top of page

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Hits the Southwest for 26th Anniversary
 

200 riders will complete one of the Ride’s most scenic routes, traveling more than 1,500 miles through Arizona and Utah, to raise money and awareness for Victory Junction

​

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Mar. 3, 2020 – Revving up for an epic Southwestern adventure, former NASCAR driver and NBC Sports racing analyst Kyle Petty will lead his 26th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America on one of the most scenic routes in the Ride’s history. Considered one of the most successful and popular charity rides in the country, the Ride will travel through picturesque scenes across Arizona and Utah. The Ride will begin in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 2 and return to Phoenix on May 8 – making this the first time ever the Ride has started and ended in the same city.

​

The 26th Anniversary Ride introduces a new presenting sponsor: Cox Automotive – a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises that transforms the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars. Cox Automotive is the parent company of Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Manheim, which acted as the Ride’s presenting sponsor for the past seven years and will host the Ride for a kick-off breakfast at Manheim Phoenix on May 2.

​

“A core tenet of the Cox values is to be a force for good in the world through a culture of giving back,” said Janet Barnard, chief people officer, Cox Automotive, and Rider. “The Ride’s support of Victory Junction has long been in alignment with these values that both Manheim, as a past presenting sponsor, and Cox Automotive share. We are proud to be affiliated with other great organizations and companies who provide life-changing support to children.” 


Petty will cover more than 1,500 miles on a seven-day trek along with 200 participants, including more than 25 new Riders, all to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction – a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with chronic and serious medical illnesses. This year’s event is all about stopping to see some of the beautiful places the Ride has ridden by in the past, mixed with a few new places for Riders to explore. Some of the highlights on the 2020 route include lapping the track at Phoenix Raceway, riding historic Route 66, visiting Grand Canyon National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, seeing the Grand Staircase and Humphries Peak, and so much more.
    
Spectators along the 2020 route are encouraged to attend one of the Ride’s seven overnight stops or daily fuel stops to greet Petty and the riders, purchase memorabilia and make donations. 

​

26th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Schedule:
•    Day 1, Saturday, May 2 – Phoenix, Arizona to Lake Havasu City, Arizona
•    Day 2, Sunday, May 3 – Lake Havasu City, Arizona to Flagstaff, Arizona
•    Day 3, Monday, May 4 – Flagstaff, Arizona to Bryce Canyon City, Utah
•    Day 4, Tuesday, May 5 – Free Day
•    Day 5, Wednesday, May 6 – Bryce Canyon City, Utah to Monument Valley, Utah 
•    Day 6, Thursday, May 7 – Monument Valley, Utah to Sedona, Arizona
•    Day 7, Friday, May 8 – Sedona, Arizona to Phoenix, Arizona

​

“Some of the places on this year’s Ride are places we’ve been before, but never really got the chance to explore. Now, we’re taking the time to stop and truly see some of the majestic places we've ridden by in the past. Plus, we're going to throw in some new places, like Monument Valley, that have always been on our bucket list,” said Petty. “Our Riders will experience a new, exciting adventure and will create memories to last a lifetime. And it’s all for the kids at Victory Junction. At the end of the day, that’s what this Ride is all about – it’s why we Ride!”

​

Because of the Ride, 8,210 children have attended Victory Junction at no cost to their families. Last year alone, the Ride raised $1.7 million and sent 128 children to Camp. 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.

​

Among the celebrities participating in this year’s Ride are NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time champion Richard Petty; NASCAR legends Harry Gant, Hershel McGriff and Donnie Allison; current NASCAR driver David Ragan; former Formula 1, Champ Car and NASCAR driver Max Papis; former NFL great and Heisman Trophy winner (1982) Herschel Walker; and NBC Sports NASCAR personalities Krista Voda and Rutledge Wood.

​

“In the past, I haven’t been able to participate for the full duration of the Ride. But when Kyle first told me about this year’s route, I said I was going to clear my schedule to be there for the whole thing because I wanted to see all of the places on the list,” said Kyle’s father, Richard Petty. “My wife Lynda and I spent a lot of time in the Southwest and it was a special place for us. I’m excited to see some of those places again and share them with Kyle.”   

​

The 2020 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, WileyX, Blue Emu and Goody’s. 

​

Keep up with Petty and the Ride on social media at the following accounts:

​

For more information about the Ride or to donate, please visit www.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. Now in its 26th year, more than 8,650 riders have logged 12.4 million cumulative motorcycle miles and raised more than $19 million for Victory Junction and other children’s charities.

​

About Victory Junction
Victory Junction is a year-round camp for children, ages six to 16, living with chronic medical conditions and serious illnesses. Co-founded by Kyle Petty and his family in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, North Carolina. Victory Junction provides life-changing camp experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a medically-safe environment, always free of charge. In addition to its traditional camp sessions, Victory Junction’s REACH program takes the camp experience to children and their families at hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses throughout North and South Carolina. As a nonprofit organization, Victory Junction operates solely through the support of generous individuals, foundations, organizations and corporations to provide this experience at no cost to children and their families. Since opening in 2004, Victory Junction has seen children from all fifty states, as well as Puerto Rico and four other countries, and has delivered more than 60,000 camp experiences. Victory Junction is a member of the SeriousFun Children’s Network of camps founded by Paul Newman and is accredited by the rigorous guidelines of the American Camping Association. To learn more, please visit www.victoryjunction.org. 

 

About Cox Automotive (www.coxautoinc.com) 
Cox Automotive Inc. makes buying, selling, owning and using cars easier for everyone. The global company’s 34,000-plus team members and family of brands, including Autotrader®, Clutch Technologies, Dealer.com®, Dealertrack®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, NextGear Capital®, VinSolutions®, vAuto® and Xtime®, are passionate about helping millions of car shoppers, 40,000 auto dealer clients across five continents and many others throughout the automotive industry thrive for generations to come. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion.
 

bottom of page