There will be an abundance of on-track excitement at Bristol Motor Speedway during August race week, but there also will be plenty of race-related action away from the track as well.
One of the featured events of race week at BMS is the Eastman Motorsports Club Racing Memorabilia Auction, an event that gives fans who are interested in collectibles the chance to claim some as their own.
The auction takes place Thursday, Aug. 20 on the third floor of the Bruton Smith Building at Bristol Motor Speedway and gets started with a preview at 5 p.m. Bidding is scheduled to get under way at 6 p.m. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities.
Items on the auction block include autographed sheet metal, crew uniforms and die-cast collectibles. Some of the more popular items include sheet metal from the cars of Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon, an autographed Tony Stewart jacket and diecast, a Kevin Harvick diecast and helmet shield and various other autographed items from Earnhardt, Jr., Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and others.
New this year for the auction is a Fighter Pilot For A Day adventure with a four-night stay and airfare for two people and a Sports Fan Getaway where the winning bidder chooses their favorite MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, PGA or College Bowl Game to attend, along with a weekend stay and airfare for two.
"The Eastman Motorsports Club does a wonderful job with this auction and they put a lot of hard work into making it a success," said Claudia Byrd, chair of the Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. "Every year they reach out to race shops for these items and then travel to the Charlotte area to collect them. Their tireless efforts benefit the children in this area greatly, and we genuinely appreciate their dedication to this auction."
The Eastman Motorsports Club (EMC) is affiliated with the Recreation Department of Eastman Chemical Company based in Kingsport, Tenn. Membership to the club is open to all employees.
The Bristol Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities, which aids children's agencies in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, has raised in excess of $4.5 million over the past 12 years.
