By REBECCA MAHONEY, Associated Press Writer
<br><br> LOUDON, N.H. (AP) - NASCAR's most famous driving
family has lost its youngest star.<br><br>Adam Petty,
stock car racing's first fourth-generation driver, died
after a crash during practice Friday, five weeks after
the<br> family buried patriarch Lee Petty, his great
grandfather.<br><br> The 19-year-old driver appeared to brush the wall
in Turn 3 before spinning out and<br> smashing
sideways into the concrete as he prepared for qualifying
for Saturday's Busch 200<br> on the 1.058-mile New
Hampshire International Speedway oval.<br><br> The
red-and-blue No. 45 Sprint PCS Chevrolet, which had been
traveling at close to 130<br> mph, did not catch fire, but
Petty was trapped inside for about 20 minutes before
rescue<br> workers cut through the roof to free him.<br><br>
He was taken to Concord Hospital, where he died of
head trauma, spokeswoman Jennifer<br> Dearborn
said.<br><br> A yellow tarp was draped over the car as it was
taken off<br>the track on a flatbed truck.<br>`I knew
it was a hard hit,'' said spectator David<br>
Henderson, who was at a nearby concession stand. ``At first,
everybody thought it was just a crash. Then it was like the
whole place went silent.''<br><br> Another fan, Andrew
Watson, had tears in his eyes after learning the crash
was fatal.<br><br> ``There's no way this was his
fault,'' said Watson, who said he knew Petty. ``He was a
nice<br> guy, a real nice guy. He was just following in
his family's footsteps.''<br><br> Lee Petty, one of
the pioneers of NASCAR, died April 5 at age 86 from
complications of<br> a stomach aneurysm several weeks after
surgery. Adam Petty had made his Winston Cup<br> debut
just three days earlier in Fort Worth, Texas,
finishing 40th.<br><br> Adam Petty is the grandson of
seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty and the son<br> of
Kyle Petty, a regular on the Winston Cup
circuit.<br><br> ``That's two big losses in the last month for
that family,'' said driver Randy Lajoie. ``We<br> know
when we leave pit row we may not come back. I thank
God every night I'm alive.<br> Tonight, I'll thank
him twice.''<br><br> NASCAR president Bill France
said the organization was praying for the Petty
family.<br><br> ``It is difficult to express our sadness over the
passing of Adam Petty,'' NASCAR<br> president Bill France
said. ``The Pettys are an integral part of the sport of
NASCAR. The<br> entire NASCAR community will miss Adam
Petty.''<br><br> In the Petty family hometown of Level Cross,
N.C., state and American flags were lowered<br> to half
staff. Adam's father, Kyle, was out of the country on a
personal trip, and the rest of<br> the family was
gathering in a private place, according to a statement from
Petty Enterprises.