Kyle Petty is known for four wheels, but he’s been riding motorcycles since he was a boy and loves putting on the miles. Since 1995 he has organized the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, an annual motorcycle ride that raises money to support Victory Junction and other causes for children with chronic illnesses and conditions. Earlier today, Rider‘s Editor-in-Chief Greg Drevenstedt interviewed Petty for the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast, and the episode will launch on Friday, March 17.
The following is the official press release for the 27th anniversary ride. We encourage folks to visit the KPRC website and make a donation. You can follow the ride on social media, and if you’re in the area, you can meet up with the group at one of their stops.
All eyes will be on Nevada and Utah from April 29 – May 5, 2023, as former NASCAR driver and racing analyst Kyle Petty celebrates the 27th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America with a scenic journey through the Sagebrush and Beehive states. As one of the most popular charity rides in the country, Petty will lead more than 125 motorcycles on a seven-day trek, covering over 1,500 miles in an effort to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction – a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with serious and chronic medical conditions.
Presented by Cox Automotive, the Ride will kick-off in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday, April 29 and will return to Salt Lake City on Friday, May 5 – marking the second time the Ride has started and ended in the same city. Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and solutions provider and is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The company’s brands include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Manheim, which will host breakfast for the Ride at Manheim Utah on Saturday, April 29, and at Manheim Nevada on Wednesday, May 3.
“Our team at Manheim Utah is excited to kick off this inspirational event and cheer on the riders as they begin their journey,” said Cade Rindfleisch, general manager at Manheim Utah. “We look forward to sponsoring the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, especially seeing the joy it brings to the children at Victory Junction.”
Petty’s mile-long motor brigade features 225 participants, including 30 new riders, who will enjoy many indescribable views, bucket list items and unforgettable points of interest along this year’s route. Some of the highlights include visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats, lapping the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, riding scenic Highway 12, Highway 14 and Highway 50, passing through Capitol Reef National Park, exploring Legends Motorcycle Museum, and so much more.
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Spectators along the 2023 route are encouraged to attend one of the Ride’s seven overnight stops or daily pit stops to greet Petty and the riders, purchase memorabilia, and make donations.
27th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Schedule:
- Day 1, Saturday, April 29 – Salt Lake City, Utah to Ely, Nevada
- Day 2, Sunday, April 30 – Ely, Nevada to Tonopah, Nevada
- Day 3, Monday, May 1 – “Free Day” in Tonopah, Nevada
- Day 4, Tuesday, May 2 – Tonopah, Nevada to Las Vegas, Nevada
- Day 5, Wednesday, May 3 – Las Vegas, Nevada to Cedar City, Utah
- Day 6, Thursday, May 4 – Cedar City, Utah to Moab, Utah
- Day 7, Friday, May 5 – Moab, Utah to Salt Lake City, Utah
“Nevada and Utah are two of my favorite states to ride motorcycles in,” said Petty. “The vast changes in the landscape – from the desert to the red rocks to mountain terrain – paint the most vivid and breathtaking scenes, which I believe are best experienced on a motorcycle. Our riders are in for a picturesque treat along every road we travel, especially on Highway 50 (the loneliest road in America), which we pick up in Ely, Nevada – one of my favorite towns in America. I consider myself extremely blessed to be able to ride this incredible route while also raising money to send kids to Victory Junction. The Ride allows me to combine my passion for helping others with my love of motorcycles and it is such a special gift.”
Victory Junction has served as the Ride’s primary beneficiary since its establishment by Petty and his family in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam. Since it first began in 1995, the Ride has raised more than $20 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities. As a result, the Ride has helped Victory Junction mobilize resources to provide over 115,000 camp experiences for children of all levels of abilities who are living with complex medical conditions at no cost to their families.
Among the celebrities participating in the 2023 Ride are NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time champion Richard Petty; NASCAR legends Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace; former Formula 1, Champ Car, and NASCAR driver Max Papis; former NFL great and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker; and NBC Sports NASCAR personality Rick Allen.
“Any chance I get to spend a week out West, I’m taking it,” said Kyle’s father, Richard Petty. “Add in riding motorcycles and you think, ‘It can’t get better than this.’ Then, you throw in helping the kids at Victory Junction and it’s just the cherry on top. That’s why I always look forward to Kyle’s Ride every year.”
The 2023 Ride is made possible by presenting sponsor Cox Automotive, as well as Coca-Cola, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Dodge Law, Racing Electronics, WinCraft Racing, FLUIDYNE Racing Products, Petty Family Foundation, Headbands of Hope, Piedmont Moving Systems, Fuel Me, Wiley X, Blue Emu and Goody’s.
Keep up with Petty and the Ride on social media at the following accounts:
- Facebook: facebook.com/kpcharityride and facebook.com/kylepetty45
- Instagram: instagram.com/kpcharityride and instagram.com/kylepetty
- Twitter: twitter.com/kpcharityride and twitter.com/kylepetty
For more information about the Ride or to donate, please visit KylePettyCharityRide.com.
About Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America
Led by former NASCAR driver and racing analyst Kyle Petty, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America is an annual cross-country motorcycle trek that raises funds and awareness for Victory Junction. The Ride is one of the most successful and popular charity events in the country. Since its inception in 1995, more than 8,875 riders have logged nearly 12.6 million cumulative motorcycle miles and raised more than $20 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities.
About Victory Junction
Victory Junction is a year-round camping facility for children with serious illnesses and chronic medical conditions. Co-founded by Kyle Petty and his family in honor of his son Adam, Victory Junction provides life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a medically-safe environment, always free of charge. In addition to traditional camp sessions, Victory Junction’s REACH program takes camp experiences to children and their families at hospitals, clinics, and in Ronald McDonald Houses throughout North and South Carolina.
Since opening in 2004, Victory Junction has delivered more than 115,000 camp experiences and has served children from all fifty states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, as well as four countries. Victory Junction is a member of the SeriousFun Children’s Network of Camps founded by Paul Newman, and is accredited by the American Camp Association. To learn more, please visit victoryjunction.org.
About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, automakers, dealers, retailers, lenders and fleet owners. The company has 25,000+ employees on five continents and a family of trusted brands that includes Autotrader, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital and vAuto. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with $21 billion in revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on Twitter, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.
The post Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Returns for 27th Year first appeared on Rider Magazine.
Source: RiderMagazine.com