BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Hundreds of motorcyclists drove to Bowling Green Tuesday and the man leading the pack was none other than former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty.
Kyle, and his father, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Richard Petty, stopped by on the National Corvette Museum during his Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America..
“There’s nothing more iconic as a sports car than the American Corvette,” Kyle said.
The ride across America serves to raise awareness for their camp called Victory Junction, a camp that provides experiences for children with chronic medical conditions, which started in honor of Kyle’s son, Adam, who passed away in 2000.
Kyle Petty said, “For us, that’s the important part, is just to send more and more kids to camp.”
The ride across America also raises money for the camp. Since 1995, the ride has raised more than $21 million for the camp and other children’s charities.
“When the kids come there, they pay nothing. Parents don’t have to pay anything, so it takes a lot of money to make it work,” explained Richard.
While there, the Petty family signed autographs and shook hands with fans, even receiving a key to the city from Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott.
Alcott said, “To be able to hand that in a handshake, and say thank you for coming to our city, thank you for recognizing us, and thank you letting us be a part of your group, that’s what it’s about.”
One fan who showed up an hour early to get an autograph was Ronald Mink, who has helped with Victory Junction before, and says camps like these are vital to help kids with medical issues.
“It means a lot, and, to have a kid with a disability to go to camp, that’s awesome,” Mink said.
Petty and his crew leave Thursday and will head to Bristol, Virginia.
On the drive, Petty and his team will cover over 2000 miles, going all the way from South Dakota to North Carolina.