Thursday, May 8, 2014

Beaumont, Texas to New Orleans - Day Six
The 2014 Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America


NASCAR Race Mom with jovial Rutledge Wood
NASCAR Race Mom with jovial Rutledge Wood

Rutledge Wood is an auto racing analyst and one of three hosts for the History Channel’s Top Gear** which premiered on November 21, 2010. NASCAR Race Mom had the pleasure of interviewing him at the 2014 Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America Start in Carlsbad, California.

Rutledge Wood does not “ride” the entire event. He was there to be with his friend, Kyle Petty and to interact with the fans along the trip route.

So what makes Rutledge Wood so passionate about the #kpcr20:

Well I am kind of sad I am missing the fans in Talledega this weekend; but I get to be part of this . . . this is my fifth time doing the ride. I have never been able to do start to finish because of work. When you see these people holding up signs on the little highways that say, ‘we love you Adam’ and that they love what we are doing for the kids . . . . there are so many ways they support us. There is not an event like this in the world to me.

People say that Disneyland is the happiest place . . . . those people have not been to camp. Go to Victory Junction and you see this amazing fun-filled place where they have two goals . . . to disguise the fact that it is a state-of-the-art healthcare facility and to make sure that they never tell a child ‘No.’

They found this beautiful way to make everyone ‘normal.’ In today’s world that is almost impossible. Every child should have the opportunity to go to camp!

Rutledge emotionally added, I will try to tell you without crying . . . . when we pulled into camp three years ago, this guy walks up and starts crying. Then he says, thanks you guys for what you have done. My child has been here all week and the first thing he said when he saw me . . . he didn’t tell me about his pain or about how he was feeling . . . the first thing he said was, “Daddy I rode a horse.”

For that moment, for him, his kid got to be a kid! That is why we do all this stuff. That is what makes it all worth it.

That still get NASCAR Race Mom emotional!


** **Rutledge teased by announcing that he had three episodes of Top Gear to ‘shoot’ and that one of those required that he renew his passport!

Look who made it out to Midland, TX...#theKing himself! #kpcr20
Look who made it out to Midland, TX...#theKing himself! #kpcr20


Yesterday's Photos **

We've got a hat contest going on here in Beaumont! What's your favorite? #kpcr20
We've got a hat contest going on here in Beaumont! What's your favorite? #kpcr2

Made it to Beaumont and taking a break! Thanks to everyone who came out to support the Ride today! #kpcr20
Made it to Beaumont and taking a break! Thanks to everyone
who came out to support the Ride today! #kpcr20
Couldn't ask for a better @harleydavidson team joining us along our route this year! #kpcr20
Couldn't ask for a better @harleydavidson team joining us
along our route this year! #kpcr20
After a big helping of brisket, ribs and chicken, we're full from our lunch stop in Waller, TX. On to Beaumont! #kpcr20
After a big helping of brisket, ribs and chicken, we're full from our lunch
stop in Waller, TX. On to Beaumont! #kpcr20
"Keep Austin Glazed!" Good times at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Austin this morning. #kpcr20 #kk4vj #Drive45
"Keep Austin Glazed!" Good times at Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
in Austin this morning. #kpcr20 #kk4vj #Drive45
Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America added 33 photos to the album 20th  Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. #kpcr20
Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America added 33 photos to the album 20th
Anniversary Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. #kpcr20
Best way to start the morning - a motorcycle ride, good friends, a cup of coffee and a @krispykreme doughnut. #kpcr20
Best way to start the morning - a motorcycle ride, good friends, a cup of coffee
and a @krispykreme doughnut. #kpcr20
And we're on the road again! Next stop? @krispykreme in #Austin! #kpcr20
And we're on the road again! Next stop? @krispykreme in #Austin! #kpcr20
These three guys deserve a huge round of applause! They wake up early, drive ahead and load all of our luggage every day. #kpcr20
These three guys deserve a huge round of applause! They wake up early,
drive ahead and load all of our luggage every day. #kpcr20



NASCAR Race Mom will be posting daily updates. Tomorrow, the ride will leave from New Orleans

You can follow Kyle Petty and the riders live by visiting facebook.com/KPCharityRide and/or on Twitter at @kpcharityride or @kylepetty . Be sure to use the hashtag #kpcr20.

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Your donation to Kyle Petty Charity Ride, Inc. will help support thousands of children with life-threatening illnesses that attend Victory Junction, other charitable organizations, and various children's hospitals.


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