May 12th, 2005. 5 years ago the Petty family, the NASCAR community, and the fans said goodbye to a rising star.
May 13th, 2000. It has been barely one day since we lost the rising star in Adam Petty and I am still attempting to make sense of it. I keep thinking of how it all unfolded yesterday, Friday, May 12th. A co-worker approached me to inform me he heard on the usual mid-afternoon news update via an Associated Press report that Adam Petty was in an accident qualifying for a race and had died. This associate was not a NASCAR fan so for him to use those specific racing words caught my attention. I looked at, and through, him for what seemed like an eternity yet it was actually more like a millisecond. I quickly turned around and jumped onto the 'net. All I could find was information on the wreck in practice. In a short time, I went to another fellow associate's office who follows the circuit looking for a radio. I jumped again on-line in that office and there it was staring me in the face. We both just looked at each other. I could barely breathe and thought I was going to be sick.
I just could not believe it. I didn't want to believe it. Then I started to think how busy I was on Friday. It was just one of those hectic days. I usually follow the practice and qualifying links, with permission, religiously and peek in at them every so often. Friday was just a busy day and, that day, I just did not do it.
The rest of the day was just totally aweful. I kept checking the web sites in disbelief as if it was a joke coinciding with April 1st, but it really was Friday, May 12th. Then other associates were coming to ask if I had heard and before they opened their mouths they could just tell by my facial expression. I said nothing the rest of the day and held off tears, unsuccessful at times, and could not wait to come home. Dumb-founded, shock, disbelief. All of the emotions were going through me.
When I awoke today I already was shedding tears. I did not know an individual could shed tears while he was asleep. That is how hard this event has unknowingly and obviously hit me along with many others. It has taken me awhile for the thoughts to be put into words. I have been thinking a lot about nothing and conversely thinking about so much I could not write the thoughts on paper with the utmost effort if I wanted. I still felt empty and the headache intensified.
I could not think of anything to do and when I thought of something to keep me busy I kept thinking about Adam and the whole family. How I felt was irrelevant. Then I realized someone might need a helping hand of some sort, perhaps, and I left the house and just headed for the shop. When I got there I found the shop was closed with some individuals there working, perhaps, to keep themselves focused. Thus, with the shop being closed I simply just hopped back in the car and sat there a minute just looking at the flag pole where the flags were resting at half-mast. I did not even feel it necessary to straighten up the already dropped off flowers starting to be placed along the fence by friends, fans, or passers by. I did not feel it was my place, just a bit too invasive. Before I headed home I drove to Richard's house, and there too, flowers were beginning to be dropped off just like they were at the shop. Seeing that, I felt it best to head home. It was probably the shortest time I ever spent there. I was there and back in just over an hour.
I have been home ever since and really have not done anything except gauk into space if I cannot focus on some task. I have been glued to the news because around here it is local news. What is real hard is seeing the news anchors along with the sports reporters getting silent as they obviously get choked up during narration of video clips showing Adam at certain stages of his life and his racing career.
I think what is hitting us all so hard is Adam was only 19 years old. Though young in age, he was more of a man and wiser beyond those years than most twice his age. I only (and thankfully) was in his company once. It was at Petty Open House in 1998 when I worked on the souvenier rig like I had done on certain race dates the previous four years. In 1998 Adam's star had not risen to the level it had before he left us on May 12th to be with Grandfather Lee. I assure you the Adam everyone knew through the eyes of the media was the Adam everyone knew off the track. There was no distinguising the two personas. Adam had the same persona on and off the track. Adam was Adam, plain and simple. He was real, had his faith in God, was raised by great parents, worked hard and was always eager to learn. He has been around the track a long time, but again, what is so devastating is the reality of his age.
It has been said Adam was taken from us, but we are only on this earth for a specified amount of time only He, Above, knows. Adam was given to us, not taken away: only called back to his Master according to plan. Although we question the timing of his unfortunate death, we should be thankful that he is now at peace, Above, and is in great hands with Our Creator along with Grandfather Lee. We should be very thankful Adam touched our lives and we got to know him these past few years not only as a professional race car driver but as himself. I, myself, have been hurting so much, but it gives me solace to realize and understand Adam left us doing what he had the utmost passion for: getting behind the wheel of a race car.
I feel we have been led into the belief this sport has become much safer thanks to technology, but all the technology in the world cannot guarantee us anything, not even in writing. How we may have forgotten, or set aside, the on-track related deaths of J.D. McDuffie, Clifford Allison, Rodney Orr, John Nemechek and Neil Bonnett. Opinions aside, other deaths such as Davey Allison, Rob Moroso, Tim Richmond, and Alan Kulwicki numbed us. Also the career ending accidents of Bobby Allison, Stan Smith, Jeff Krogh and eventually Ernie Irvan affected us all, too. The great safeguards this sport has produced and which exist for the teams and their drivers was supported by the horrifying Craftsman Truck accident of Geoffrey Bodine at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year in February. That incident did, indeed, remind us we have a passion for a dangerous sport and that danger is susceptible to the fans, teams, drivers and any of the individuals close to and throughout the NASCAR community. That danger is always present and the possibility of it always exists. Nevertheless, the longer time goes on without a fatal, or near fatal, tragedy it decreases our awareness of that fear and falsely strengthens the safety security blanket we have for our sport until some incident like this reminds us all of its ever present high degree of danger.
