North Platte, Ne - The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America made its way through the panhandle on Saturday with stops in Chadron for Lunch, Mullen for a fuel stop and finally in North Platte where the 150 plus riders stopped for the night. They rode into North Platte greated by the Guardians of The Children and a crowd of nearly 150 people, mostly NASCAR fans.
Kyle Petty lead the motorcycles into the Holiday Inn Express parking lot around 7:30pm Satuday evening , the 28th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America – it's one of the most popular charity rides in the country. From May 4 – 10, 2024, Petty will lead 150 motorcycles across nine states on a seven-day trek, covering more than 2,100 miles in an effort to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction – a camp dedicated to providing life-changing camping experiences for children with serious and chronic medical conditions.
North Platte Mayor Brandon Kelliher handed Petty a "Key to the City", and then Petty along with celebrities NASCAR drivers Max Papis, David Ragan, and Kenny Wallace; former NFL great and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker; and TV personalities Rick Allen who is the lead Nascar Announcer for NBC and a Grand Island Northwest graduate and Rutledge Wood all signed autographs.
Many of the riders went to the Lincoln County Raceway following their supper to root on fellow riders Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace who drove in the dirt races Saturday night.
The trip will contine all week long, today they'll leave North Platte around 9:30am, heading back north on Highway 83, then going through Broken Bow on Highway 2, stopping for lunch in St. Paul and then on to Omaha Sunday night where they'll stop for the night.
28th Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Schedule:
- Monday, May 6 – Omaha, Nebraska to Bettendorf, Iowa
- Tuesday, May 7 – Bettendorf, Iowa to Indianapolis, Indiana
- Wednesday, May 8 – Indianapolis, Indiana to Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Thursday, May 9 – Bowling Green, Kentucky to Bristol, Virginia
- Friday, May 10 – Bristol, Virginia to Greensboro, North Carolina