Published: July 03, 2008 10:23 pm         

Motorcycle Festival, Kyle Petty Charity Ride coming July 16

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS — The Spa City is gearing up for a Motorcycle Festival and the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America set for July 16.

White Sulphur Springs is sponsoring the event with Chief of Police James Hylton as the general chairman.

“We’re expecting approximately 1,000 motorcycles. There will be 250 in the charity ride,” Hylton said.

“We have room to park all of them on Main Street,” Hylton added.

Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, will be joined at the event by his father, Richard Petty and wife, Linda; NASCAR legend Harry Gant, football great Herschel Walker and swimsuit/supermodel Niki Taylor.

Presentations will be made to the Pettys, Gant, Walker and Taylor at a ceremony at Old White Motors on Main Street.

Bishop Jamie Estep of the Neola Church of God also will bless the motorcycle riders as well as those attending the event.

The schedule is jammed-packed for the festival which will begin at noon with a poker run at Old White Motors.

A motorcycle show is set for 3 p.m. at Midland Trail Park while the Kyle Petty Motorcycle Parade will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. The parade and other activities, including food booths, will be on Main Street.

There is a $5 entry fee for the motorcycle show; all makes of cycles are eligible to compete, and trophies will be presented.

Following the parade, Richard Hefner and the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys will provide free entertainment.

“The Kyle Petty merchandise trailer will be set up,” said Hylton. “They don’t do this at every stop,” he added.

“We will have custom motorcycles, all in the $80,000 price range, on display,” Hylton promised.

Hylton stresses that the Motorcycle Festival and Kyle Petty Charity Run is a community endeavor.

“We have approximately 16 different committees that have helped set up this event,” said Hylton. The committees range from staging and cycle parking to first aid, security and fundraisers, he added.

A number of organizations are assisting with the endeavor including Main Street White Sulphur Springs, the White Sulphur Springs Lions Club and members from the Greenbrier, Mercer, Nicholas, Fayette and Alleghany (Va.) chapters of the Christian Motorcyclist Association, he said.

“We will have a 50/50 cash drawing and there will be numerous drawings throughout the day,” explained Hylton. Tickets for the drawing will go for $1 each and will be available for all festival-goers, he said.

“All proceeds will go to the Victory Junction Gang Camp,” said Hylton. The children’s camp was started by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son, Adam, who was killed in May 2000, in a practice run for the Busch Grand National race in New Hampshire. The camp’s goal is to enrich the lives of children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

The 2008 Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Run Across America began in Traverse, Mich., and will end in Savannah, Ga.

“We hope everyone will come out and join the fun,” said Hylton. “This is one of the best things that has happened to our community in a long time,” he added.

For additional information on the upcoming Motorcycle Festival and Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, contact Chief of Police James Hylton, 304-536-1466; Ruth Miller, promotions chair, Main Street White Sulphur Springs, 304-536-9206; or Sadie Fraley, Main Street White Sulphur Springs director, 536-5060.