We all know Adam was the great-grandson of Lee, grandson of Richard and son of Kyle and Patti. The entire family should feel extremely proud of the short time Adam was on Earth and we should be thanking them profusely in letting all of us share in Adam's history. While all of us are hurting, we need to turn our focus towards the family to let them know they are in our thoughts and prayers because their immediate feelings need more comforting than ours.
This unfortunate event occurred just prior to Mother's Day. As tough as it may be, there is one mother out there who should be holding her head high, and that is Patti. She should be proud her son evolved into the caring, giving, loving young man that Adam was. He gave back that huge contagious ear-to-ear smile, that positive outlook, supreme energy, free-willed, concerned manner. His character needs to be credited to his upbringing without a doubt. That was Adam, a real, down to earth human being treating everyone the same no matter what their profession or position in life. Yet, he was still only a teenager everyday, living, and fitting in well in a grown man's world.
Adam was born a Petty. We had the legend in Lee and Richard is The King. Kyle is the present and Adam was our future. When Adam took the hands which now Eternally embrace him he left us with notable, ironic, Petty numerology: He obtained 43 Busch starts of which 4 were Top 10s and 3 were Top 5s. Reverse those two facts and you have Adam's truck number, 34, which he raced twice. He made his Winston Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway where he earned 43 Winston Cup points. Then 43 days later he was Eternally embraced at 1:43PM.
In the days that come we will all feel lessening periods of disbelief, anger, frustration, shock and sadness. Some of us will try to make some internal sense of it all, others will just simply accept it and slowly move on. Adam was our future in the making and now we have his beloved memory. We all welcomed him into our homes thanks to the media where we got to know him and many got to know him personally. He was our next bright shining star, the heir apparent, to Petty Enterprises�, but now his star will glow Eternally high above with Eternal light.
It has been a long hard day, one filled with many thoughts from sadness to reminiscent laughter back to sorrow and disbelief. Kyle and Patti, thank you, again, so much for sharing Adam with us. You both should take comfort he was cared for, adored and loved by many thanks to your values and your leadership. We all feel your pain along with the rest of the family. He will be sorely missed and his memory treasured.
To all of the parents out there, give your children a hug. Let them know they are loved, do not make them wonder, make them understand. This is a time when we all come together both as a NASCAR family and separately in our own individual family units. The children are the most precious gift and our future. Love them now and benefit the rewards.
Think twice before you start to place blame or point that finger. Think clearly before you accuse. Think of this untimely event, and perhaps, you will think or react differently. We all have experienced enough pain the last 24 hours and we all, most knowingly, need to re-group.
Monday Adam will be Forever placed in Our Father's hands high amongst the soft clouds lined with gold. He will always be happy and will always be at peace, and rest assured, that infectious smile will be spread amongst those around him also in Heaven. A life ended short, but a life to be celebrated.
Adam we will miss you, yet think of you often and will not ever forget you. You were a loving son, brother, grandson, great-grandson, friend and competitor. No one will emerge a man with your character combined with your wisdom again. Kyle and Patti, Montgomery Lee and Austin, Richard and Lynda, Miss Elizabeth and the rest of the entire Petty family: God Bless You All.
God Love and God Speed.
"You Were Loved" written by Diane Warren. Performed by Wynonna.
from the CBS television series "Touched by an Angel" soundtrack
We all want to make our place in this world;
We all want our voices to be heard.
Everyone wants a chance to be someone;
We all have dreams we need to dream,
But sweeter than any star you can reach
Is when you reach and find you've found someone.
You'll hold this world's most priceless thing,
The greatest gift this life can bring,
If you can look back and know
You were loved
You were loved by someone,
Touched by someone,
Held by someone,
Meant something to someone,
Loved somebody,
Touched somebody's heart along the way.
You can look back and say,
You were loved.
You can have diamonds in your hand,
Have all the riches in the land,
Without love do you really have a thing?
When someone cares that you're alive,
When someone finds their world in your eyes,
Then you'll know you've found all you need,
You'll hold this world's most priceless prize,
The sweetest treasure in his life,
If you can look back and know
You were loved.
You were loved by someone,
Touched by someone,
Held by someone,
Meant something to someone,
Loved somebody,
Touched somebody's heart along the way.
You can look back and say,
You were loved.
So many roads that you can take,
Whatever way you go,
Don't take that road alone.
Better you should know...
You were loved by someone,
Touched by someone,
Held by someone,
Meant something to someone,
Loved somebody,
Touched somebody's heart along the way.
You can look back and say,
You did OK
You were loved.
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