Ambrose to auction helmet for Australian fire brigade

CORNELIUS, N.C. -- Marcos Ambrose is hoping to make a difference for a volunteer fire brigade that was pushed to the limits during recent devastating Victorian bush fires with the auctioning of a autographed one-off race helmet.

Ambrose

Ambrose, who drives the No. 47 Toyota in the Sprint Cup Series, has been promoting the fund-raising message for the Australian Red Cross through the general media and a direct link off his Web site www.marcosambrose.com.

The Australian driver will wear a helmet donated by Impact and painted especially by Nick Pastura for the races at Bristol, Martinsville and Texas.

The auction will consist of Ambrose's race-worn helmet as well as a Yarra Glen Volunteer Fire Brigade outer jacket, which was worn by firefighter Steve Teear during the recent fires, and personally signed by all the brigade members.

The helmet will be autographed by Ambrose with any message requested by the winning bidder.

Teear's own Victorian Country Fire Authority helmet also has been signed by all the brigade members and has been presented to Ambrose for his personal fund raising efforts.

The money raised from the auction will go toward the purchase of a new 3000-liter four-wheel drive water tanker for the Yarra Glen Volunteer Fire Brigade.