Wednesday, April 13th 'What If' Question

Before Dale Earnhardt Sr. there was Adam Petty. The fourth generation driver of the Petty family was just beginning to make his mark on the NASCAR world when he was killed at the age of 19.

Petty was practicing for what was then a Busch Series race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway when his car hit the wall in turn three. Many believe his throttle stuck which caused his No. 45 Chevrolet to head for the wall on May 12, 2000. The grandson of Richard Petty, the son of Kyle, Adam wanted to follow in their footsteps and make it into the Sprint Cup Series.

If he ever did make it to the top and when the time came for his father and grandfather to step away from racing, Adam was in a great position to help take over the family business. Petty Enterprises would be there for Adam to lead but instead his memory is left behind in the Victory Junction Camp which was built in his honor. The camp hosts children who suffer from illnesses at no charge to their families and is continually supported by many NASCAR drivers.

On the racing side, much has happened to Petty Enterprises. They've had name changes, new faces in charge and more failure than success. Drivers AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose are doing their best to bring the King back to the forefront and victory lane in the newly formed Richard Petty Motorsports. It's still a long, hard fought battle as they push onward.

It was not the way that things were supposed to go for the Petty family and the business. Things were supposed to fall right into place, passed from father to son to grandson. However, it just wasn't meant to be as the loss of Petty and many other NASCAR drivers have changed much about the sport over the last 10-12 years.

But ...

What if Adam Petty were alive and racing, how different would the now named Richard Petty Motorsports look? #NASCAR

@jenniferisindy: About Adam Petty you mean> It did, I was sad first then thought the answer would depend on how successful he would have been

@Talon64: Petty Enterprises would still be around, and Kyle Petty would've stayed involved with the team.

@The_Bumpdrafter: the original RPM never would have been screwed up by Gillete.

@jlaracefan14: If Adam Petty would still be with us I believe he would have already won a bunch of races maybe a title as well and the famed Petty Enterprises would be one of the powerhouses in NASCAR. The boy was TALENTED and drove like The King!