Fourth-generation driver ready for first big test

Mike Harris

Wednesday, March 29, 2000 | 5:48 a.m.

FORT WORTH, Texas - Kyle Petty isn't sure when son Adam first thought about becoming a stock-car racer.

But he does remember the precise moment he knew his eldest son was serious about becoming the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR.

"It was when Adam was 16," the Winston Cup driver said. "He begged me to let him drive around the Darlington track during a test. We were in a street car and I was sitting there telling him what to do. He ran the car as hard as he could, got as close to the wall as he could and the look on his face was amazing.

"I thought, 'Do I get that much pleasure out of this stuff?' I knew right then what he was going to do."

Soon after that, the grandson of stock-car king Richard Petty and great grandson of NASCAR pioneering star Lee Petty began his apprenticeship in earnest.

Now he hopes to make his Winston Cup debut Sunday in the DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

"Qualifying for the race will be a challenge, but I plan to give it my best," Adam said. "I qualified third here in the Busch Series last season, and I had a good run in the truck race."

The 19-year-old scion of the historic Petty Enterprises team, in his second season as a Busch Series regular, plans to drive in five Winston Cup events this season in preparation for a shot at the rookie title in 2001.

He was 20th last year in the Grand National points race and third in the rookie of the year standings, finishing a career-best fourth in Fontana, Calif., in May.

Petty first got some serious notice in racing in September 1998 when he won the ARCA race in Charlotte, N.C., becoming at age 18 the youngest driver to win a race in that series. He also ran the full American Speed Association season that year.

"That was my junior year in high school and I was living in Grand Rapids, Mich.," Adam said. "I couldn't spend any time with my friends or play any sports, but I didn't care. I was doing what I wanted to do, and what I had to do to get to where I want to be - Winston Cup."

Although he is off to a somewhat slow start in the Busch Series this season, he figures he is making good progress.

"We're learning more and more about what we have to do to be successful," Adam said. "It isn't easy. There's a lot of competition and sometimes it's real tough. But I feel like we can be successful."

Grandfather Richard is proud of what Adam has accomplished.

"He proved to me pretty quick that he was serious about this business," The King said. "He grew up around all this and I'm not surprised it's what he wants to do. Adam can be successful if he keeps working at it the way he has."

Kyle is thrilled to have the opportunity to race against his son, just as he and his father were able to compete against one another for several seasons.

"Not many drivers are lucky enough to have that opportunity, and I'm glad we can give him that," said Kyle, who owns his son's car under the umbrella of the family team, Petty Enterprises, which also fields Winston Cup cars for Kyle and John Andretti.

"He's got the chance to take some risks and learn from those risks without worrying about losing his ride."

As for driving against his son, he said, "I'd like nothing more than for him to do extremely well. Petty Enterprises is a team with more than one car in the field. We all pull for each and we do what we can for each other.

"If Adam wins all the races for the rest of my life, and I don't get one, that's fine with me. I want my teammates to do well. But it's the same with John."

Most of all, though, the pride in the father's voice and the gleam in his eye reflect his feelings about Adam's career choice.

"It's pretty cool to see any of your kids accomplish what they set out to do," Kyle said. "I see so much potential and so much capability in Adam.

"He could do anything and I'd be proud of him, as long as he did it with the same enthusiasm and desire he does with racing."

---

On the Net: Adam Petty site: http://www.adampetty.com