[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 46 (Wednesday, April 12, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S2612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN MEMORY OF LEE PETTY

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to remember auto 
racing's Lee Petty, who died last week at the age of 86. A pioneer of 
the sport, he claimed 55 titles, including the inaugural Daytona 500 in 
1959, before a 1961 collision ended his competitive career. His son 
Richard carried the torch with style, collecting seven Winston Cup 
trophies and establishing a fan base Lee Petty could have only dreamed 
of back in the late 1940s when he was scorching North Carolina dirt 
tracks. But it doesn't end there. Lee's grandson, Kyle, a good friend 
of mine, continues to find success on the NASCAR circuit and Lee's 17-
year-old great-grandson, Adam, recently made his NASCAR debut.
  The name Petty has become synonymous with racing, and for good 
reason. Lee Petty had the foresight to invest in a sport with little 
pedigree but a heaping portion of American guts and glory. He 
understood that a driver's personality was often as powerful as the car 
he drove, and spectators would pay good money to go along for the ride. 
His empire, Petty Enterprises, bears witness to the clarity of that 
vision, having produced 271 race winners and 10 NASCAR champions.
  Despite great success, Lee Petty never acted like a superstar. He 
lived with his wife, Elizabeth, in the same modest house where they had 
raised their children. Perhaps humbleness, and a willingness to brave 
the hot sun for hours to sign autographs, will prove to be Lee Petty's 
greatest contribution to American sports. An editorial in Charleston, 
SC's daily newspaper, the Post and Courier, concludes: ``In a day where 
money seems to be the overriding concern of so many athletes, Lee Petty 
was a reminder of what is important in the sporting world--and why 
folks gravitate toward the National Association for Stock Car Auto 
Racing. Lee Petty's grown-up NASCAR has never forgotten that a 
professional sport should be family- and fan-oriented.'' The patriarch 
of one of professional sports' most celebrated families, Lee Petty has 
left a legacy that will linger over American racetracks for generations 
to come.

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