Wheldon auction raises more than $600K

An auction dedicated to the late Dan Wheldon raised more than $600,000 that will go to his wife and two young sons.

The final total of $627,203 was released Friday by organizers of the Dan Wheldon Auction. The two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed in an accident in the Oct. 16 IndyCar season finale.

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal announced after the accident that he planned to auction off his helmet from the race and donate the proceeds to Wheldon's wife, Susie. As word spread about his gesture, the entire racing community began donating items for Rahal to auction off.

Within just a few days, the auction grew too big for Rahal to handle alone. It was taken over by eBay, which waived all fees, and Auction Cause, an auction management agency.