Jeff Gordon parted with his prized 2016 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, but did so for a good cause, earning $600,000 for charity at this past weekend’s Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Gordon, who will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Feb. 1, was on hand at the event as his jet black ride was initially sold for $400,000. But the winning bidder donated his just-purchased car back to the auction, where it sold for an additional $200,000.
The overall $600k in earnings all went to the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation, which specializes in pediatric cancer research and treatment.
Thank you!
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) January 19, 2019
$600,000 raised for kids fighting cancer through @JeffGordon4Cure!
Incredible night at @Barrett_Jackson!https://t.co/qXEQc3rlCD#TeamJG pic.twitter.com/0ze6k1mtLD
“When you interact with (kids fighting cancer), you realize how special that (cause) is,” Gordon said, according to ClassicCars.com.
While street legal, Gordon’s special edition Corvette – one of only 570 ever made with Z07 Performance and 3LZ Preferred packages – has enough power that it could give a NASCAR Cup car a run for its money, boasting a supercharged 6.2 liter LT4 engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that puts out 650 horsepower.
“This thing is unreal,” Gordon said of his ride to ClassicCars.com.
$600,000 for kids fighting cancer through @JeffGordon4Cure!
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) January 19, 2019
Amazing night at @Barrett_Jackson!https://t.co/qXEQc3rlCD#TeamJG pic.twitter.com/ui34fdFF7R
The overall auction raised a record $9.6 million for charity, increasing the overall amount Barrett-Jackson has raised in its 48-year history to $114-plus million.
Even though it went on the auction block with just 747 miles on the odometer, before he let his prized ‘Vette go Gordon admits he definitely took it through its paces, telling ClassicCars.com with a laugh, “I’m a race car driver. I like to see what the car can do, and I definitely did that.”