CORNELIUS, NC--June 14, 2012: NASCAR driver Clint Bowyer will rev up the crowd at the 3rd Annual Barrett-Jackson Orange County Auction in Costa Mesa, Calif., when his 2011 Toyota Tundra custom truck crosses the auction block on Saturday, June 23, to raise money for the Emporia Community Foundation (ECF). Bowyer and his design crew teamed up with Toyota Motor Sales USA and Sherwin-Williams to transform the 2011 Toyota Tundra into a 1950s-style work truck as part of the Sherwin-Williams Planet Color® All-Star Charity Challenge.
“We appreciate NASCAR superstars like Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle lending their names and efforts in helping us create the Planet Color® All-Star Charity Challenge”
"I grew up in the Midwest where helping your neighbor was a way of life," said Bowyer. "Recently, that part of the country has been rattled with floods, tornadoes, drought and high unemployment from factories and farms shutting down. And now, it's time to give back to a community who raised me and what better way to do that than combine two of my greatest passions, cars and charity."
One hundred percent of the winning bid from Bowyer's Tundra during the Orange County auction will go to the Emporia Community Foundation in Bowyer's Kansas hometown. The Emporia Community Foundation is a collection of separate funds and resources given by caring citizens to make the community a better place to work and live, now and in the future. ECF represents the Kansas counties of Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Morris, Osage, Coffey and Wabaunsee.
The custom Toyota Tundra features a red patina paint job, done in Sherwin-Williams Planet Color paint to give the truck the appearance of a well-used "tri-five" style work truck. The truck's design was inspired by all the weather-beaten trucks that litter the Midwestern countryside where Bowyer was born and raised.
Additional '50s-style elements incorporated into Bowyer's Tundra design include a roof visor, custom wheels, louvered tailgate, vertical bar grille, white bumpers, mirrors and grille, a wood bed and wood bed stakes, and blanket upholstered seats. The 2011 Toyota Tundra includes a custom exhaust and upgraded suspension components.
"Clint's enthusiastic participation in the Sherwin-Williams charity challenge demonstrates his longstanding commitment to his community," said Les Unger, Toyota's national motorsports manager. "His admirable involvement demonstrates his unique combination of driving talent, automotive design capability and the willingness to assure an improved lifestyle for residents in his home state of Kansas."
The Sherwin-Williams Planet Color® All-Star Charity Challenge pits the truck design talents of Clint Bowyer against fellow NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, as each of the drivers' design teams turn back the hands of time on a 2011 Toyota Tundra to appear as if it was manufactured during the 1950s. Barrett-Jackson Auction Company's 2012 Orange County, Calif., and Las Vegas bidders will determine each vehicle's worth with all proceeds going to the drivers' charities of choice, including Bowyer's Emporia Community Foundation.
"We appreciate NASCAR superstars like Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle lending their names and efforts in helping us create the Planet Color® All-Star Charity Challenge," said Bobby Moody, director of motorsports at Sherwin-Williams. "Planet Color custom paints and finishes have been a tremendous hit among custom automotive enthusiasts and painters alike. All Planet Color custom paints and coatings are based upon Sherwin-Williams' exclusive OEM-approved color system."
Individuals interested in purchasing Bowyer's 2011 Toyota Tundra to support the Emporia Community Foundation can register to bid online, in person or by phone at www.barrett-jackson.com/bid. For more information on the Planet Color® All-Star Charity Challenge, visit Planet Color.
