with meaningful emojis: “👏👏🔥🔥”

Indeed, words fall short when talking about the fallen racer who left this world too early. Adam Petty’s name will reign in NASCAR fans’ hearts, and Richard Petty’s enterprises are helping make that happen.