The Inaugural Legends of Motorsports Gala featuring racing icon Mario Andretti highlights several automotive lifestyle events slated for the first "Legends of Motorsports, A Bobby Rahal Signature Event" weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. The Gala, which takes place on Saturday, May 22 at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, will offer guests an exclusive opportunity to interact with one of racing's most recognizable and legendary personalities.
As the Gala's honored guest, the international motorsports star Andretti will mingle and visit with attendees and be the subject of a live Q&A session with the audience.
“It's wonderful to have a true legend like Mario Andretti join us for the very first Legends of Motorsports event,” said Legends of Motorsports co-founder Bobby Rahal. “Mario proved to the world what American drivers were made of. He's won in Indy cars, NASCAR, Formula 1 and everything in between. His attendance at our Gala makes it a can't-miss occasion.”
Adding further star power to the event, SPEED TV personality Bob Varsha will serve as the emcee for the night's activities. The Gala will feature an auction with several Andretti-autographed items, including new, original artwork by Johnathan Frank, bottles of wine from Andretti's private vineyard and racing memorabilia. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the host venue, the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, as well as the Paul Newman Winning Through Giving Award.
The Museum will be a fitting backdrop for the Inaugural Legends of Motorsports Gala as it is home to the one of the world's largest collections of Lotus racecars, including two that were driven in competition by Andretti. Lotus has been named the featured marque during the Legends of Motorsports weekend at Barber, which will culminate in a Lotus-only invitational race on Sunday. Andretti will serve as the Grand Marshall for Sunday's activities.
Tickets to the gala are now available to the public for $250 per person and can be purchased on the Legends of Motorsports website (www.legendsofmotorsports.com). Tickets to the inaugural Legends of Motorsports event at Barber Motorsports Park can also be purchased via the Legends of Motorsports website or by calling (800) 240-2300.
Other 2010 Legends of Motorsports events include New York's Watkins Glen International, June 11-13, Canada's Circuit Mont Tremblant on July 9-11 and Sebring International Raceway on Dec. 3-5.