Around the racetrack they called Kyle Petty's daddy "The King." Richard Petty totaled 200 career wins, including seven cup championships and seven Daytona 500 victories.  Kyle's Grandad Lee won the very first Daytona 500 and is a racing legend, too. And while Kyle Petty took a few Nascar victory laps of his own, these days he's making his mark as a charity fundraiser.

Kyle's son Adam was killed in a practice crash on May 12, 2000, and the family established the Victory Junction Camp in his honor for kids with life-threatening illness or injury.

This year's Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America -- 150-plus motorcycles and support rigs -- celebrates its longest route ever, logging nearly 3,700 miles. They started in Seattle on Friday (May 3) and passed through Yakima for lunch and fuel. The tour ends in Key Largo, Fla., on May 11, raising money along the way to send kids to camp.

Riding with Kyle Petty and the caravan are sports stars Harry Gant, Donnie Allison, Hershel McGriff, Max Papis, Herschel Walker, George Rogers, Krista Voda and Rick Allen.

Friday's stop, at the Yakima Speedway and hosted by Yakima auto dealer and Speedway impresario Doug Betteral, gave scores of fans the chance to greet Petty and the riders, and to take pictures, get autographs, purchase memorabilia and make donations.

Race fans are invited back next weekend (May 10-11)for the rain-postponed Apple Cup at the Speedway.

 

Here's how it looked out at the Yakima Speedway Friday afternoon ...

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