<B>CLEAR LAKE, Iowa --</B> En route from Sioux Falls, S.D. to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and a few of his friends made a stop at the Kum & Go in Clear Lake, Iowa on Thursday, July 28 to pay a visit to O’Reilly USMTS driver Ryan Ruter. During the visit, Ruter's group of family, fans and sponsors called "Club Nickel" presented Petty with a donation to the Victory Junction Gang camp.

Petty has combined his passion for helping others and a love of motorcycles to create The Chick-fil-A® Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. This annual trek features NASCAR celebrities, sponsors and fans traveling cross-country to raise money for children's charities. Now in its eleventh year, the Charity Ride has logged more than 38,000 miles, included more than 5,000 riders and has raised more than $7 million.

"It's amazing how much the ride has grown in popularity over the past ten years," said Petty. "When we first started the ride we would pull into gas stops and hardly anyone would recognize us. Now each fuel stop has become its own event with several hundred fans waiting to greet us and make donations."

The 2005 ride kicked off in Lake Oswego, Ore. on July 23, traveling a Pacific-Northwest route through Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and Iowa, before heading through Kentucky, Tennessee and returning to North Carolina on July 31. More than 250 motorcycle enthusiasts will travel for nine days to their final destination -- the Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, N.C.

<B>HOW IT BEGAN:</B> The inspiration for this annual event came in 1994 when Kyle and several friends decided to ride their motorcycles from North Carolina to the NASCAR race at Phoenix International Raceway. Kyle, crew chief Robin Pemberton, NASCAR driver Harry Gant and motorcycle dealer Don Tilley took off on their bikes heading west. Along the way, friends began to join the ride and by the time the group reached Phoenix, there were more than 30 riders. The turnout surprised and inspired Kyle and he contemplated turning this event into something bigger.

“I told Robin when we got to Phoenix, ‘Wouldn't it be neat if you did a thing like a bike-a-thon where you got somebody to sponsor you and for every mile you rode they paid, and you just picked up people along the way,’” recalled Kyle. "Well, the concept didn't work, but the ride worked."

Since its formation in 1995, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has become one of the most successful and popular charity events in NASCAR. The 2005 journey marks the eleventh year Kyle, his father Richard and wife Pattie will take to the open road with friends, family and supporters.

<A HREF="http://www.victoryjunction.org" TARGET="_blank"><IMG src="http://www.kylepettycharityride.com/images/rides/victoryjunction.gif" width="85" height="175" border="0" alt="Victory Junction Gang Camp" align="left"></A><B>VICTORY JUNCTION GANG CAMP:</B> Since its formation, the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America has raised more than $7 million for various children's hospitals and charities. The main beneficiary of the 2005 ride is the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Proceeds from The Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America will be used to fund the camp's Aquatic Center and to help with the annual operational costs of the facility.

Kyle and Pattie Petty founded the Victory Junction Gang Camp because they recognized that chronically ill children need more camping opportunities. In 1998 Kyle and Pattie visited Paul Newman's Boggy Creek Gang Camp near Orlando, FL. At the camp, they met children that sang, danced, cheered and hugged. For a moment everyone forgot that beneath those smiling faces and boundless energy were children who faced life-threatening challenges daily. Inspired by their visit, the Pettys began working to bring a similar camp to North Carolina. Then, in May of 2000, the Pettys' 19 year-old son, Adam, a fourth generation NASCAR driver, died in a racing accident. Their vision for the camp is now taking shape to honor Adam and preserve his memory.

Now open, the Victory Junction Gang Camp hosts campers ranging from 7 to 15 years old. The summer programs consists of eight, week-long sessions, each with 125 participants. The remainder of the year includes family retreat weekends, specialized programs for smaller disease groups, sibling weekends and camper reunions. Pediatric specialty doctors, nurses and a fully-equipped medical center are available 24 hours a day to handle any medical needs, ranging from bandaging a minor cut to providing chemotherapy.

To learn more about Victory Junction Gang Camp or to make a contribution, please visit <A HREF="http://www.victoryjunction.org" TARGET="_blank">www.victoryjunction.org</A> or call 1-877-VJG-CAMP.