Like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade it takes the whole year to plan.

In less than a week, Kyle Petty, 125 motorcycles, and over 200 people will embark on the 29th annual Charity Ride – a week long event to help raise money for Victory Junction – a camp for sick and disables children.

The planning begins for the next year’s ride as soon as the current ride is concluded.  Back home with suitcases unpacked, surveys are sent out to the riders asking what the rider’s thought and where they would like to go.

In an interview ride creator and organizer Kyle Petty said that every year Niagara Falls was in the list of places the riders wanted to go but have been unable to work into the route.  This year, that wish comes true and The Falls are on the route after a 20 year wait.

The 1,400 mile journey begins in Traverse, Michigan and winds its way past Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Erie before making a stop on May 5 in The Falls before continuing their journey.

Hearing the roar of 125 motorcycles must be an impressive awe-inspiring sound; but according to Petty, it is nothing compared to the sound he heard of the three Falls thundering over the precipice to land 182 feet below into the Niagara River.

Petty noted that he had never seen Niagara Falls until the test run for the Charity Ride last November that is a part of the planning process.  Petty and wife Morgan “divide and conquer” as they work to make each ride a reality.

It all began in 1994 when Petty and three friends planned to make a motorcycle ride from their home in North Carolina to a NASCAR race in Phoenix.  As the group traveled across the country, more riders joined the journey.  By the time they had reached their destination, the group had grown from four to 30…as they say “the rest is history”.

In the early days of the Charity Ride, funds raised were donated to children’s hospitals; but after the death of son Adam in 2000 in a practice session on the track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway at the age of 19, Kyle Petty created the Victory Junction Camp and all funding now goes to Victory Junction.  It costs $2,500 for a child to attend the camp for a week and thanks to the Charity Ride, there is no charge for any child to attend the camp.

Petty said that including himself, there are three or four riders who have attended every ride with 15 or 20 more who have been on 25 rides.

Over the course of the Charity Ride’s history they have…
traveled in 48 of the 50 states
have travelled over 13 million miles
have had 9,350 riders
and has raised over $22 million in donations to charity

Charity Ride creator Kyle Petty is a third generation race car driver who spent 30 year behind the steering wheel racing before retiring in 2008 to become a member of the broadcasting crew that helps comment and analyze the races each week; plus he hosts three podcasts.

Petty is also on the board of a number of several organizations including the Victory Junction Camp, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride and Trust, the NASCAR Drivers Advisory Council, the Tosco Music Board of Advisors, and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the University of North Carolina School of Arts.

A multi-faceted individual, Petty spent the isolation of the COVID pandemic writing a book – “SWERVE or DIE: “Life at My Speed in the First Family of NASCAR” – a motivational speaker, and a musician who has opened for Randy Travis, The Oak ridge Boys, and Hank Williams Jr; as well as, having performed on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

“Cars” move fans may recognize Petty’s voice as that of Cal Weathers in the film “Cars 3”.

A popular event each year, spots for the Kyle Petty Charity Ride fill quickly.  Each year many of those spots are filled by riders who are returning for another year of riding to see the country from the seat of a motorcycle.

Each January, the Charity Ride accepts applications for riders.  Anyone interested in being a part of the Charity Ride may contact them by email at info@kylepettycharityride.com to request an application.

Before embarking on a ride, new riders must participate in a Safety First program to ensure a safe and enjoyable ride.

Along with the 125 motorcycles in the Charity Ride, the entourage has numerus support personnel and vehicles including two doctors and four nurses.

The 2025 Kyle Petty Charity Ride begins May 3 in Traverse, Michigan and winds its way to Cleveland, around Lake Erie to Niagara Falls, and on to Corning, New York and a few laps on the road course at Watkins Glen International before ending their 1,400 mil journey in Hot Springs, Virginia.

The sound of 125 motorcycles coming down the highway will certainly provide some impressive sights and sounds, but according to Kyle Petty, not as impressive as the thundering roar of Niagara Falls!