Silverstone’s Day of Champions kicked off MotoGP weekend in fine style by raising £218,000 of which the auction, supported by all the top riders, made £84,000.
“It was an amazing day,” said a relieved Andrea Coleman of new organisers Two Wheels for Life.“All our helpers worked so hard but we also have to thank Dorna, Silverstone and, of course, the riders.”
Star turn of the auction, watched by thousands sitting in warm sunshine, was of course Valentino Rossi. His auctioning of an Akrapovic exhaust system raised £5,900. It was bought by Salisbury racing fan Colin White after a lengthy battle with a telephone bidder which started at less than £1,000.
His success raised a mighty cheer, Colin leapt from the crowd, swapped his pork pie hat for Valentino’s who insisted on him autographing it, and with television recording the event enjoyed five minutes of well deserved fame.
Two Wheels for Life is the official charity of Dorna, promoters of MotoGP, and racing’s governing body the FIM. It is headed by Andrea Coleman, formerly CEO and founder of the now defunct Riders for Health, and funds raised go towards providing transport for healthcare in Africa.