Bidding war begins for Earnhardt chopper

The bidding war has begun on NASCAR.com for the Dale Earnhardt Jr. custom chopper, built by Orange County Choppers and donated by Sunoco for the eighth annual Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction presented by Bass Pro Shops. The proceeds of the auction will benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina through the NASCAR Foundation.

The one-of-a-kind chopper was built exclusively for Earnhardt Jr. as part of the Sunoco/Orange County Choppers Custom Chopper Series and was designed to reflect the red, black and white paint scheme of his No. 8 Chevrolet. The online auction kicked off Sept. 21 and will run 88 days through Dec. 18.

“The OCC guys always build cool bikes, and my chopper is no different," Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’m impressed with the work they did on it."

The 2007 Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction is Oct. 23 at Founder’s Hall in Charlotte, N.C. Celebrities appearing with Earnhardt Jr. will be fellow NASCAR drivers Martin Truex Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Casey Mears. Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is also scheduled to attend.

A limited number of tickets for the event are still available and can be purchased online at www.celebritysportsauction.com.