Wife Lynda doing much better, Richard Petty says

   The King: a lot on his plate lately, but wife Lynda is doing better (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
   

    (Developing)

   By Mike Mulhern
   mikemulhern.net

   It's been a whirlwind for Richard Petty lately, with George Gillett this and that, and Kasey Kahne signing to move on, and with the spokesman for Richard Petty Motorsports also having to deal with wife Lynda's serious medical condition and cancer treatments at Duke.
    The series of treatments she's been under appears to be working, Petty says, calling it "real good news."
    A cancerous growth in her head, Petty says, "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.
    "It's a big deal whenever anybody gets cancer. 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.
    "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 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 I haven't been to a lot of the races this year; I've cut back on a lot of the appearances. I felt she came first.  
    "Family comes first, and then you work everything around that."

    Meanwhile out on the track, Petty says he understands Kasey Kahne's situation and says he's actually glad Kahne put the answers out early:
    "It has probably been on Kasey's mind," Petty said. "He didn't know how to handle it or what to say.
    "Now that he has come out and told everybody what he's going to do, that gives us a chance to start negotiating what we're going to do. 
    "The big deal is it takes pressure off him, and he can really, really concentrating on the car now. 
    "Even though he knows he's got a new job, he still wants to show his new boss and his old boss that he can still do the deal. So I think he's going to work that much harder at having a good year here.
   "I told him the other day I really appreciated him making the decision early to get the pressure off him and also off us. We don't have to keep hearing all this stuff...and sponsors wanting to know where things are at.  By getting it out in the open, it just makes it easier for everybody.
    "I'm a very optimistic person.  I think the good Lord has things lined up so stuff doesn't stay the same...and you keep digging, keep trying to get better,  whatever you're doing. 
     "Now we've got to say 'Okay, are we going to get a young driver and develop him, or are we going to get somebody that's already here winning races?
   "It's going to be a challenge any way you look at it."

  
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