It's taken me a while to get around to writing this. I think I was too disturbed to do it
right away. A young man died about a week ago. He was a very pleasant person, smart,
talented and popular with the people where he worked. He was 19. His name was Adam
Petty and he was practicing for a race in Loudon, NH. They say the throttle stuck and he
crashed into a concrete wall at high speed. He died shortly thereafter in a hospital.

Adam's father was Kyle Petty, his grandfather was Richard Petty and his great
grandfather was Lee Petty. All were racers. I never saw Adam race except on TV, but I
watched Lee (who died recently in his 80's) race in Nashville almost 50 years ago. I've
seen Richard and Kyle race in Atlanta, Bristol, and Talladega.

Adam had a great future ahead of him. Not only did he look and sound like a young
Richard, he had the same intense racing style. He was the kind of kid who could refer to
his father as "My best friend."

It happens in racing as it does in other sports, but it doesn't get any easier for families,
competitors, friends, or fans.
Howard