Petty Charity Ride Today

Kyle Petty’s ride home from California Speedway will be considerably longer than his trip to the track.

Following today’s Auto Club 500, Petty will hop on his Victory Motorcycle and lead a caravan of more than 200 riders, including NASCAR drivers and officials, sponsor representatives and fans in a weeklong, 3,000-mile charity ride.

The 10th annual charity ride will begin in Palm Desert, Calif., and make overnight stops in Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Ariz., Roswell, N.M., Oklahoma City, Branson, Mo., Tupelo, Miss., and Atlanta before concluding May 8 with a private party at the soon-to-open Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C.

“This even has become bigger than I ever imagined possible,” Petty said. “The charity ride just started out as a way for friends to get out on our bikes and enjoy the country while helping children’s charities.

“Now it has become a hugely popular event for race fans and, more important, a major fund-raiser for the Victory Junction Gang Camp.”

Kyle and Pattie Petty founded the camp for children with chronic- or life-threatening illnesses in memory of their son, Adam, who was killed in a racing accident in May 2000.

The camp is scheduled to open this summer and will serve as a year-round retreat at no charge to the campers or their families.

“In the past, we’ve celebrated the end of the charity ride with a big concert,” Petty said. “But, this year is going to be a little different. The ride will end with a private event at Victory Junction. It’s an important way for us to honor Adam’s memory, plus it will give all the riders who have supported the camp over the years a first look at the finished product.”

This year’s ride is sponsored by Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A restaurants.

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The race at California Speedway -- about 60 miles east of downtown Los Angeles -- is a homecoming for seven Nextel Cup drivers entered here.

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Casey Mears, Stanton Barrett and Joe Ruttman are all California natives.

Johnson, from El Cajon, got his first Cup win here in 2002.

“My hometown is on fire (about the race),” Johnson said. “It all clicks. It’s great to go back to my home state, close to home. It’s special.”

Johnson noted it can be tough to balance personal commitments with the demands of a race weekend when you’re so close to home.

Harvick, from Bakersfield, agreed.

“The hardest part is really trying to have that good weekend because you want to run well in front of all the fans,” Harvick said. “I always put a little extra pressure on myself being that it’s close to home.”

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Not only is Robby Gordon preparing to try racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on May 30, he is also doubling up on the weekend of May 14-15.

Gordon will drive his Busch Series car Friday night, May 14, in the Funai 250 at Richmond International Raceway, then fly to Indianapolis for the opening round of qualifying for the 500 on Saturday, May 15. He will then fly back to Richmond for that night’s Chevy American Revolution 400 Cup race.

Gordon, who drives full-time in NASCAR’s top series, is also spreading himself thin between races these days, testing his Cup car and his new Indy car. He is scheduled to spend Monday and Tuesday in Mexico, testing his Trophy truck and sand car for some off-road racing.