Silent auction to benefit Wilson Children's Fund raises almost $10K

With the invaluable help and donation of time and effort from Paul Zimmermann at The Motorsport Collector and the staff at Sonoma Raceway, the eight 16x20 prints being auctioned to benefit the Wilson Children's Fund were successfully sold. A bid for a ninth print was also accepted by the parents of one young Verizon IndyCar Series driver, and altogether, $9,808 was raised.

Payments for the nine prints (seen in full, below) were made directly to the Wilson Children's Fund. The charity site, which was created to provide enduring support for the daughters of the late racecar driver Justin Wilson, also received numerous donations from those simply wanting to support the Briton's family during the holidays.

Signed by all 22 drivers who completed the 2016 IndyCar season finale at Sonoma Raceway, along with additional autographs from legends Mario Andretti, Roger Penske, Rick Mears and Dario Franchitti, the generous outcome of the first holiday-themed photo auction on behalf of the WCF has ensured it will return in 2017.

Although the first auction print centered on open-wheel racing, the next auction will add a second, separate sports car print signed by contemporary and legendary drivers in honor of Wilson's passion for both forms of the sport.

If you'd like to donate to the Wilson Children's Fund, click here.