Moresco Places Winning $42K Bid on Danica's Indy 500 Wing
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- With a last minute effort Monday afternoon,
Los Angeles resident J.B. Moresco placed the winning eBay bid on Danica
Patrick's broken Indy 500 front wing, and every cent of the
$42,650.01 he paid is going to Best Buddies -- Panther
Racing's charity.
Moresco, 28, heard about the wing during the ESPN broadcast of the
Bombardier Learjet 500k at Texas Motor Speedway. Ironically, he had been
interested in becoming actively involved with charity work and there had
been a Best Buddies business card sitting on his desk for months.
"When I saw all the proceeds were going to Best Buddies,
that's what really swung my interest and geared me up to make the
bid," Moresco said. "I honestly didn't think in a
million years that I would win this thing. I've had a Best Buddies
card on my desk for two months because I've been looking for a
charity to get involved with, and when this came up it all fell into
place."
Moresco works in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, and grew up
near Watkins Glen International Raceway. While he never caught a race at
The Glen, he was always a fan of the Indianapolis 500 while growing up in
New York.
"It was a truly extraordinary week for Best Buddies Indiana as we
watched the excitement build each day as the bids went higher and
higher," Sarah Baldini, Deputy Director of Programs for Best
Buddies, said. "I think we were all astonished when the bids
reached the $10,000 mark and then rose to $25,000, but the winning bid of
$42,650 is just remarkable. It truly exceeded any expectations we had
going into this auction."
J.B. will officially receive the wing during the weekend of the July 3rd
IndyCar Series event at Kansas Speedway. Rahal-Letterman Racing has
agreed to provide hospitality for Moresco during the race weekend and
Panther will supply race tickets and pit passes. He will also be able to
meet Danica Patrick and Panther driver Tomas Enge sometime during the
weekend.
"I'm looking to put something together so people can see the
wing, I'm not going to just put it up in my house," Moresco
said. "It's pretty cool the story behind it and the success
that Danica has had and the new people she's brought to the sport.
It's a win-win situation for everybody involved and I'd like
people to be able to see it."
The bidding started last Monday at a mere $500, and began to skyrocket as
coverage of Patrick intensified following her run in the 89th
Indianapolis 500. During last Thursday alone, the bidding jumped from
around $5,000 to over $25,000. Moresco placed his final bid this Monday,
just seconds before the auction was complete.
"Best Buddies Indiana would like to extend a very special thank you
and congratulations to the winner, J.B. Moresco," Baldini said.
"We are grateful beyond words to Panther Racing, Rahal-Letterman
Racing, Tomas Enge and Danica Patrick for making this event possible. It
represents the sportsmanship and character of the sensational athletes in
the IndyCar Series and their commitment to charitable causes, including
Best Buddies Indiana's friendship programs for people with
intellectual disabilities."
Patrick autographed the wing during the weekend at Texas Motor Speedway,
and Enge looked on in his "I Love Danica Patrick" t-shit.
Danica finished 13th in the Bombardier Learjet 500k last weekend, and
Enge finished 19th after an electrical failure, despite setting the
fastest lap of the entire race.
"I'm excited to meet everybody and I think it's a
wonderful thing (Panther) has done for this charity," Moresco said.
"And honestly, to me, it's more about the charity than it is
about the wing. I'm hoping it's a great thing for Panther
Racing and the Indy Racing League and I hope it attracts more fans and
sponsors to their sport."
www.rockstar69.com - www.pantherracing.com -- www.pennzoil.com
-pr-
