Check out the latest episode of Out of the Groove to meet Chad Coltrane, CEO of Victory Junction, and hear about the history of Victory Junction’s founding by the legendary Petty family.
Imagine a warm summer night with bountiful cotton candy, friendly dance competitions, hot air balloon rides, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, buttery popcorn, and lots of ice cream.
Now, imagine it all happening at a NASCAR-themed carnival – appropriately dubbed “NASCARnival” – staged smack dab in the middle of a scenic 550-acre property belonging to NASCAR’s most royal family, the Pettys.
For children with serious and chronic medical conditions who come to Victory Junction camp in Randleman, North Carolina, for a few days in June, July, or early August, this is the scene for about two-and-a-half hours on a Tuesday night during the week of their camp stay.
Oh, and there’s also the frequent appearance at NASCARnival by Victory Junction’s co-founders – NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and his son, former NASCAR driver turned broadcaster Kyle Petty – who mix and mingle with the campers while posing for pictures, signing autographs, and just soaking in all the fun. Last but certainly not least, every NASCARnival features live pit stops performed by the pit crew of a well-known NASCAR team. NASCAR drivers often stop in as well.
“It really is sort of the pinnacle of the camp week for the staff, the volunteers, and the campers,” said Nathan Unwin, camp program director at Victory Junction. “Everybody is comfortable by that point in the week, and so it’s really a night we look forward to throughout that day. The party really starts at dinner time.
“The campers, the staff, the volunteers come into the dining hall, and it’s really got that carnival atmosphere on a Tuesday. It just feels different when you come into dinner on a Tuesday. We have pizza, and everybody knows NASCARnival night is pizza night. The vibes are good.”
Of course, the same is true for the entire four or five days that children will spend at Victory Junction, which over its 21-year existence has served more than 10,000 young people with serious and chronic medical conditions – helping them build confidence, foster independence and discover their incredible potential.
That said, NASCARnival takes the fun and excitement of camp to a whole new level.
“We do something called a ‘car wash’ where we have two lines on each side of the room and there’s like a parade that comes through the middle of the room so our campers get to show off their dance moves with the staff,” Unwin said of NASCARnival. “And every time I’ve been here, the pit crew has gotten involved and danced with the kids, too. It is just a real party atmosphere already built in.”
After the dinner and dancing, everyone heads outside to be wowed by timed pit stop demonstrations and some revving of a real-life race car’s engine. After the pit stop, the true “carnival” portion of the evening begins. That’s when the tethered hot air balloon rides, various games, and an assortment of edibles become the focus.
“We have fake tattoos, and there’s usually a soccer game going on, or a basketball game,” Unwin said. “We have a pie in the face, we have a dunk tank where the campers can dunk the counselors. There are plenty of treats for the kids to enjoy. There’s also usually a no-hands doughnut-eating competition. The campers and counselors will put the doughnuts on the table and see who can eat them with no hands.
“It’s just a real party, carnival atmosphere. There’s a lot going on to keep the kids entertained, making them feel like they’re at that carnival. They’re being celebrated, we’re celebrating our connections to NASCAR, and it’s just so much fun. It’s really something to be a part of that evening.”
If you know a camper who would have fun at Victory Junction, would like to help a child attend camp, or want to volunteer visit VictoryJunction.org/Discover.
