For four generations and counting, the Petty family has continued to be a huge asset to the NASCAR community. Yet only one generation had an unthinkable tragedy associated with it. Adam Petty lost his life during a practice lap at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on 12th May 2000. He was barely 19 years old and was brimming with dreams that could not turn into reality – except for one.

Between races, Adam was often found in pediatric hospitals visiting children with challenging medical conditions. He even began saving up money for fueling his plan for a children’s camp. Although his death abruptly ended this project, his father took it forward. Now his grandfather, Richard Petty, expands this over two-decade-old dream.

Richard Petty keeps grandson’s memory alive

After Adam’s early departure from this world, his father, Kyle Petty, took time off the racetrack, reeling under the shock. It was the first time since 1970 that a Petty had missed a race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In 2004, Kyle opened the Victory Junction camp, in loving memory of his son, with support from the NASCAR community and donors. Ever since, the camp has provided transformative experiences for thousands of children suffering from terminal illnesses, a cause that Adam wholeheartedly supported. Richard Petty, a 200-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner, and his late wife Lynda originally donated 84 acres in 2004 to establish Adam’s dream and support their son Kyle. Now the legendary racer just inflated that noble pursuit.

Richard Petty donated 403 acres of land in memory of his late wife’s efforts. It is divided into eight parcels surrounding the camp’s existing 140-acre property. The valuation of this contribution adds up to almost $2 Million, considering the current farmland prices in North Carolina. For ‘The King’, this enormous amount is nothing as he is dedicated to keeping his grandson’s memory alive. Petty, a founder and active board member of the camp, said: “My family and I are dedicated to leaving a legacy. By donating an additional 403 acres, we hope to ensure the camp can continue serving even more children for generations to come.”

Kyle Petty also shared a heartwarming message on this new development. He said Richard Petty‘s generous aid will immortalize Adam’s legacy. “When I see the joy and the smiles this camp brings to kids and their families, I can still feel Adam’s giving spirit. I want to make sure Camp is here in 100 years, and we hope this gift inspires others to support Victory Junction so that it remains a place of joy for generations to come.” Victory Junction CEO Chad Coltrane expressed gratitude for the donation, “There is a larger-than-life heart that lights up when campers are at Victory Junction. That light and the love it signifies will beat a little brighter at Camp this year.”

Indeed, Adam Petty established an era in NASCAR to make drivers’ careers safer and brighter.

Being the beacon of change

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The early 2000s were a time of gut-wrenching wrecks and crashes. Adam Petty got caught in one of them, apparently due to a stuck accelerator that drove him into the wall at almost 130 mph. The next nine months following his tragedy, NASCAR witnessed a deadly period as three more drivers lost their lives. They were Kenny Irwin Jr., Tony Roper, and Dale Earnhardt Sr. – all of whom died of some technical problem on racetracks. Kyle Petty reflected on this period in NASCAR, saying, “When Adam died and Kenny [Irwin] died and [Tony] Roper died, all in 2000, the needle moved just a little,” he says. “But when Earnhardt died, that needle moved as far as it could go. People stopped reacting and got proactive.” The seven-time Cup Series champion’s death sent shockwaves around the NASCAR community.

So an era of safer driving set in after these tragedies. Millions of dollars were spent on improving safety, including mandatory head and neck supports, new seat belts, and crash-absorbing walls around part of the tracks.

Adam Petty’s death induced officials to install a red button on the steering wheel which completely shuts the vehicle down. Kyle Petty explained, “The kill switch in the car is like the main breaker block in a house. When you pull the main switch every light goes off. When you hit the kill switch all the power of the car just goes away.”

Lewis Franck, a US motorsports writer, had claimed that back then NASCAR had “always been slow to make safety changes, especially when compared to Formula 1.” However, following Adam’s tragedy and the other incidents that followed, even Franck admitted that NASCAR has been very proactive. “Safety is retro-active not pro-active but Nascar now has a state-of-the-art safety research and development center – not even F1 has that.”

Evidently, Adam Petty had established multiple legacies in the sport and beyond. And his grandfather Richard Petty continues to treasure them.