NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. – For New Hampshire Motor Speedway executive vice president and general manager David McGrath Wednesday was a day when being the boss meant celebrating one of his favorite hobbies.
McGrath led a group of about 30 motorcyclists Wednesday on the annual Ride for the Kids Motorcyle Ride to benefit the New Hampshire chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities.
“I got bitten by the motorcycle bug a long time ago and certainly, as an avid rider, it is kind of where I get to line up my vocation with my avocation,” McGrath said. “It’s a chance to have some fun and meet some fans and spend some time for a really good cause. … Any chance I get to throw my leg over a motorcycle, I’m going to do it.”
The ride started with participants taking three laps around the 1.058-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway oval and then headed south through the woody winding roads of southeast New Hampshire before finally hitting Portsmouth and heading down the coastline through Rye and Hampton. The ride concluded at Seacoast Harley-Davidson in North Hampton.
“It was a great day,” said Hillarie Scott, director of New Hampshire Speedway Children’s Charities. “The riders all had a blast. They got to visit New Hampshire from the mountains to the ocean. … We’re growing each year and we’re super excited about it.”
The ride coincides with the annual Bike Week festivities in Laconia, N.H. New Hampshire Motor Speedway will also be hosting their first American Flat Track motorcycle event on their newly unveiled quarter-mile dirt track on Saturday.
“I commend Hillarie Scott, the chapter director, for thinking outside the box to come up with new things,” McGrath said. “This is the second year that we’ve done this motorcycle charity ride – Ride for the Kids – and it’s grown exponentially. We just think it will continue to evolve over the next few years.”
The New Hampshire chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities hosts events all year geared around racing and other events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The group has distributed close to $1.7 million to New England based organizations that meet the direct needs of children. Last year New Hampshire Speedway Children’s Charities offered grant support to 57 different recipient groups.
The next event for New Hampshire Speedway Children’s Charities will take place in Connecticut at Foxwoods Resort Casino on June 27. The Karting for Kids event at the Monza World Class Karting facility at Foxwoods will give participants a chance to race against NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver Kyle Larson. Check the Karting for Kids event page for more information on how to participate.
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