Legends Helping Legends fund-raiser to benefit Ard

Sam Ard, a two-time Busch Series champion, will be this year's benefactor of the Legends Helping Legends fund-raiser scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on January 19, 2008.

The fund-raiser, in its second year of existence, will take place at Memory Lane Motorsports and Automotive Historical Museum in Mooresville, N.C., will feature a tour of the museum plus a chance to visit with the dozens of drivers, crew chiefs and mechanics from racing's past and present who will be participating in this gathering.

Ard, who holds the Busch Series record with 10 wins in a season, only raced three seasons in the series when a life-threatening crash at Rockingham in 1984 ended his racing career at the age of 45.

In recent years, Ard has battled a more difficult foe: Alzheimer's disease. Physicians have said it is likely Ard's crash 23 years ago accelerated the onset of the disease. With no pension plan in place for NASCAR drivers, the affliction has created both a physical and financial hardship for Ard and his wife, Jo.

The second annual Legends Helping Legends fund-raiser hopes to alleviate some of the Ard family's financial burden. Last year's event for former racing announcer Bill Connell was a huge success that helped to defray some of the medical bills incurred due to complications of chronic diabetes.

Events such as 50/50 raffle, auction, drawing for door prizes, a vintage racecar show (weather permitting) with one of Ard's actual cars and much more will take place throughout the day. A special motorcycle ride from Tilley Harley Davidson in Statesville, N.C., to Memory Lane will be held in conjunction with the fund-raiser.

Admission is $8. For more information, click here