What started 29 years ago as a simple motorcycle trip from North Carolina to Phoenix Raceway has turned into one of America’s most successful charity rides.
The 27th annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride begins its more than 1,500-mile trip on April 29 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over the course of one week, more than 125 motorcycles will make the trek from Utah’s capital to Las Vegas.
By day seven, the riders will have returned to Salt Lake City.
The charity ride raises awareness and funds for Victory Junction, a camp dedicated to giving children with serious and chronic medical conditions the opportunity to have a memorable and fun camp experience.
While the charity ride has been massively successful over the years, host Kyle Petty is still in disbelief over its growth.
“I am still amazed by it,” Petty told SPEED SPORT. “We did it that first year and we said, ‘Yeah, that’s cool. We’ll do it again. Yeah, that was cool. Let’s don’t do it the third year.’
“Then we talked ourselves into doing it that third year. Then we said, ‘Well, let’s make it to five.’ Then, ‘Let’s make it to 10.’ Then 15 became the goal, and then 20, and then 25 was the golden number. Now we’re shooting at 30.
“It’s just fascinating to me that it’s still alive,” Petty continued. “It’s still up and running. I think a lot of that, obviously in the first eight or 10 years, with Adam’s accident, we built camp.”
Tied in with the charity ride, Victory Junction opened in 2004 in honor of Petty’s son Adam Petty, who lost his life in a racing accident four years prior.
“This is the largest continual fundraiser and the largest fundraiser that we do for camp, that the camp has that supports it,” Petty said. “So, that’s a burden. That’s a big, big weight on our shoulders.
“We got to keep doing this motorcycle ride, keep raising money and sending kids to camp. It has evolved into something that is special, that is spectacular. The people are fun. But I’m still humbled and constantly amazed that we’re still doing it 27 years later.”
The ride has had an undeniable impact on the camp, where it’s raised over $20 million for Victory Junction and other charities.
Part of the excitement for many riders is the open road and sights of nature encountered along the way.
For Petty, that’s one of the reasons every ride is unforgettable to him.
“Being on the open road around other people that truly love the same thing you love. And to be on a motorcycle,” Petty said. “A lot of the country that we go to and go through is what’s considered flyover America.
“You’re flying from the East Coast to the West Coast. So, you don’t see Utah, you don’t see all of Nevada. You don’t see all of Arizona and New Mexico, you don’t see all of West Texas, which is a phenomenal place.
“So to have a chance to ride through it, and to ride through it with people that have become family, honestly.”
Petty’s outlook is simple, but powerful — the ride may be a joyful experience, but in the end, giving children the chance to get away from the hardships of everyday life is the most fulfilling.
“That’s the gratification part,” Petty said. “When you get to the end and you realize, ‘We had a great time, we got to see a lot of stuff. But because of this, a lot of kids are going to get to fulfill their dreams, too.’
“So it’s a win-win on both sides.”
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