An auction dedicated to the late Dan Wheldon raised more than $600,000 that will go to his wife and two young sons.
The final total of $627,203 was released Friday by organizers of the Dan Wheldon Auction. Wheldon, a two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, was killed in an accident in the Oct. 16 IndyCar season finale.
IndyCar driver Graham Rahal said after the accident that he planned to auction off his helmet from the race and donate the proceeds to Wheldon's wife, Susie. As word of his gesture spread, the entire racing community began donating items for Rahal to auction. Within a few days, the auction grew too big for Rahal to handle alone and was taken over by eBay, which waived all fees, and Auction Cause, an auction-management agency.
Charlotte fan weekend scheduled
NASCAR has three days of activities planned for fans around next weekend's induction of the Class of 2012 into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
The induction ceremony for Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Glen Wood, Dale Inman and the late Richie Evans will be Jan. 20, starting at 4:30. The ceremony will be preceded by a storytelling session with members of the 2010 and 2011 classes at 4 p.m.
Events Jan. 21 include breakfast with Junior Johnson at 7 a.m., NASCAR Preview 2012 with top and former drivers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., autograph sessions and fan visits with members of the Class of 2012, starting at 7 p.m. Fans also will have the chance to mingle with 2012 inductees Jan. 22, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Ticket prices for the Hall of Fame and Preview 2012 start at $20; children 5 and younger will be admitted free. For more information, go to NASCARacceleration2012.com or call (800) 745-3000.
Milwaukee Mile eyes IndyCar
The owners of the Milwaukee Mile are hoping to stage an IndyCar race at the track in June. IndyCar has run seven races at the 1-mile oval since 2004, but the track isn't on the schedule for the 2012 season. The schedule currently has only 15 races, and needs one more to fulfill its contract with title sponsor Izod.
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin State Fair Park, which oversees operation of the Milwaukee Mile, said that track officials have been in discussion with IndyCar officials about getting on the 2012 schedule. But she said Friday that a promoter must be found for the event.
Smithfield to sponsor Almirola
Richard Petty Motorsports has signed Smithfield Foods to sponsor Aric Almirola for 15 races. The company plans to use a variety of its products on the No. 43 Ford. The deal is for three years, but it's not clear how many races will be sponsored in 2013 and 2014.
Tandems remain at Daytona
NASCAR still has work to do if it wants to eliminate tandem drafting at restrictor-plate tracks, based on Thursday's first test session at Daytona International Speedway. Kyle Busch topped the speed chart at 202.402 miles an hour — in a tandem with Joey Logano, his teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing.
In a meeting with crew chiefs Thursday, NASCAR announced additional modifications to a restrictor-plate competition package that has gone through major changes in the offseason. NASCAR increased the diameter of restrictor-plate openings by 1/32nd of an inch, to 15/16ths of an inch. That will add an estimated 26 horsepower to engines.
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