NASCAR BGN/ARCA: Adam Petty to be remembered on Schrader/Amick ARCA car
18 May 2000
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
CONCORD, NC- The life of Adam Petty will be celebrated by fellow NASCAR drivers Lyndon Amick and Ken Schrader at Saturday's ARCA / Bondo Mar-Hyde EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 100 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The No. 99 ARCA entry, owned by Schrader and driven by Amick, will carry special decals honoring Petty, the fourth-generation driver who lost his life last week in a racing accident.
Amick, who competed with Petty for the past two seasons in the NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division (NBS), says the tribute is a way to honor the memory of a special friend who touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with.
"Carrying Adam's name on the car is just another way to remind everyone how much he meant to not only Kenny (Schrader) and myself, but also to everyone associated with this sport," Amick said. "Adam was an incredible talent, but more importantly, he was an incredible person. I don't think he ever grasped how great an impact he made on racers and fans around the world. I'm honored to call him my friend, and we're humbled that the Petty family is allowing us to carry his name on our car. We hope to make Adam, his family and the entire Petty organization proud."
The decal that will adorn the hood of the No. 99 is a larger version of the one that NBS competitors carried on their cars at New Hampshire International Raceway last Saturday. It features Petty's name and the No. 45 logo against a "Petty Blue" background, next to a checkered flag flying at half-mast.
Below the flag are the dates, 1980-2000.
The design is almost identical to the decal produced to honor the life of Petty family patriarch, Lee Petty, who passed away just 44 days before the death of his great grandson.
In addition to honoring the young driver, the tribute will raise funds to benefit children in need. In association with the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary, a special toll-free number (1-888-44-PETTY) will be displayed on the quarter panels and the rear of the car. Fans and friends who wish to make charitable donations in Adam's memory may do so by calling this number.
Some race fans will recognize the number as belonging to the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, the annual cross-country motorcycle trek founded by Adam's father, Kyle. Adam was an avid supporter of the Charity Ride, participating in several of the yearly events with his father, grandfather and other NASCAR drivers.
"I got to spend a lot of time with Adam when he and I were on the Charity Ride together," remembers Schrader. "Adam was a young man who wanted to make this world a better place, by making people smile and by lending a helping hand. When we visited hospitals, it was easy to see he had a special way with children. Their faces would just light up whenever he walked into the room. I hope this tribute not only serves to celebrate Adam Petty, the driver, but also Adam Petty, the humanitarian."
Schrader and Amick believe there could be no more appropriate place to honor Petty than at an ARCA event at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. Petty's first ARCA start came at the Charlotte track in September of 1998. That night, Petty not only won the race, but in doing so he became the youngest winner in the history of the Series.
"I remember seeing pictures from that night of Adam and his family standing in Victory Lane," recalls Amick. "I think that's the way Adam would want to be remembered, because that's what he wasa winner."
Donations to honor the memory of Adam Petty may also be mailed to:
Kyle Petty Charity Ride
Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary
5700 Concord Pkwy. S.
Harrisburg, NC 28075
Checks should be made payable to "Charity Ride Across America/WCRWA."
The design and production costs of the decals are being donated by Motorsports Designs, a North Carolina-based Racing Graphics company.
The ARCA Bondo Mar-Hyde EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 100 race will air live on FOX Sports Net this Saturday, May 20 at 6 PM.
Text provided by Hal Price
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