IndyCar champs set for Phoenix charity event

Famous racers will come together for the fourth-annual Wheels of Wellness charity event in Phoenix, Ariz., in mid-January. The event precedes several days of classic-car auctions in the Phoenix area.

The lineup includes 2009 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti and Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar race. Bobby Rahal and AutoWeek contributor Denise McCluggage will be a part of the Legends of Motorsports panel at the event, held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 16.

The showcase of rare, vintage race cars and motorcycles will benefit teen and family cancer-support programs. GoDaddy.com will sponsor the event.

Car aficionados will see U.S.-built sports cars from the 1950s and '60s, such as the beautiful Scarab. It beat top sports racers from Ferrari, Maserati and Jaguar in the late 1950s across the United States.

Motorcycles to be displayed include a built-from-scratch 1991 Ducati/Cagiva Elefant. The Ducati/Cagiva Elefant won the 1991 Pharaohs Rally of Egypt and placed second overall in the 1992 Paris-Dakar-LeCap Rally. The motorcycle was featured in the Guggenheim Museum's “The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit, which traveled the globe from 1998 to 2000. The motorcycle is currently displayed in its Lucky Explorer (Strike) livery.