Lee Petty (Class of 1996) was born on this date in 1914.
Bill Simpson (Class of 2003) was born on this date in 1940....
• Bid Now for a Chance to Win an Unforgettable Experience for Two on the Historic Airship that Otherwise Can’t Be Bought
• Goodyear Blimp Centennial Ride Offering the Latest in a Run of Successful and Exclusive Bring a Trailer Fundraisers for the 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Foundation Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and Museum in Daytona Beach
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (February 24, 2025) – Goodyear marks the 100th Anniversary of its iconic Goodyear Blimp airship program this year, and one winning bidder and a guest can be part of the celebration in high-flying style thanks to the latest Motorsports Hall of Fame of America fundraising auction on Bring a Trailer. Bidding is live now and will be through midday Eastern time this Thursday, February 27, on this truly priceless experience available exclusively on BaT.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company operates three US-based semi-rigid airships out of Akron, Ohio, Pompano Beach, Florida and Carson, California, and the auction winner can choose one of the locations as the launch for their ride. The winning bid for this no-reserve auction, including the BaT buyer’s fee, will be donated to the Motorsports Museum & Hall of Fame of America, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that instills values of leadership, teamwork, innovation, originality, and competition—all critical American motorsports values—into current and future generations.
The Goodyear Blimp is a familiar sighting at numerous international sporting events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl and Rose Bowl as well as major motorsport events such as the Daytona 500 and other major NASCAR races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 12 Hours of Sebring and Formula 1 Grands Prix. The opportunity to ride aboard the dirigible is offered at invitation only and is not open to the public. The auction winner will choose one of the listed hangar locations as the launch for their ride, and once the city is selected, Goodyear will share available dates for that location. Each airship in the fleet — Wingfoots One, Two, and Three — measures approximately 250 feet in length and has a top speed of around 70 mph.
In an effort to market rubber-infused fabrics and coatings for airplanes, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company entered the aviation field in the early 1910s and went on to build their first balloon in 1912 for use in national and international competitions. Pilgrim, Goodyear’s first commercial dirigible, was produced in 1925 and flown using helium, replacing the highly flammable hydrogen that had previously been used. It featured a passenger car held flush against its envelope via internal cables, which superseded an earlier design in which the gondola was suspended from external cables.
Through the early 1940s, Goodyear blimps were primarily used for public relations and were outfitted with illuminated signage and loudspeakers. Given their ability to remain airborne for long periods, a number of blimps in the Goodyear fleet were transferred to the US Navy during World War II to assist in patrolling the sea and escorting convoys. Goodyear later resumed its advertising operations, and in 1955, provided the first-ever nationally televised aerial live stream.
A century after its inception, the Goodyear Blimp remains an American icon and has transported more than 500k passengers and floated over nearly 2,500 events.
This live auction is open now can be found at https://bringatrailer.com/
Upon completion of the auction, the winning bidder will directly pay the Motorsports Museum & Hall of Fame of America Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
The MSHFA is housed in Daytona International Speedway's Ticket & Tours Building located in front of the famed 2.5-mile DIS tri-oval. Access to the MSFHA museum is included with every Daytona International Speedway tour, which run throughout each day, or as a museum-only ticket. The museum is open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. nearly year-round except major holidays. It is visited by more than 150,000 guests each year from every state in America and countries all over the world. For museum tickets call 1-800-PIT-SHOP.
For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2025 MSHFA 37th Induction Celebration presented by Toyota Racing, March 10 - 11, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com or contact George Levy at (248) 895-1704 or glevy@mshf.com.
Click on Bring a Trailer Auction for more information and to register on BaT and bid directly on the Goodyear Blimp ride auction.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America: The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all major American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to celebrate and instill the American motorsports values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and led by first President Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier such hall until his passing in 2019. Originally based in Novi, Mich., it relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2016 and greets close to 150,000 guests a year in its museum. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc.
Top and Bottom Images Courtesy of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Middle Image Courtesy of Harry Hurst
Adam Saal
(321) 890-2848