Labonte's helmet, firesuit to assist charity

When the NASCAR Winston Cup tour converges on Dover Downs International Speedway for this weekend's MBNA All-American Heroes 400, the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Pontiac driven by former series champion Bobby Labonte will don a special red, white and blue paint scheme honoring the heroes and victims of Sept. 11.

The car will display the phrase "Let's Roll," immortalized by Todd Beamer, one of the many heroes aboard Flight 93, which crashed in a rural Pennsylvania field as passengers fought to negate the efforts of the terrorists who had commandeered the jet.

In cooperation with the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, this commemorative program is a collaboration between Joe Gibbs Racing, Interstate Batteries and Action Performance Companies Inc. All of the parties involved have pledged 100 percent of royalties from sales of related merchandise to the foundation.

"I am tremendously honored to be running this red, white and blue paint scheme car with the 'Let's Roll' logo on the hood," Labonte said. "And being that I have two small children at home as well, it makes me feel especially good to be able to help the Todd Beamer Foundation out this way."

In conjunction with this heartfelt program, NASCAR.com and eBay will host a special internet auction starting Sept. 23 to benefit the foundation -- a non-profit entity established to perpetuate Beamer's legacy of developing character, faith and courage in the lives of young people.

Headlining the "Racing To Their Aid" auction is a chance for race fans to own a firesuit and helmet worn by Labonte during this weekend's activities at Dover. Each was especially designed with a patriotic theme for Sunday's MBNA All-American Heroes 400.

Also up for bid will be six 1:24 scale Action Performance die-cast replicas of the Bobby Labonte Let's Roll Pontiac. Each collectible will be personally autographed by the driver himself.

The "Racing To Their Aid" auction is the second in a series of charity-driven internet auctions presented as a collaborative effort between NASCAR, NASCAR.com, eBay and an assortment of NASCAR tracks and teams to raise money for a variety of charitable organizations affiliated with the NASCAR community.

"The Todd Beamer Foundation is a first-class organization and it is our privilege to lend a supporting hand to the large number of people who were affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks," said Jon Fitch, senior category manager of eBay Sports, "and to include such trusted names as Bobby Labonte and NASCAR.com only adds more credibility to this type of listing."

A similar online auction raised more than $15,000 for Speedway Children's Charities this year.

Another, scheduled for early October, will be highlighted by a custom fishing boat and a chance to fish with some of racing's top stars in the "Hot Rods & Reels" Fishing Tournament -- held in conjunction with the NASCAR season finale at Homestead, Fla., in November.

The online auction program will gain momentum throughout the remainder of this season, then become a regular monthly event in 2003.

"In the coming months look for NASCAR.com to offer up several one of a kind experiences that can only be found at the official NASCAR site," said Scott Bailey, vice president of operations for NASCAR.com. "We will continue to give fans unprecedented access through these experiences that take fans 'inside' the sport like never before. Many of the auctions proceeds will benefit such worthy benefactors as the Todd M. Beamer Foundation."