The Petty Family Album: In Tribute to Adam Petty

by Pattie Petty, Kyle Petty, Dustin Long

In 1998, 18-year-old Adam Petty won ARCA at Charlotte County Speedway and became the youngest superspeedway winner ever bringing further acclaim to motor racing's first family. The eldest son of Kyle and Patty Petty, Adam was the fourth generation of Pettys to excel at NASCAR, following in the tracks of his father, Kyle; his grandfather, Richard, known to all fans as the "King" of the sport; and his great-grandfather, Lee, one of the original founders of stock car racing. NASCAR had found its newest, brightest star and Petty Racing had not only reinforced its legacy but found its exciting future. In May 2000 Adam was tragically killed on a practice run in New Hampshire, leaving the racing world tear-filled with the promise Adam offered. A family always deeply involved in charity work, the Pettys have dedicated themselves since to preserving Adam's memory by establishing the Victory Junction camp for critically ill children. Serving this cause, and memorializing Adam's potential, Patty and Kyle have written this extraordinary visual memoir of their family, drawing on family scrapbooks and photographers given unique access to the Pettys over the years. It was Adam who reinvested Petty Racing with new purpose; through Adam's enthusiasm his father remembered what his father had taught him, so, fittingly the book follows Adam's career, from childhood to victory lane, as a focal point to tell the larger history of the family, from Lee to Richard, Richard to Kyle and Kyle to Adam. This is an inspiring and unique book about family spirit, told by parents who have inherited themselves a legacy of success, enjoyed the greatest gifts, endured the rigors of danger and adversity, and suffered the deepest tragedy.

The Pettys are donating all proceeds from the book to Victory Junction Camp.

192 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002