Just found out that our friends at the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer are auctioning off Dr. Jim Osborn's World Challenge Jetta this week. We have featured his cars in the magazine, and it's a good cause. Plus he's a cool guy and always offered me a cold water when at the track. I realize that this probably won't sell for $2k Challenge money but, like I said, it's for a good cause. Plus it's kind of personal.

Here's the official release:

VW THAT THRILLED THE CROWD AT BARRETT-JACKSON ORANGE COUNTY TO BE RESOLD AT BARRETT-JACKSON PALM BEACH TO BENEFIT THE AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION

Chattanooga, TN: On Thursday, April 7, the first ever professional bio-diesel touring car, a 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, will be auctioned off at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Palm Beach, Florida.

The car was specially built in 2006 by Chattanooga’s own Chili Pepper Racing for the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Series. The car made its record-breaking debut in March of 2007 at the Series’ season opener in Sebring, Florida and was the first alternatively-fueled race car of the Series.

On June 27, 2010, the car was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson Orange County, where it raised $80,000 for the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. After being purchased, the car was returned to the Austin Hatcher Foundation, in order to raise even more funds and awareness for pediatric cancer patients and their families at the 2011 Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach, Florida.

The 2011 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction will air live on the SPEED Channel from April 7 - 9. The 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, lot number 70, will cross the auction block on April 7, with all proceeds again benefiting the Austin Hatcher Foundation.

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship. The Foundation provides services to children with cancer as well as their families through its cancer care center, Hatch’s House of Hope. The Foundation provides all services at no cost to the families. Services are funded solely by the generous donations of its supporters. For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org

Hatch's House of Hope is a landmark pediatric cancer care center providing children and their families with the tools needed to cope and thrive at the onset of pediatric cancer, as well as the skills essential to live meaningful and productive lives as cancer survivors. The comprehensive services offered at no cost to families by Hatch’s include: problem-solving skills training, individual counseling, group counseling, marital counseling, family counseling, speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, equine therapy, music therapy, art therapy, academic coaching, cognitive assessment, social skills training, cognitive skills remediation, financial counseling, and diversionary therapy events for family enrichment. Services are provided from diagnosis through treatment, during remission, and into adulthood. Since opening its doors in September 2009, Hatch’s has provided over 500 hours of services to children with pediatric cancer and their families. Erlanger Medical Mall in Chattanooga, TN, is the site of the first Hatch's, which serves as the model for other Hatch’s in the planning stages nationwide. For more information, visit www.hatchshouse.org

Barrett-Jackson is the producer of “the World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions” in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Orange County and Las Vegas. The 2011 Palm Beach Auction will take place April 7 - 9 at the Americraft Expo Center in Palm Beach, Florida. For more information, or to register to bid, visit www.barrett-jackson.com

I hope they raise a lot of $$ but I remember that car being pretty slow by WC standards.

Kendall

I wish I had $80k to buy a car from a charity and then turn around and donate it back to them so they could sell it again.

If the car is not competitive in WC, what is the suggested use for it other than to keep donating back to the foundation? Maybe VW should buy it and save in a museum to tout that one of their products was the first alternative fueled racecars in the WC series.

I guess you could run it at track events. Or just make everything smell like french fries.

Just a bump that the Chili Pepper Racing VW is going up for sale--again. I know it's not cheap, but it's for a good cause.

VOLKSWAGEN JETTA RACE CAR RAISES $112,000 AND COUNTING FOR THE AUSTIN HATCHER FOUNDATION
Proceeds to Benefit Local Pediatric Cancer Care Center Hatch’s House of Hope

Chattanooga, TN (June 16, 2011): On Sunday, June 26, the 2006 WCTC Volkswagen Jetta race car that has raised a total of $112,000 for the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer will be auctioned for the third time at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Orange County, California.

In the past year, the Austin Hatcher Foundation has been able to raise a total of $350,000 through the sale of various collector cars, including a 2012 Centennial Corvette, at Barrett-Jackson auctions across the country. All proceeds from each sale have directly benefitted pediatric cancer patients through the Austin Hatcher Foundation, whose local pediatric cancer care center Hatch’s House of Hope provides children and their families with the tools needed to cope and thrive at the onset of pediatric cancer, as well as the skills essential to live meaningful and productive lives as cancer survivors.

The Volkswagen Jetta race car being sold on June 26 at Barrett-Jackson Orange County is the world’s first ever professional bio-diesel touring car and was built in 2006 by Chattanooga’s Chili Pepper Racing. The car made its record-breaking debut in March 2007 at the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Series, where it was the first alternatively-fueled race car of the series.

The car was first sold at Barrett-Jackson Orange County 2010, where it was purchased for $35,000 and generated $45,000 in donations. The car was then returned to the Foundation and went on to sell for $32,000 at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2011, bringing its fundraising total to $112,000. After being generously returned to the Foundation for the second time, the Jetta will be raising even more funds for the Austin Hatcher Foundation on June 26 at Barrett-Jackson Orange County 2011.

The 2011 Barrett-Jackson Orange County auction will air live on the SPEED Channel from June 24-26. The 2006 Volkswagen Jetta, lot #629, will roll across the auction block on Sunday, June 26 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., with all proceeds again directly benefitting the Austin Hatcher Foundation.

The Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer’s mission is to erase the effects of pediatric cancer and optimize each child’s quality of life through essential specialized intervention beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing throughout survivorship. The Foundation provides services to children with cancer, as well as their families, through its cancer care center, Hatch’s House of Hope. The Foundation provides all services at no cost to the families. Services are funded solely by the generous donations of supporters. For more information, visit www.hatcherfoundation.org

Hatch's House of Hope is a landmark pediatric cancer care center providing children and their families with the tools needed to cope and thrive at the onset of pediatric cancer, as well as the skills essential to live meaningful and productive lives as cancer survivors. The comprehensive services offered at no cost to families by Hatch’s include: individual and group counseling, marital and family counseling, speech and occupational therapy, music and art therapy, cognitive skills remediation, academic coaching, financial counseling, and diversionary therapy events for family enrichment. Services are provided from diagnosis through treatment, during remission, and into adulthood. For more information, visit www.hatchshouse.org

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I was going to ask, but you answered it: this is the one that keeps getting recycled through Barrett-Jackson as a tax deduction/write off at almost every auction. YES, it's for a really good cause, but it's also hair-thin from a scam.

Again, no insult at all to the beneficiaries of these causes, but, there's a part of this I find more than a bit disingenuously self-serving.