Kyle Petty honors son Adam with black band on hat
HAMPTON, Ga. – Kyle Petty is wearing a black band over the No. 45 on hats he is wearing to honor his son, Adam Petty, who died in 2000 during Busch Series practice at New Hampshire.
Petty said it was his son Austin’s idea and should not be construed as a statement against new Petty Enterprises majority owner Boston Ventures.
“When Adam was killed and Austin said lets put a black band across [the number],” Petty said Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “If you live in our neighborhood, you’ll see hundreds of these numbers [with black bands] on cars around our neighborhood. … When I started driving the 45, I said I drive the 45 and that’s Adam’s car and I didn’t even put my name on that car.
“So since I’m not driving the 45 as much, Austin about a month ago said, ‘Why don’t you go back and wear that hat again.’ And I thought, ‘Good idea.’ All I did was switch back since I’m not driving the 45 full time.
“Austin’s opinion was, and I deferred to him, that it was Adam’s number and Adam’s car and now you’re not in it, let’s go back and close the personal door. It’s a personal thing. It’s not a statement. It’s not anything other than that.”
Petty had said earlier in the weekend that Boston Ventures, which bought its stake in the organization in June, had not helped the competitive side yet of the teams.
Petty said Sunday that he was trying to explain that none of the mergers have helped on the competitive side and Boston Ventures had only been with the organization for four months.
