Tim Tebow Teams With Richard Petty to Restore College Car for Fundraiser

By Alex Murashko, CP Contributor Friday, January 11, 2013

Although the status of his career in the NFL as a quarterback remains a question mark, Tim Tebow's work inside his philanthropic foundation continues at full strength. The Christian athlete has given his previously dormant college car to NASCAR legend Richard Petty to super charge for eventual sale with proceeds tentatively pegged for the Tim Tebow Foundation's work in the Philippines.

The '95 Thunderbird was brought into Petty's car restoration shop rusty and covered in cat prints, according to Tim Tebow Foundation Executive Director Erik Dellenback, as reported by Sporting News.

"We're excited because obviously the legendary status of Richard Petty is a great tie to us," Dellenback said. "Originally our goal was just to auction it off and as we started seeing what this was going to look like and the interest of people wanting to see it, we decided to use it for a year on promotional tour. … The dollars we can raise off that could literally affect thousands of children."

Tebow's Ford Thunderbird was parked and left unused at his parents' house in Florida soon after he was selected in the 2010 NFL draft, according to Sporting News. The Tebow Foundation decided the car could be used as a fundraiser.

Plans call for the rebuilt Thunderbird to also benefit Petty's Garage as part of a mobile tour of rebuilt performance cars before it is sold.

"Hopefully when we're done, Tim and his folks will be proud of it and can use it for their charity events," Petty said. "I know we're going to use it for some of our Petty's Garage mobile tour and that will be a good piece for us to show off.

"We've been talking with Tim and his foundation folks for a while now and things have come together for us to do this. It's been good for everyone and I think we'll all get something good out of it."

Organizers plan to display the restored car at the Daytona International Speedway during Speedweeks. The car will also "tour" Tebow Foundation events before being sold during an auction at the end of 2013, according to the News. Speculators say the car, designed for charity, could "go for well into six figures at a car auction such as the Barrett-Jackson."

When the car was given to the foundation and Petty's crew it had "lots of notes – from phone numbers of scouts to notes likely just left on Tebow's car while on the Florida campus."

"It was not your typical college football player's car by no means," Petty's Garage CEO Jeff Whaley said. "We found a list (of numbers) of when he was being courted to go to school, but there were no beer can lids, no cigarette ashes."

On the Web: http://timtebowfoundation.org/