Rahal auctions off Newman tribute helmet for charity

UPDATE #3 Legendary actor and racer Paul Newman left a lasting legacy with his generosity and charitable acts, and his spirit of giving has lived on in those that were touched by him.

Graham Rahal was part of Newman’s Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing team for just two seasons, but he experienced first-hand how you can affect the world around you by reaching out on your own.

In that spirit, the 19-year-old IndyCar Series driver auctioned off a very special piece of his own racing memorabilia last week, selling his helmet from this year’s event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that carried reproductions of movie posters from some of Newman’s most-loved films.

The auction, conducted on the Internet auction site Ebay, ended Monday with a final winning bid of $40,900. The proceeds will go toward the new Flying Horse Farms camp in Ohio, which is part of the Hole In The Wall Camps program for sick children that was started by Newman.

"I cannot express how happy I am that the helmet auction raised $40,900 for the Flying Horse Farms," Rahal said. “Paul Newman set such a tremendous example of the impact that can be made by giving back and doing what you can for others. I hope he would have been proud of what I was able to accomplish with the help of Troy Lee and that this will help Flying Horse Farms move one step closer to being able to bring some happiness to future campers." RLR PR

10/13/08 With about 2 hours to go on the bid, the highest bid is up to $18,600.

10/08/08 Added photos of helmet on eBay below.

10/07/08 The helmet that Graham Rahal wore during the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is up for auction on the online auction site eBay.

This one-of-a-kind helmet was designed as a tribute to Paul Newman and commissioned by the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing driver. It was signed by Newman and Rahal along with Troy Lee, who designed the helmet.

The helmet features a collage of some of Newman's most famous movie posters including The Hustler, The Sting, The Long Hot Summer, Cool Hand Luke, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Slap Shot and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Proceeds from the auction, which runs through Oct. 13, will benefit Flying Horse Farms, a camp for children with serious illnesses and a provisional member of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, which was founded by Newman in 1988.

Flying Horse Farms will open in 2010 in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, 15 miles from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.