'Racing to Their Aid' auction off and running

Through the partnership of NASCAR.com and eBay, the "Racing to Their Aid" auction, which benefits the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, took the green flag Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Up for grabs is the authentic Sparco firesuit and "Let's Roll" helmet worn by Bobby Labonte during practice and qualifying for the MBNA All-American Heroes 400 at Dover International Speedway. Several autographed die-cast replicas are also on the auction block

By Thursday, the high bid for the firesuit had reached $6100 and the helmet had climbed to $7500.

The suit was custom designed for the Dover race to match the "Let's Roll" paint scheme that adorned Labonte's No. 18 Pontiac. It features the stars and stripes of the American flag, along with the famous "Let's Roll" phrase. Labonte autographed this suit, and a certificate of authenticity from Joe Gibbs Racing is included.

The autographed helmet is one of a three made to commemorate the event. One will be kept by Labonte, and the other will be give to the eldest son of Todd Beamer. The auction helmet is signed by Bobby Labonte, Joe Gibbs, Jimmy Makar, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jarrett, Jimmie Johnson, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Ricky Craven, Dave Blaney, Casey Atwood, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd. A certificate of authenticity from Joe Gibbs Racing is included.

Sept. 24 marked the first anniversary of the creation of the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, named for one of the heroes of Flight 93. The charity's goal is to perpetuate Beamer's legacy of character, faith and courage among young people.

The "Racing to Their Aid" auction ends October 1.