On Thursday ahead of track action at the Octo British Grand Prix, the Two Wheels for Life day kicked off the weekend in style – and for a good cause. With the gates to the paddock open for one day only and the traditional afternoon auction of some incredible memorabilia and experiences, expectation was high and the grand total doesn’t disappoint, with an incredible £246,275 raised.
That money goes to the official charity of MotoGP™, Two Wheels for Life, to help them continue some of their incredible life-saving efforts in Africa; getting medicines and important services to some difficult-to-reach areas – and all on two wheels.
The auction this year had some fantastic highlights, including a jaw-dropping £3,500 paid for a selfie with nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi! Other lots included signed photos from many in the paddock, boots, gloves, knee sliders, art prints and a whole host more - with each rider taking to the stage to talk to the crowd throughout the afternoon and auctioning off their items.
There were also some once-in-a-lifetime lots, such as weekend paddock experiences with LCR Honda and Reale Avintia Racing, rides on the two-seater Ducati and hospitality with the Borgo Panigale team, the chance to go to the Press Conference – and grid passes up for grabs for all classes. With so many opportunities for a real one-off, bidding was certainly competitive - but then we wouldn’t expect anything less from fans of MotoGP™.
So until next time, there are a quarter of a million reasons to say thank you to everyone involved in the day – and hope that it returns next year ready to hit another incredible high.