Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America plans several stops on Route 66 in Arizona next month

The 26th-anniversary edition of the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will include three stops on Route 66 in Arizona on May 1.

The NASCAR star will cover more than 1,500 miles on a seven-day trek with about 225 participants to raise funds and awareness for Victory Junction – a camp created by Petty and his family that is dedicated to providing camping experiences for children with serious medical illnesses.

Among the celebrities participating in this year’s ride are NASCAR Hall of Famer and seven-time champion Richard Petty; NASCAR legends Harry Gant, Hershel McGriff and Ken Schrader; and NBC Sports NASCAR personality Rick Allen.

Here are the Route 66 stops in Arizona, all on May 1:

• 10 a.m. at Classy Ass and Jackass Junction in Oatman;
• 12:50 p.m. at Route 66 Park in Peach Springs;
• 4 p.m. at the Little America hotel in Flagstaff.

The Arizona Route 66 Fun Run also is scheduled to be in Oatman about the time Petty’s ride shows up there. So that likely would make it doubly fun for all the participants.

Local fans and spectators are encouraged to meet the celebrity riders, purchase merchandise and make donations.

The Ride Across America was sidelined for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 1,500-mile ride from April 30 to May 6 will begin and end in Phoenix with trips through Arizona and Utah.

“We’ve been planning this 26th-anniversary ride since the end of our 2019 event and patiently waiting for the right time to gather again amidst the coronavirus pandemic. So now, nearly three years in the making, I’m beyond thrilled to finally get our riders back together for an exciting adventure in Arizona and Utah,” Kyle Petty stated in a news release. “This year’s ride is all about stopping to see some of the beautiful places we’ve ridden by in the past, mixed with a few new places for our riders to explore. Together, we will create memories to last a lifetime. And it’s all for the kids at Victory Junction. We ride so that deserving kids get to experience the magic of camp.”

“I used to spend a lot of time in the Southwest with my late wife, Lynda, and we were always blown away by the beautiful places we saw,” said Kyle’s father, Richard Petty. “I’ve cleared my whole schedule to participate in the full duration of this year’s Ride because I’m so excited to see some of those places again and, this time, share them with Kyle and his family.”

Because of the ride, more than 8,000 children have attended Victory Junction at no cost to their families. On its 25th anniversary in 2019, the ride raised $1.7 million and sent 128 children to the camp. Victory Junction has served as the ride’s primary beneficiary since its establishment by Petty and his family in 2004 in honor of his late son, Adam.

(Courtesy image of Kyle Petty during one of his Charity Rides Across America)