Kyle Petty Charity Ride: Off and riding across country (cont'd)

DAY 5: STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLO.

Kevin Kane Photography

The motor marshals play an important role every mile of the ride.

Tommy Perry waited with the gas pump in one hand, handkerchief in the other. Then the rumble began.

Tommy, who is the lead Motor Marshal for the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, heads a group of seven highway patrolmen from North Carolina who pace the cross-country tour. Some stay with the front of the group, but Tommy jumps out ahead of everyone about eight miles to keep watch for potential hazards and scout out proper patrolling of areas such as intersections -- and, to pump gas when the pack arrives.

"I'm what they call the Bird Dog," Tommy said. "I'm out in front of everybody about eight or 10 miles. We have constant radio contact with each other and try to keep the whole pack together. There's some in the back, some in the middle, and some in the front."

Those in the back are willing to pick up any riders who may have an issue. That happened Monday.

Just after leaving the lunch stop in Jensen, Utah, a rider's rear tire went down once the group hit the open range of Colorado. With virtually no traffic on Highway 40E, it didn't cause a stir. Two passenger vehicles in the group stopped, along with the Harley-Davidson support trailer. Also stopped was one of the Motor Marshals -- they're impossible to identify by name, with their matching yellow jackets and identical black Harley-Davidsons with sirens on the back.

During the 10 minutes it took to load the bike and unload a demo from the Harley trailer, nobody drove past because, quite simply, there wasn't any traffic; this part of Colorado is desolate. The Marshal stayed with the trailing group until all parties were on the road again. Before the ride reached its next stop in Craig, Colo., the trailing party had caught up with the pack and there was Tommy, pump in hand.

"We pump gas and make sure we keep everybody safe -- just help people out on the ride," he said.

Each stop, he sheds his yellow reflective vest along with some other members of the Charity Ride team who travel ahead of the pack, and they have the fuel pumps ready for the riders when they arrive at a destination. Fill one bike up, remove the nozzle, next bike pulls in. The chain takes no longer than 10 minutes at most stations. One pump in Craig stopped at $70.84. Of course, 12 pumps were going. Average price at a fuel stop: $800-$1,200, which is often donated by a rider or Charity Ride supporter.

Motor Marshals see all while on patrol during The Ride.

Where there's good cop, there's also bad cop.

Earlier in the day as the group headed from Heber City to Jensen, Utah, a pack of stray bikers tried to blend in with the ride. They're easy to spot in this part of the country for one glaring reason: no helmets. That, and when the ride motored past a biker bar through one tiny town, the three were ready and waiting to pull out.

The Motor Marshals had to take action. One of the yellow-suited patrolmen eased into the slow lane (No. 2, in patrol speak) and simply slowed down to the back of the pack. "I call that a sweeping block to the right," he radioed over the talkie.

"We just have to be cordial about it, but it's mostly from a safety standpoint because riders have to sign a waiver to be part of the ride," Tommy said.

It wasn't the first time strays tried to join in -- a compliment to the ride's reputation, but also a tip of the hat to its streamlined organization -- and it won't be the last.

Still, the ride motored on to Steamboat Springs for the night, where resident Nancy and her daughter, Heather, her son, Shawn, and his friend, Gavin, awaited.

"We admire Kyle Petty for all he does. He's a phenomenal person," Nancy said, noting that her family is one of the few NASCAR fans in Steamboat Springs, the self-proclaimed Ski Town, U.S.A.

Added her son, Shawn: "I'm just glad this ride came through and stopped here in Colorado. This isn't a really big NASCAR town, and having them pick here to stop is an honor. We'll ask somebody if they saw the race, and they'll say, 'What race?' So we feel kind of outnumbered here.

"But there are some of us who love this sport and think it's a great thing they're doing."

Local Spanish teacher Reggie grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C., and has followed the sport for years. His best way to support the cause? Contribute.

"We've got about 25 to 30 people in our car show and we just work on cars together, work on motorcycles, any kind of motor vehicle," said Reggie, who was waiting on the Charity Ride's arrival along the side of the road with a few of his Dream Team members. "With my tutoring, I do a lot of post-high school work with guys in technical schools. When I told them the ride was coming through, they wanted to help raise money. We're still raising money."

From the highway patrolmen who donate their time to logistically police the ride, to locals raising funds or showing their support, to ... well ... the motorcyclists who'd just like to feel the breeze by following the Kyle Petty Charity Ride, they all have a common desire.

"Everybody wants to be part of it," Tommy said. "It's a great thing." (Continued)