Day of Champions raises over £206,000! Big-hearted MotoGP fans dig deep for charity

The star-studded Day of Champions, the charity event held before the British MotoGP at Silverstone and the first for two years due to the pandemic, has raised £206,550.

Organised by Two Wheels for Life and conceived to raise money for Riders for Health, which promotes health care in Africa, the Day of Champions is traditionally held on the Thursday before the race.

The highlight was again the live charity auction of GP memorabilia donated by stars such as Valentino Rossi which alone raised over £77,000 in the first five hours. Other events included a ride-in led by Niall Mackenzie aboard his 1980 Yamaha RD350LC and a second auction held on Saturday evening, which contributed a further £25,000.

The star lot of the stage auction, which was hosted by commentator Michael Hill, was the chequered flag which ended nine-times world champion Valentino Rossi’s final race at Valencia in 2021. Signed by Rossi himself, complete with a certificate of authenticity, it raised an eye-watering £4500.

Other hot property included the signed helmet Kenny Roberts Snr wore at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and a Colin Edwards Texas Tornado Bootcamp experience for two.

“We couldn’t be happier with the way it has gone,” said founder and Two Wheels CEO Andrea Coleman. “As always, the kindness and generosity of Two Wheels for Life supporters, MotoGP, and all of the teams and riders who help us out is exceptional.”

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Day of Champions: Event returns to Silverstone MotoGP for 2022

First published on 18 May 2022 by Phil West

The Day of Champions charity event is back with all of the most popular elements returning after a Covid-enforced absence. A ride-in, paddock access, pitlane walk, and charity auctions are all planned, with MotoGP stars joining the fun and games.

The event will kickstart the 2022 British Grand Prix on the Thursday before the Monster Energy British MotoGP round at Silverstone on August 4. Day of Champions is one of the major fundraising events for British-based charity Two Wheels for Life – the official charity of MotoGP.

Day of Champions was cancelled in 2020 and was forced to adapt and change in 2021 because of the pandemic and restrictions.

“We are so grateful for the kindness of all of those at MotoGP and at Silverstone for being so willing to assist in our dream of getting Day of Champions back on the calendar,” said Two Wheels for Life founder, Andrea Coleman.
 
“The past two years have been hard work for all charities, and we have been fighting back from a huge drop in fundraising as a result of the pandemic.
 
“Day of Champions has always been a foundation of our fundraising activities so not being able to run in 2020 and having to change the way it worked in 2021 forced us into making many changes to ensure we were still able to keep funding the essential work our charity partner Riders for Health does in Africa.

“We can’t wait to see everyone at Silverstone again this year and we are really looking forward to seeing a capacity crowd, all of the elements of Day of Champions that people love so much, and being able to give everyone a great day out.”

Ticket prices for general admission start from just £25 if pre-booked, or £30 on the day, head to the Silverstone website to get yours.