By Toby Christie 
NASCAR’s popularity may have taken a hit in recent years, but the drivers and their cars still pack a punch when it comes to raising money for charitable organizations.
This week, at the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona Jeff Gordon and David Ragan brought cars to auction off to benefit Charity. When the cars rolled off the auction block, they had combined to raise a total of $900,000.
On Thursday night, Ragan and his Front Row Motorsports team rolled in the No. 38 Shriners Hospitals Ford Fusion that the driver finished 27th with in the AAA Drive for Autism 400 at Dover International Speedway last May.
After much interest, an entrepreneur Rick Steele placed the winning $300,000 bid. The entire $300,000 will be going to Shriners Hospitals.
“I really can’t thank Rick enough for his generous bid and donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children,” Ragan said. “He really made tonight memorable for me, but also made a huge impact and benefit to the Shriners Hospitals and their patients and families. It was a wonderful night and $300,000 raised is amazing. I have to thank Bob Jenkins of Front Row Motorsports for donating the car and Doug Yates for donating the engine. There are so many other people who made this possible, too. I hope they all feel great for making such a big impact.”
For Steele, there was a sentimental reason for wanting the car and to send his money to Shriners Hospital as his mother was treated by the healthcare organization.
The following night, Jeff Gordon’s personal 2016 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R worked its way onto the auction block.
The super car, which was a limited production of 570, sports a 6.2-liter LS4 V8 engine that delivers an impressive 650-horsepower. Gordon’s car was benefiting his own Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation.
Gordon’s Corvette went through a frenzied auction that was won with a $400,000 bid. However, it wouldn’t end there as the winning bidder immediately put the car back on the auction block, where it earned another $200,000 bid. In all, the car raised $600,000 for the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation.
Lyla, a child who is fighting cancer, accompanied Gordon as the car rolled through the stage.
It was an impressive couple of nights at the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction for one of NASCAR’s all-time greats and another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series veteran race winner.
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