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NASCAR: Petty Rides Different 'Vehicle' for Charity

6 May 1999

Kyle Petty and a band of NASCAR celebrities have traded their stock cars for motorcycles and set out on a cross country journey for charity.

Monday (5/3) marked the beginning of the 1999 Kyle Petty Hot Wheels Racing Charity Ride Across America. The ride raises money for children's hospitals and the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary Trust Fund, an organization that provides medical assistance and financial help for all NASCAR Winston Cup drivers and crew members suffering severe injury or tragedy.

This year, Petty, along with his father Richard Petty, son Adam Petty and a host of NASCAR celebrities, competitors and fans are making the journey from Ontario, Calif., to Trinity, N.C., a route of approximately 2,863 miles. Over 225 riders will make the drive.

The riders have scheduled stops at children's hospitals along the way to present checks, meet with the children and parents and sign autographs.

Over the past four years, Kyle Petty's Charity Ride Across America has raised more than $1 million for children's charities and the Winston Cup Racing Wives Auxiliary Trust Fund. In this, the 50th year of Petty Racing, Kyle Petty is hoping for the biggest charity ride to date.

"I wanted to give back to the community and this is a fun and exciting way to do it," he said. "Driving these motorcycles across the country is a blast and it's great to be able to contribute financially to such worthy causes, but when we pull into a hospital and bring a smile to a kid's face, it makes the journey that much sweeter."

This year's ride concludes Sunday, May 9 at Kyle Petty's farm in Trinity, where country music legend Willie Nelson & Family will be performing. Hot Wheels, the title sponsor of the ride as well as Petty's NASCAR Winston Cup Pontiacs, will also be unveiling the "World's Longest Hot Wheels Track," made of track sections signed by NASCAR drivers, various celebrities and children from the hospitals visited along the route.

Proceeds from the concert will go to benefit Brenner's Children's Hospital in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Among those joining the Petty clan on this year's ride will be past and present NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series competitors Steve Park, Ken and Ann Schrader, Joe Nemechek, Robert Pressley, Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant, Lake Speed, Morgan Shepherd and Tim Fedewa.

Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.