Adam Petty Survives

2000
Adam attempted seven Winston Cup races in the #45 Sprint Chevy, while running full time in the Busch Series.

2001
Adam started 2001 by winning the pole for the Daytona 500, one of only a handful or rookies to do so throughout NASCAR history. He finished 13th and narrowly avoided Dale Earnhardt's fatal wreck. He nearly won Rockingham, but he was overtaken by Steve Park with 12 to go, finishing 2nd. He got his first win at Indy, finished 12th in points, and won Rookie of the Year honors.

2002
Adam had a breakthrough year in 2002, having six wins, including Rockingham, Texas, and Indy. He finished 9th in points. Pontiac left NASCAR due to being constantly outperformed by the other cars, making way for a new competitor, Toyota, to enter the playing field in 2004, years ahead of expectations.