Richard Petty is one of only two seven-time NASCAR Cup series champions. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Richard Petty has spent much of the season looking after his wife, Lynda, who has been undergoing cancer treatments at Duke University Hospital in Durham, N.C. The King spoke about the progress she has been making and how he has been juggling the desire to take care of his wife while also following Richard Petty Motorsports.
RICHARD PETTY, Richard Petty Motorsports – WE HEAR THERE’S GOOD NEWS AS FAR AS LYNDA IS CONCERNED. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT? “We’re having real good news with my wife, Lynda. She had a growth cancer in her head that messed up her central nervous system, but we went back last week and found out they completely eliminated that particular growth. She’ll still have to take some treatments from time to time, but at least she has all of her faculties back and we’re looking forward to another 50 years with her as far as I’m concerned.”
IS THERE ANY WAY TO DESCRIBE THE RELIEF YOU MUST FEEL? “It’s a big deal whenever anybody gets cancer, and then when we found out what kind it was, we talked to the doctors and they said, ‘It’s a fast-growing cancer, but we think we can slow it down really quick.’ They didn’t only slow it down, they got rid of the complete growth. She still has some things running around in her body, but they’ll keep working at it to keep them from all gathering in one place again.”
RACING HAS BEEN YOUR LIFE, BUT DID THIS PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE? “That puts everything in perspective. For 50 years I’ve been out messing around with a race car, ever since we’ve been married. I’ve always told her that racing comes first and if she works real hard, she can be number two. Well, after 50 years and when she got cancer I said, ‘Wait a minute, it’s time I give her my next 50 years.’ So it’s been a deal where I haven’t been to a lot of the races so far this year. I’ve had to cut back on a lot of the appearances and different obligations I had, but I felt like she came first. Family comes first and then you work everything around that.”
WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE MEDICAL STAFF AT DUKE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL? “I can’t believe it. You go in there and they’ve got the very best in the world as far as we’re concerned. They’ve taken my wife and completely did everything they said they would do, and I think it really surprised them that it happened so quick. But they’re right on the cutting edge and trying new things all the time and constantly testing, so we got right in the middle of that. I think they’re just about as happy as how things have gone as we are, but that’s their job. They want to do the job and you just can’t say enough about the doctors and nurses and hospital staff – even the guys parking cars down there. They’re very well organized, they’re a first-class operation, and, as far as we know, they’re the best in the world.”
