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.

“The Celebrity Sports Auction is a big event we put together each year,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’ve done a lot of work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation over the years, and I’m proud that we can do our part to help all the kids who benefit from that program.”

The fundraising event will feature many additional auction items, including autographed jerseys from sports stars Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken Jr. Autographed movie posters, CDs and other memorabilia will also be available for bidding.

“I’m looking forward to spending the evening raising money with my friends from around the garage area and other sports to benefit the kids,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “We raised a bunch of money last year, but with the OCC chopper and everything else we’ve received for the auction, I’m sure we can do even better this year.”

For more information on the chopper and the Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction, please visit www.celebritysportsauction.com.

About The Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction

The Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction is in its eighth year of existence. The auction benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina is an annual, not-for-profit event whose sole purpose is to generate funds and awareness for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, one of Dale Jr.’s charities of choice. The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) corporation that grants the wishes of children who suffer with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. To learn more about how you can attend this event visit www.celebritysportsauction.com.